Stripping down a Stage Scan

[gareth]

OK, here's a question for the Clay Paky experts ...

 

What's the best way to get into the 'lower cavity' of a Stage Scan in order to be able to remove the transformer, chokes, lamp fan, etc.? I had my first experience of stripping one down today (in order to change a lamp fan - one of the bits that you can't remove by just taking the lids off) and it ended up involving an awful lot of very angry swearing. Getting in there seemed fairly easy (the best way seemed to be to take the lids off, remove the yoke and the two cross-members on the top, drop the back panel away, and remove the side panel that doesn't have the voltage selector attached to it), and replacing the lamp fan was a simple enough job, but I had the devil's own job getting it all back together - the weight of the large 'tray' onto which all the internals attach meant that gravity was doing its damndest to prevent me getting everything lined up in order to reassemble the side of the unit.

 

So - any tips on easy ways to get into that part of the fixture would be really great!! Thanks.

[son of lx dad]

in short gareth

 

there is no easier way

 

and the more you do it the harder it is to do as the threads for the bolts sheer quite easily with all that weight pulling them down epecially when just doing the 1st and 2nd ones up.

ive found that taking a stage scan apart is a 1 person operation

rebuilding is a two person operation

 

son of lx dad

[gareth]

Turns out you're not quite right! I posted something similar on the Light Network, and got a reply from someone who used to spend a lot of time servicing these units. He confirmed that my initial suspicion (which, after a bit of investigation on one unit, I thought was incorrect - hence the rather foolish dismantling of one side of the unit - but does actually turn out to be the case) - which is basically that the plate on the bottom of the unit is supposed to slide out to allow access to the nuts and bolts within. The units I have are in need of a little TLC and haven't been particularly well maintained in recent times, as a result of which the sliding plate is binding fairly solidly into place. However, experiments this morning reveal that, with the aid of a rubber mallet, a bit of timber, some 'impact engineering' and a bit of patience, the plate can be persuaded to slide along in its slots to allow access where required. I haven't had one all the way out yet (haven't needed to), only moved it about a bit to see if it could be done - but the theory certainly seems to be sound.