frazer Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Hi there, I've been wandering, what is the industry standard nut for attaching hook clamps to generic lighting equipment? I have been under the impression that wing nuts were the best as the are easily losend and tightened, but recently the college theatre has just had all the wing nuts replaced with spring washers and hexagon nuts - any thoughts/comments? Frazer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1nuzz Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I assumed wingnuts were the standard. I have worked in many theatres across the country and also worked with alot of hire equipment, and nearly all the kit I have used has had wingnuts on them. Surely by using a nut, it means you have to have an 'AJ' with you all the time and some theatre techs get stressy with you attacking their lanterns with spanners! Just my 2p's worth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I've always been of the opinion: Wing nuts for one-nighters and receiving houses. Hex nuts for longer runs and installs. Spring (and normal) washers on both. Having said all that, having just discovered the joys of a good quality podger, I'm not adverse to hex nuts for anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Allen Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 For long term rigging, especially outdoors, nylock hex nuts with washers. Short term, wing nuts with washers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 some theatre techs get stressy with you attacking their lanterns with spanners!I have worked in many theatres across the country (mainly as a touring production LX), and I've never met a house electrician who got 'stressy' with me for using a spanner to lock off a lantern that was fitted with a hex nut on the pivot. As to what kind of nut to use - it doesn't matter, as long as you have the means to tighten it off appropriately. (And, of course, as long as that means of tightening, if it isn't your hand, is suitably restrained so that it won't fall out of your pocket and completely ruin the day of the person standing at the bottom of the scope!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maeterlinck Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 We're a recieving house with hex. It's a complete pain. To properly lock off obviously requires the use of a spanner/AJ which means you a/ need to carry it everywhere with you during the rig and focus. And b/ need to have a tool at height which increases the risk of working at height.If it's an install and needs to survive many lamp changes etc without moving the focus then lock it off tight, and hex is a good way. But not if people need to refocus the lanterns on any regular basis. JMO. In case you're wondering we're swapping to wingnuts at the next maintainence period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimWebber Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I've gone for wingnuts on both occasions, as I usually remember the AJ After I've climbed the tallescope... Or, to more accurate, I usually try to remember where I left the AJ After I've climbed the tallescope... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 and some theatre techs get stressy with you attacking their lanterns with spanners!Only if the lantern has a wingnut on it. In which case I would too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Based on the number of wingnuts which I have seen the wings broken off of compared to the number of hex nuts, (number of broken wingnuts is small, but more than numbers of broken hex nuts), I was almost tempted to say hex for both. In terms of useability, unless you have wingbolt and wingnut, then you'll still need a spanner to get them properly fixed. And so, my toolbox lives somewhere hidden offstage, where I can always get to my set of lanyarded AJs. Also, do people prefer to have nylocks and washers, or spring washers, normal washers and then normal nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mclarenamerican Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 After coming to england after spending a fair few years in the trade stateside I was surprised to see that wingnuts are the "standard" here. They are faster for rigging and focusing definitely but the number of broken wings on them suggests that they are tightened a lot with spanners. I was always taught that wings nuts are for applications where finger tight is good enough, hence the design. If you need more torque the job needs a standard or rated hex nut. In many cases where spanners are used on wingnuts, I've seen the treads on the bolt fouled too making life not so nice. If you ask me, wingnuts are fine for little stuff but for anything with some weight or anything that must be yoked out or even over hung we always used standard nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roderick Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I second the suggestion that it largely depends on the weight of the unit. IMHO anything over about 7kg is much better suited with a hex nut.And obviously all tools used 'at height' would have a lanyard to prevent them falling, or being left on top of a tallescope ,but we all do that anyway - don't we? And a hint for receiving houses, many years ago I came across a set-up where the yoke was sandwiched between two teflon washers and secured with a nylok nut. They were tensioned enough so that with a little force you could focus the light but they won't move otherwise. No tools needed at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 ... the yoke was sandwiched between two teflon washers and secured with a nylok nut.On my PAR cans I use a nylon washer between the yoke and hook clamp with a nylok nut and spring washer in the usual place. It makes for quite a nice 'point and shoot' focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Allen Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Nylock nuts are a touring rock and roll idea that is suited to a theatre standard rig or outdoor amphitheatres. The only time they would be a hindrance would be when you want to take a fitting with a hook clamp and change over to use a floor stand or spigot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 OK, so a lot of you like wing nuts. What happens when you've got an M10 bolt and wingnut set securing the hookclamp to a lantern which has a hole in the trunion which isn't threaded? You still need a spanner to hold the bolt if you want to get a really good lock-off. And even the threaded ones have a habit of coming loose at inopportune moments. The only really secure way to get a tool-free lock-off on a lantern is to use a wingnut with decent-sized wings, in combination with a headlock to make sure the bolt doesn't move. Odd that none of the rabid proponents of wingnuts has mentioned these simple but cunningly effective little pieces of kit so far ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave singleton Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Headlocks are great inventions, just a shame they can be so expensive. My biggest gripe is going into venues where they have purchased headlocks for the lanterns but they are M12 headlocks and M10 bolts. Makes removing them fun, and the point of buying them in the first place is?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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