I've got some mains Par 16 birdies. I need to floor stand them, but can't screw them into the floor etc. I was wondering if anyone had any ingenious ways of making up some cheap bases for them?

At the risk of sounding like I'm stating the obvious (so I apologise if it comes across like that, not the intention ), the classic way (if they are not pre-based) is to remove the Birdie out of the yoke, screw the the yoke down (perhaps with a penny washer) and then replace the Birdie in the yoke.

As for proper bases - well perhaps if your handy with metalwork you could weld a M8 or 10 bolt to a small metal base plate, rig the Birdie up on this and then provide 4 small screw holes around the base plate for screwing into the stage.

HTH
Stu

Or alternatively screw the yoke onto a piece of wood.
Job done.

The bases I intend to build when I get my birdies will be something like the following.

Square bit of wood, with M8 sized hole in the centre, with M8 bolt poking thru to the top.
A couple of bits of wood flanking the bolt head underneath, the same height as the head, and either side, so it can't turn.
Plywood or steel base covering this so that the bolt can't fall out.

This way, mounting is easy as, it's a solid base, and only requires a standard size nut/bolt. And you shouldn't need to screw it down. If you do, little "L" brackets on the sides, perhaps.

David

Or if youre in a rush gaffer tape should do the trick.

Cheers

Daniel

....It would make focussing it a bit of a trial tho

Stu

Cheers, I'll try and make some wooden bases for them.

I was going to try a bit of gaffer (I know it's a bad idea), but I thought it could melt and the birdies would droop/keel over.

Be careful they don't get knocked- apparntly the mains versions blow at the slightest touch- unlike the 12v versions, which are a little more robust.

The best I've seen were - I think - Stage Electrics' ones, but you could easily make your own. They are basically a 3" square, roughly 3mm thick steel plate with an M8 stud sticking out (tapped & welded in place) to attach the birdie to. They're heavy enough not to necessarily need screwing down, but big enough that you can screw them down through the corners without taking the yoke off the birdie.
I'm sure we've discussed this before...

Our school just tends to use gaffa (even if we're floormounting fresnels - no booms, so we just make do) If you use enough gaffa, it wont melt... Just trust in the gaffa (and get some wd40, its gets the gunk off really good)
If you do use wood, wouldnt you have to flame retard it?

Wood isn't very flammable. Sure it'll burn, but you need a lot of heat for quite a long time to get a sizeable chunk to go up.
Little bits are much easier of course!

Wood will char extensively before it will burn, so you should probably check your bases after each use to see if you are charring them - if so, you may need to do something about it.

And have you ever noticed that the surface of most stages is made of wood?

or as I have done in the past, gaffer the yoke to a roll of gaffa and ust that as a base

ian

Goodness me! Seems like gaffer tape should be renamed "Birdie Tape".

The easiest way that comes to mind is to make an H stand for them - It's uber simple, and uber cheap, and uber re-usable - two blocks of wood and a scrap bit of pipe, or even three pieces of wood. Drill a hole in the middle, then you can just choose whether to screw down or clamp.

The following image shows one of these 'base plates'. I think henley theatre services provides one when you hire a birdie.



I have no idea where to buy these from but I scanned the image from a domestic lighting catalogue - I've forgotten the name. If anyone knows where to get these, please tell me!

Gaffa or brute force are the only ways to do anything. If gaffa wont fix it, hit it with a hammer

The first birdies I had came with their own "bases". these consisted of a knockout box which housed the transformer, with an appropriately sized bolt sticking out of one end, on which you located the birdie's yoke.

I wouldn't reccommend this solution.

My preferred version is - bit of 3x1, birdie's yoke screwed to this using penny washer as described elsewhere or perhaps by drilling screw-sized hole in yoke. 3x1 then stuck to stage using double-sided tape. (preferred tape: Expo tape as described at length elsewhere on this board)

my favourite birdie base was 5.5m long - it was the lid of a crate that we had made to transport a long thin vulnerable pit of set. We attached our 8 birdies and trannies to the underside of the lid, made a little upstand of 3x1 to partially hide the gubbins. once the fragile bit of set was in its box, there was enough room to put the lid on with birdies still attached in their "show" positions. At the next venue all we had to do was take off the lid, place at the front of the stage, plug in and focus.

Hi

The picture from Henley shows an old cct sil yoke locking disc used as a floor plate. They do make fantastic bases for birdies we use them.

Quite cheap, small and perfectly weighted for Birdies.


Doug