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Follow Spot Dilemma, Again


DanielArkley

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We have just received two new follow spots at school, for hanging from our LX bars. Our old spots were hung in the same way as our other lanterns. Obviously, when we move the spot round, the clamp is loosened, and there is a danger of the spots falling. Duh.

 

My question is, what is the correct way to hang a spot? We have no room for tripods on our balcony, and moving the spot's elsewhere cant happen.

 

Thanks in advance!

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The usual method is to put it on a stand, but as you say, you have no room. How about putting a full set of washers each side of the yoke (which you should have anyway!) and putting a Nylock nut instead of a wingnut that is loose enough for movement. (And, of course a proper safety bond.)
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bryson, whilst your point is extremely valued, what I think dan might be meaning is that how do you correctly hang it from the lighting bar itself. just to say the lx bars come right up to the balcony, and the current ones hang off of a g clamp etc.... with lots of safety's. they are/were wobbly as hell though.
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bryson, whilst your point is extremely valued, what I think dan might be meaning is that how do you correctly hang it from the lighting bar itself. just to say the lx bars come right up to the balcony, and the current ones hang off of a g clamp etc.... with lots of safety's. they are/were wobbly as hell though.

That, I believe, is what Bryson was answering.

 

Basically, we have the spots currently on G Clamps with nuts and bolts, and a few washers. Even with the washers though, the bolt gradually comes undone.

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To clarify, that was indeed what I meant - use a normal hookclamp and do the bolt set up with a nylock, washers and a sprung washer.

 

Having re-read my earlier post, I can see that it was a touch unclear. (More than a touch, to be honest! Sorry...)

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I think the right part for you is out there...

 

There's a hook clamp, which accepts a spigot, and you put a split pin through the little hole, crossed drilled through the spigot.

 

I do mean the larger spigots, like you'd put into the top of a manfrotto followspot stand...

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Not sure that the split pin is really designed to hold the weight of the lantern normally. What you actually want is a followspot spigot that has an integral ball-bearing race in it to allow it to pan smoothly without loosening the bits that are holding the lantern in the air.
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Stage electrics link

 

is the thingy I was thinking of. No data for it's loading capacity though, and at the end of the day, it's the split pin that bears the weight if you undo those wingnuts.

 

I have seen hire companies send out GS HPEs and things with these clamps on, not that you should take this as authorisation that it's rated!

 

What sort of SIL? A SIL30 - almost certainly not a problem, a SIL5 - bit heavier. Probably fine too, but I wouldn't want to say so without seeing the definitive SWL for the clamp.

 

Don't forget to use a decent secondary - if this clamp does fail, i.e. if the split pin comes out, then you're spot op is gonna get a rather heavy surprise - remember that most cheap 'n' chearful safety wires aren't up to much more than about 5kg static.

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I've made ball-race hangers in a short length of scaf' tube for just this purpose. Works very well.

 

Failing that, go for a TV hook clamp. As said above it takes a TV spigot, but does not run on the split pin.

 

If the cost is frightening, you can extra wide 'standard' hook-clamps, that will be more stable than ordinary ones. Then use nylocks, lock-nuts (two tightened together) or a split pin.

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I recently hired a doughty folowspot spigot containing bearing race that was realy nice....

 

http://cgi.www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/theatre/products/photo/T74200.jpg

 

which you can stick in a TV style hook clamp with no problem.

 

 

James

 

Good Luck.

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