stories Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Hi, I'm hoping someone here will be able to help me out. I am trying to find some information about the ceiling rigging system in the Sovereign suite at the Hilton Metropole Birmingham. The only information I have received is that it is an open top hook system with a loading of 200kg per min 16inches. I am guessing this is unistrut tracks? My main concern is that the venue provide open top hook's, to my mind that doesn't sound the safest way of rigging lighting bars. Open top hooks just don't seem the safest option, or am I just being overly paranoid? Also I am looking to find out what 2 secondary safety options there are in this room? How do you attach a safety from the bar to the fixed rigging (unistrut / building structure) ? Any info on this would be appreciated. (I've not seen the room yet, any plans or official info from the venue though I would ask here first while I’ve some time). Cheers Matt (No idea how this got duplicated. Anyway, I've fixed it - Bryson) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 If my mind serves correctb the Soverign is part of the Monarch Suite is it not. All the fixings in there are unistrut, so if you have your own and know how to fit it I recommend that. The in house hooks are available if you book them, no charge but you have to sign your life away several times to say you know how to use them and not to exceed the loading of the strut. They are open toped hooks which is why myself and several companies I know that work there don't use them for lighting, we tend to use them for cable picks and tape over the top to stop cables "jumping" out of their own accord. You also need to follow the 200kg per 1600mm not 16 inches HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stories Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 You also need to follow the 200kg per 1600mm not 16 inches Thanks for point that out, I was going from memory with that number. Looking at the info I've actually being sent it said 16cm not 1600mm! so that is VERY helpful info. Is there any anywhere to get any further info on the Unistrut system, I've tried contacting the venue but they have yet to get back to me. Do you know if there are any "rules" (H&S etc) that say you are not allowed to hang bars from the provided hooks? I could do with as much info about that as possible because I feel I need to insist the company I'm working for hires the right gear in to do the job. So I'm going to have to make my case to them. Also has anyone got any info on local (to Birmingham) suppliers compatible rigging? Cheers Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Is there any anywhere to get any further info on the Unistrut system, I've tried contacting the venue but they have yet to get back to me.For more Unistrut info, try HERE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian666 Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 have a chat with trapeze rigging.01217667713they are in and out of there regularly and they are local. having said that, most rigging companies know the place. I am in there couple of times next month!the hooks are an odd problem. way back in the mists we used to do things like alternating their direction, so a barrel can't lift out, and/or heavy duty cable ties around the bottom of the hook, but neither route is very satisfactory. also the hooks are of varying lengths, and often any length is too low. We tend to use eye-bolts into our own unistrut fixings, and then hang scaff or truss from those. various different techniques depending on what you have got to achieve.When up there, do check the state of the tracks. Some track sections have been abused by others, so are deformed. Also, some of the ends of the track sections are not suspended very well and have been deformed/bent etc. If any sections look rubbish, don't use them!pm if you want a quote or similar.damian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 I may be thinking of a totally different room, but I was at a dinner/gig in that hotel years ago and they used truss on stands. I don't know if that was because they didn't trust the hooks on the ceiling or it was a totally dfferent room that didn't have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 If you have Unistrut eyes you can just fly a normal truss on manual chain block which is what we do in there, virtually week in week out. Ifyou do want to use the inhouse hooks for bars you could alternate the direction to keep it tight but the hooks are that old and bent half of them wouldn't work for that, Trapeze are just down the road if you speak to Steve or Pod there I am sure they can help Failing that we may be able to help you out PM me if any use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danjshelton Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 The other problem with using the in house stuff (other than being a bit bent as mentioned above) is that the hooks are extrememly long, so you end up with quite a hang. Was in there the other day and someone was loading out of our room (running behind time) they used the in house hooks to do the FOH looms, it looked a bit rubbish because it hanged so low from the roof on the long hooks. I would invest (if you don't have any already and wish to do the rigging within your company) in some Zeberdee's (Unistrut Fixings), a good selection of Zeb's with Eye bolts and Zeb's to hook clamps work well, then you can just rig a barrel and tighten it into the hookclamp (Good for draping the outsides of the room). Cheers Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bythesea.33 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 yes trapeze certainlyyou could also try Centre Stage in Birminghamor PSP (not the playstation obviously...)BirminghamUnit 7, Crown RoadKings Norton Business CentreBirmingham B30 3HY T + 44 (0)121 486 3288F +44 (0)121 486 2151E info@pspav.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzerman Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Dunno about "the inhouse stuff being a bit bent" in there, I misread it and thought it said "the in-house staff being a bit bent"!!! Which brings me to:Don't leave ANYTHING in there and take your eye off it, you probably won't see it again! Last Summer I did a job there for a large, respected company which involved rigging the day before rehearsal. I was surprised to discover they had brought their own security men in for the overnight, as there wouldn't be any of the usually nicked stuff lying around, laptops, etc. It was explained to me that the company had previously left a rigged job in there overnight, and returned first thing in the morning to find that the truss had been dropped, a load of MACs removed, and then the truss put back up again! They had even put the motor cables away after using them. How polite! Balls of steel, I'd say!! * Disclaimer. I cannot give any Crime No's, nor can I say 100% that this is fact. However, it was one of the company directors who related that tale to me, not just a foot soldier, so I tend to believe it. In fact , everyone connected with that job was astounded at ME for not knowing the reputation of the place! I'm pretty sharp, and never trust any hotel to lock a room, especially with multiple entrances, it only takes one mistake and the place is wide open, but I wouldn't expect stuff left rigged to walk!! Suffice to say I kept my car keys in my trouser pockets and didn't leave my tools lying around. Still lost a wallet of CDs though......aaaargh!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stories Posted February 11, 2006 Author Share Posted February 11, 2006 Thanks for all the helpful posts to my question. I had my client buy unistrut bolts and eyes to rig from in the end. And everything went smoothly with out any problems. Cheers Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuson Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Which brings me to:Don't leave ANYTHING in there and take your eye off it, you probably won't see it again! Last Summer I did a job there for a large, respected company which involved rigging the day before rehearsal. I was surprised to discover they had brought their own security men in for the overnight, as there wouldn't be any of the usually nicked stuff lying around, laptops, etc. It was explained to me that the company had previously left a rigged job in there overnight, and returned first thing in the morning to find that the truss had been dropped, a load of MACs removed, and then the truss put back up again! They had even put the motor cables away after using them. How polite! Balls of steel, I'd say!! I've worked in there several times and never had any problems like that, left rigs in for a couple of days as well. Also never seen any crews bring in their own security, guess you must of been unlucky. Sounds like very professional thieves to me, to know to get the motor cables to lower the truss smacks of knowing what your doing. Mind you there are so many crews in and out of that place at all hours, it would suggest maybe another crew working there to me. It would certainly be easier for them to get access, particularly if it was the Kings or Palace suites as the two have a link corridor which never seems to be locked. At the end of that day that's what we pay for insurance for but I guess you hope you never have to use it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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