Dave Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 For a forthcoming install, for various reasons we're thinking of using a lightweight truss (common-or-garden Trilite or similar) rather than an IWB. But we do need to have fixed 15A sockets mounted on it, not trailing sockets from a socapex spider or bunch of TRS. We're looking at between 16 and 24 sockets over a length of 8m. Any suggestions as to the best way to do this? I'm thinking in terms of some Andolite 4-way in-line socket boxes, which could be hung off the top tube and rest on the diagonal bracing (they're too big to go inside). Alternative they could be fixed to one of the tubes with half couplers (or exhaust clamps!). Any other ideas? It needs to look reasonably presentable and not be unduly expensive. Fixing an IWB to the top tube is, of course, another option, but I'd rather not go there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunk_1984 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 On installs I've seen they have been as you suggest with a surface mount box with U brackets holding them to the bar. These seem to work perfectly well, and without any form of exposed cable to get tangled... or cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Andolite sell individual mountings for 15A sockets which you can use to make your own IWB (or IWTruss :)) in whatever configuration you like. All you need to drill is one larger hole to pull the cable through, and a couple of smaller ones to fix the mounting on with a couple of rivets or self-tappers. Pulling the cable through the middle of the bar is the nasty bit - and even that's not too bad as long as you go about it the right way and with the right equipment. Edit : Having just had a look at the Andolite site, I'm thinking that perhaps it wasn't Andolite that we got these mountings from after all. I'll see if I can find out where it was when I'm in work tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 All you need to drill is one larger hole to pull the cable through, and a couple of smaller ones to fix the mounting on with a couple of rivets or self-tappers.and then throw away any certificates detailing the structural integrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Never thought of that. I s'pose I should've qualified my comments with the caveat that I've only ever done this with scaff bars, and not truss .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonino Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I believe Litestructures do some truss's with built in power, they might have something suitable (or be able to create it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Thanks for the prompt replies, guys. Dunk_1984 (aka James) - can you say a bit more about what you've seen... how were the sockets powered? Gareth, I think you mean the ones from Robolights. I'd already considered making an IWTruss but dismissed it for the same reason as Andrew C mentioned. There's no way I'd drill holes in any truss, especially a lightweight one which has much thinner walled tube than scaff. The stuff from Litestructures that Andrew S suggested just has a live and neutral as far as I know. Definitely nowhere near the number of circuits I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hmm, no, they aren't the Robolights ones. The ones we got were made of folded sheet steel. A bit hard to describe, but I'll try to find out where they're from and post a link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunk_1984 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 The ones I saw were on Scaff, sorry. However was basically a metal chassis mount box with a 15a socket, attached to the bar with U mount's (can't find any, which is annoying) but basically a bolt in a U shape with threaded ends. - I guess really a less glamorous method of the Robolights smart socket. I think the cable did go into the scaff, but I see no reason for it not to just be suitably attached to the outside. These then ran to as Robolights put it an "end box" (however in this case they were mounted the same way as the sockets.) These presumably meant that they could run to the patch panel in a multicore (soca) As for dimmers, they all broke out as spiders so could then be patched in any configuration on the dimmers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Gareth, I'm suspect you mean the ones from Lancelyn Lighting (they have a branch on the Wirral not a million miles from you). They're made from a single piece of steel, folded to make a sort of box with an opening for the bar. I used a load many years ago to make some IWBs. The ones I had fixed to the bar with four screws or rivets, not two. Can't find a picture of them on the Lancelyn web site, though. I think Stage Electrics also make some of similar design, but I think it has an interchangeable front plate for different types of socket. Thanks, Dunk, you're just describing a standard IWB. Some people do use U-bolts, alternatively car exhaust clamps are not uncommon! I think this may end up being a show-stopper and I will have to use IWBs. The awkward thing being that scaff needs more frequent points than truss which will be a PITA in this venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wuddy Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 What about MK metalclad range, item K843ALM surface mount 15amp sockets. Fix to truss with exhaust clamps and interconnect with PVC conduit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I have seen something similar, albeit in a completely different context..... it was actually a metal fence, which was of a similar structure! Basically it was just 2x double MK metalclad sockets, giving 4 outlets. The 2 metal back boxes were joined inline with the usual screw-up gland, giving a metalclad 4-way. A number of these were mounted on the inside of the truss straddling the "V" of the crossmembers, with a steel plate of a similar size on the "outside" of the "V". The socket boxes and the backplates were bolted together to clamp them to the truss. The cabling between the boxes was run inside standard steel conduit. Edit: Wuddy got there first - although mine used metal tube! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trusspin Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hi,I'm thinking of 15A metalclad boxes, mounted on "u"bolts to one chord of truss, with wiring through solid trunking between the boxes and a soca or harting socket in box at end. A slight pain in the arse to rig but for an install grey trunking will be a lot neater than cable between socket points. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chil6ep Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Gareth, I'm suspect you mean the ones from Lancelyn Lighting (they have a branch on the Wirral not a million miles from you). They're made from a single piece of steel, folded to make a sort of box with an opening for the bar. I used a load many years ago to make some IWBs. The ones I had fixed to the bar with four screws or rivets, not two. Can't find a picture of them on the Lancelyn web site, though. I think Stage Electrics also make some of similar design, but I think it has an interchangeable front plate for different types of socket. Thanks, Dunk, you're just describing a standard IWB. Some people do use U-bolts, alternatively car exhaust clamps are not uncommon! I think this may end up being a show-stopper and I will have to use IWBs. The awkward thing being that scaff needs more frequent points than truss which will be a PITA in this venue.Picture on http://www.lancelyn.co.uk/index.php?mod=pr...&id_prd=987 and Stage electrics shouldn't be to similar as Lancelyns are, I believe, patented. Lancelyn will mount most things on these boxes - DMX conectors, IEC, 15A, 16A, 13A, Soca, Cable entry glands (some are special order and there seems to be a batch of their boxes in grey at the moment?). They also do number stickers to number these boxes if required. I have seen them mounted on truss but I havn't got any details of structural integrity afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 To be able to run cables in the truss you're going to HAVE to drill into it, which of course compromises structural integrity, So therefore I see you only having three options: 1) get a company who can drill the truss and rerate it for you2) simply thread a 6 way IWB on the inside of the truss. I thinks thats the cheapest and easiest, its just as neat (other than the soca)3) buy pre wired truss HTH AndyJones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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