# quonset party



## dakkonderge (Sep 14, 2014)

i have a Halloween party coming up and i plan on building a Quonset hut with 20 ft sections of pvc piping making total arch 40ft. and making it 50ft long. i will be covering it with 6mm black garden plastic. i have 2 rolls 20ft x 100ft. i plan on having my whole party in it. i have over the years been gathering fog machines and laser shows. ill try and get pictures once i have it built. before i buy any more materials, anybody have advice before i learn quonset building the hard way?

also any ideas for decor to a quonset costume party? maybe a name? monsterball, zombie rave etc?


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

How big is the actual footprint/usable interior space?
Keep in mind that most people won't stand or even sit in areas where the ceiling is under 6.5'. This means that your edges will not be occupied by people, but it does let you use that space for tables, sound system, etc.


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## dakkonderge (Sep 14, 2014)

the usable interior will be about 25'-50'


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

As far as advice goes?
I'd sit down with a calculator and the formula for the amount of PVC you will need before you do anything else. You are basically looking at 63' of PVC for each arch and depending on how many/close you are going to have each arch, and the supports or struts you will use running lengthwise, you will eat up a whole lot of PVC. With a 10' gap between arches, you are looking at 378' on just the arches, and you may want an even smaller gap than that. That number is based upon a footprint of 40' x 50', which makes your usable space even smaller. Losing about 7'-8' or so from each side leaves you with your 25' of usable space. If you have just one ridge pole going down the center that's another 50', and for that size arch I'd probably want 3 or 4 ridge poles, plus ones running along at the ground to keep everything spaced and in order.

If you glue the PVC together, then you either live with the final result or you chuck it after your party. You can use a heat gun to help shape the PVC into the arched sections. This will make construction much easier than having to fight with every piece on every arch.

I'd use good cloth backed tape to reinforce the plastic on both the interior and exterior, especially where you will tie it down to the superstructure and wherever you will have joints/fittings coming in contact with the plastic.

Have holes at the top of the end panels to help with air movement, have plenty of fans to help with that. Keep in mind that that plastic doesn't breathe so you will basically have a giant sweatbox if you aren't careful.


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## dakkonderge (Sep 14, 2014)

you are right. when you say cloth backed tape, do you mean duct tape?


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

True duct tape. Often times people end up with just a wide, plastic tape and call it that.
True duct tape is made to withstand the heat and abuse it gets from doing duct work.
Lay out your plans on paper (blueprints) and look at the amount of PVC you will need, the number and types of fittings required, the amount of tape, tools and the method you will use to construct this, the wire ties, or ball-bungees to tie the plastic down to the superstructure., etc., so that you can make a shopping list and game plan for going at this properly. Most hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) don't carry PVC cross joints, so you either need to order them from a supplier or stagger sections so that you can use standard T connections/fittings. If you are going to suspend lights and such from the superstructure, then you should take that into consideration when designing and building your "hut" too. Having to figure out how and were to run power/extension cords after the fact is a major pain in the butt, and the weight of the cord, lights, etc., not to mention how you will secure them to the ceiling, needs to be considered too.


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## dakkonderge (Sep 14, 2014)

i will be using 1" x 20' lengths. they already have connections on the ends. to connect the hoops to the crossbeams I will be drilling holes and using large pins and duct tape. I have lots of duct tape as I run a small business in my locality, making wallets and purses from duct tape. I also make duffle bags and backpack.


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## dakkonderge (Sep 14, 2014)

also I will be anchoring with rebar.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

I'll be curious to see/hear how the pin method works out for you. Drilling the holes can be a challenge, and also the fact that those drilled holes will weaken the pvc a fair amount.
You might look at the way most swap-meet style canopies are made. They often use the canvas itself to basically hold the superstructure/framework together. While you aren't using canvas, you can apply the same principle by using bungee cords to help keep the various pieces pulled together. Those same bungee cords can also hold extension cords, and, depending on the length and tension, they may be able to support small lights and such too. Most true quonset huts have cross beams or cables to help them keep their shape and rigidity. Think of an arch like a bow legged letter "A", with the cross bar being a cable or bungee cord.


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