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Flying an LX bar...


TomLyall

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two quick questions, I guess its more a matter of opinion really...

 

sometime in the future (gonna be late june I think) im going to need to fly an additional LX bar bellow our current rig, about a meter I think, what would be the best way to attach it? presumably it would require a safety bond or 3... the bar would be UP and used as a fan of par 64s (6 of them)

 

second question... all we have in the way of access equipment is a tallescope (although we cant get it onto stage its for FOH use only, and an A frame ladder for use on stage. my idea is, as its going to be a pain to try to rig this bar, is that it might be worth constructing a small area of steeldeck type staging we have in house (its not actually steeldeck, some cheaper school version :D ), with a high (maybe two) level of that we should be able to reach the rig...

 

I dont think we have two ladders so theres no way two of us could work on it, I dont see that it'd be possible to rig that sort of thing on your own!

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My thought would be that you use long double hook clamps to hang the bar, you can get them quite long I think.

 

To rig it you could use two ropes to lift the (empty) bar in to place, then use the ladder to just place it into the hook clamps, then rig the lamps after.

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Long C-hangers are the easiest answer as Richard suggested (as long as you can get them in the right length). Otherwise, a couple of steel wire ropes and some suitable shackles and hanging clamps. Any theatrical supplies house will be able to sell you the hardware you need.

 

It sounds to me, though, that what you're talking about hanging is just a bog-standard 7'6" Parcan bar-of-six ... they're a comfortable one-man lift (so much so, in fact, that one could easily carry two around, one in each hand, without so much as working up a sweat), so should be easy for one person on the deck to haul up on a line over a pulley, while another person at the top of the A-frame attaches the means of suspension. Going to all the trouble of contructing enormous Steeldeck monstrosities just to rig one 6-way bar is waaaaay over the top.

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One quick thought - is there any way you can bring the current ring down to the floor, attach the new bar and then get rid of the lot.

 

Plus - is it possible to use C Clamps alone, or do you need some kind of secondary support.

 

Obviously if the current rig is permanent then that is not an option. Hire two chain hoists - then the guy on the ladder just fixes the clamps. Will the existing bar take the Point load?

 

James

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2 Chain hoists for one bar of six? The very definition of overkill.

 

One think to watch out for is that some bars of six come made up with a square or rectangular crossection rather than normal scaff, so long double hookclamps may not work with it. Make sure you check.

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Otherwise, a couple of steel wire ropes and some suitable shackles and hanging clamps.

Don't want to sound pedantic but you need at least 3 wire ropes really. Whilst the load you are hanging doesn't sound too great you should always have some form of redundancy in case a single hanging point fails. With only two suspensions the bar would come swinging down like a scythe; with three there is a much better chance that it won't fall down.

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To rig a bar of 6, just put it on your shoulder and walk up the a-frame. They really aren't that heavy. (Obviously you should decide if this method is suitable to your venue using the access equipment you have, don't take my word for it). Alternatively, knock a rope round the middle and haul it up.

 

Assuming it's a standard bar of 6, with 6 PAR64s, a scaff tube and some cable, you can hang it on two C-clamps, with a suitably rated steel bond next to each.

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The Flying ACOP states that there should be at least three suspension lines, and that any 2 sould be capable of carrying the load should the third fail.

 

This is where the concept of secondary suspension comes from.

 

Use three double ended hook clamps (Get them labelled by the supplier with a unique reference and get a certificate to state their SWL. Make sure that the weight of the bar can be carried by only two)

 

Under LOLER, all liftinf equipment should be uniquely identifiable and records kept for each component.

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At my school, we had a truss supported by four scaff uprights into the room (no idea how they were fixed there), then from the truss there were four IWB, each supported by two 30cm C Clamps.

 

Was this safe - it wasn't me who put it up, just interested!

 

Apparently this was put up after the last truss - approx 10m x 6m I would say, fell into the auditorium (fortunately it was empty at the time)

 

James

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