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Set and Scenery Construction with LIGNOLOC® Wooden Nails

Metal-free nailing for film, TV and theatre sets – dismantle, rework and reuse scenic elements without hidden metal.

LIGNOLOC® wooden nails by BECK are used in scenic workshops, set building and film and TV production. Scenic flats, platforms and decorative elements can be built with a pneumatic nailer as usual – and later cut, reworked and dismantled without hidden metal nails.

Why Sets Often End Up as Waste After the Final Performance

Theatre sets can be built to last only a few weeks using materials designed to last for decades. Yet a large proportion of scenic material is discarded after the final performance. One major reason is that metal fasteners make safe and economical deconstruction difficult.

Documented Trial: 80% Material Recovery with Wooden Nails*

In a test project by Re-set Scenery with students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, a scenic flat was built with LIGNOLOC® wooden nails and then dismantled. 80% of the material was recovered – compared with 15% for [a comparable flat built with conventional steel fasteners].* Dismantling the flat took 20 minutes. The recovered timber contained no embedded metal and could be prepared directly for reuse in future productions.*

* Source: Re-set Scenery, “Reset Scenery & LIGNOLOC for the Creative Industries”, 2025, pp. 2–3. Test case conducted at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland using a scenic flat from the production of Cendrillon.

ABTT Awards 2026: LIGNOLOC® Named the First Sustainable Product of the Year

At the ABTT Awards 2026, held as part of the ABTT Theatre Show in London, the “ABTT Sustainable Product of the Year” award was presented for the first time. An independent judging panel named LIGNOLOC® its first winner – jointly awarded to BECK Fastening and Re-set Scenery, who presented the Wooden Nail system at the show. The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) introduced the new category as a founding partner of the Theatre Green Book.

Set construction with LIGNOLOC® wooden nails

Set Building with Wooden Nails: Advantages

01
Easily Modify Sets and Scenic Elements

Whether using a circular saw, jigsaw or router, LIGNOLOC® wooden nails do not damage cutting tools. Scenic elements can be easily cut, modified or separated without the risk of hidden metal fasteners.

 

02
Dismantle Scenery and Flats quickly

In the documented test case, 80% of the material was recovered for reuse.* What is dismantled today can be used again in the next production – with no metal fasteners to remove from the timber first.

03
Work as Usual with a Pneumatic Nailer

LIGNOLOC® wooden nails are driven using specially developed pneumatic nailers. Installation remains fast and familiar – only the nail is made of wood instead of steel.

 

04
Metal-Free: No Hidden Metal Nails

LIGNOLOC® wooden nails leave no metal in the timber. Saw blades and router bits do not hit hidden nails when elements are reworked, and no metal nails need to be removed during dismantling. The recovered timber can be processed again straight away.

05
Certified and Structurally Verifiable

With ETA-certified products and a comprehensive technical manual, LIGNOLOC® connections can be designed and calculated for specific projects – enabling predictable, verifiable and safe timber construction.

 

06
From Studio Theatre to Large-Scale Productions

From lightweight decorative elements to load-bearing timber structures, LIGNOLOC® offers a suitable fastening solution for a wide range of stage construction applications.

The Right LIGNOLOC® Wood Nailing System for Stage, Film and TV

#1
LIGNOLOC® F33 Wood Nailing System

Ideal for Smaller Scenic Elements

Ideal for applying 6–9 mm sheeting or cladding to scenic frames and for attaching mouldings, skirtings and fascias. The F33 system is suited to scenic elements, stage sets and decorative structures that will later be cut, reworked or dismantled without metal residue.

 

Learn more about F33
#2
LIGNOLOC® F44 Wood Nailing System

Perfect for Wood-Based Panels

Fires wooden nails suitable for light framing in timber 20–28 mm thick, redwood, spruce and plywood. Ideal for carcass and box work, perfectly suitable for timber jointing

Learn more about F44
#3
LIGNOLOC® F60 Wood Nailing System

For Load-Bearing Timber Structures

Developed for structurally demanding timber-to-timber connections. Ideal for stage structures with large spans and complex load-bearing requirements.

Learn more about F60

The Right LIGNOLOC® Wood Nailing System for Stage, Film and TV

#1

“The system was understood immediately. The construction team started experimenting straight away – attaching 9 mm birch plywood to 18 mm formers for curved stage flats. It works!”

Ed Smith
Head of Workshops | Scottish Opera, Glasgow

Your last stage set can become the material for your next: elements nailed with LIGNOLOC® can be taken apart without metal residue and prepared for a future production. We come to your workshop, set up the systems and show you, using your own materials, how building and dismantling with wooden nails works.

get started

  • #01 Workshop Demonstration

    Personal, practical and carried out using your own materials.

  • #02 Loan Tool and Test Nails

    Available free of charge for pilot projects upon request.

     

Do you have questions about stage construction with LIGNOLOC®? Our product specialists will be happy to advise you.

Contact our product specialists now