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P23 Frames


JMeG

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Hi,

 

I did a show not long ago where we bought a few P23 gel frames from Stage Electrics... But they don't fit! It seems all supposed P23 frames are about 10mm too small in each direction. Either that or my school has hybrid patts.

 

Jamie :D

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You might have some *shudder alert* Furse copies? Take a close look at them and see if you can see any tell tell signs? Like are they painted black? Don't think I've ever seen a Black P23...

 

Stu

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Yes, I'd suspect Furse *spits* copies as the problem.

 

The Strand Archive says a Patt 23 gel frame is 100mmx100mm so if that's what you've got, then the lanterns you have aren't "real" 23s. Is there a strand badge on em?

 

 

 

http://www.ex.ac.uk/drama/strand/stralogo.gif

 

Like that?

 

 

PS: Many thanks to Jaypee for the excellent Strand Archive.

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Having had second thoughts about it, they are most defintely likely to be Furse copies - it seems every school, social club etc ones at least 2 or 3 of the little buggers. Furse must have been stinking rich in the 70s / 80s - mind you fat lot of good it did em, where are they now?!

 

Stu

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where are they now?

 

A quick fish on the web implies that they merged with CCT some time ago. linkety-link

 

And there was me thinking they were the Lightning conductor folks (which our building is full of) which made me imagine that they'd changed businesses on the basis of a typo somewhere.

 

Letter from CEO of Furse:

 

I now say that we should concentrate all of our efforts on Lightning

 

 

ooops, I meant....

 

 

But by then it was too late

 

:D ;)

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OK Jon,

 

I was doing them a bit of a dis-service

 

I have four of them an I suppose they are OK - It's just that in the 650W F stakes I would prefer a nice, well maintained P123 or a prelude or failing that a quartet.

 

Does my comment still stand RE sills though?

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Furse were indeed a Nottingham based engineering company, from memory there were 4 main divisions, general Engineering, Lifts, Lightning Conductors and Stage Lighting. All of the divisions were sold off one by one and the only part that still retains the Furse name is the lightning conductors. In the 50,60's others were involved with Furse Lighting - eg Blackburn and Starling who were involved with the control side. There are others who use this forum, who have far more knowledge than me, I recognise names on occasional posts.

 

They sold very extensively into schools, community centre etc and I guess there are still a lot of units about, In the nottingham area I certainly come across them very frequently.

 

Furse were also suppliers of stage engineering equipment which was also in schools and Theatres and were involved with the refit of The Theatre Royal in Nottingham in the late 1980's - The orchestra pit lifts and the whole flyings system to name a few bits (although the use of synthetic rope on the counterweight hauling lines made deading interesting).

 

CCT are in the old Furse building and did take over the company.

 

To get back to the original point. The runners on the Furse profile are wider than the P23. and I have a number of black P23 in my stock (although refurbished ones).

 

Interestingly 2 of them which I have just refubished have a square gate, where the shutter are, which is slightly puzzling, and Ideas why this might be (looks to be a genuine item)

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<SNIP>

Interestingly 2 of them which I have just refubished have a square gate, where the shutter are, which is slightly puzzling, and Ideas why this might be (looks to be a genuine item)

Indeed, they are genuine. I can't remember the version number (sure that someone will though) but aren't they horrid??!!

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