Maths Headscratcher

[NickLee]

I reached up to grab the bar (now above my head) as the scope went from under my feet. The out riggers stopped it from going over too fast and so the guys caught it and pushed back under me so I could climb in... and I live to tell the tale

Not so unusual.

May have been on here, may have been on rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft, but I have posted a similar account; in that case it was due to someone not doing some fairly heavy duty work moving fixed pipes that were bolted above the stage (DON'T ask...). He grabbed on and survived to see another day - he actually recovered the tallescope by hooking his feet under the rails and pulling it up again, whilst he clung onto the bar.

 

N.

[Guest lightnix]

And now for the real answer...

BUY A GENIE

Yes... BUY... not cajole, borrow, beg for, get second hand, pick up on the cheap or rescue from a skip...

BUY

Or aren't your lives and safety worth that much ?

 

And make sure it's a proper one, which won't move unless the outriggers are locked down.

[Ben...]

...well, we got a scaff tower. A genie it ain't, but it's a whole lot better than the A-Frames ;)

[Steve Macluskie]

Saw an empty tallescope accident a while back ...

 

Tallescope parked in the dock behind roller shutter door, outriggers folded in. Unknown to SM the outrigger's foot was just overlapping the lip of the metal roller door and so when the shutter was raised (mechanically) the door lifted the outrigger and the scope went over in an instant.

 

I was surprised at how little force it took to overturn the scope, certainly a warning for anyone using them without outriggers securely locked and in contact with the floor.

 

Also, it illustrates why 'scopes are recomended to be stored in their flat position?

 

Steve

[Tom]

Lightnix,

Can Genies be anti raked?

How many people would it take to lift one onto a raised area?

[Bryson]

And make sure it's a proper one, which won't move unless the outriggers are locked down.

I assume you mean up and down..not forwards? ;)

 

 

Seriously, though, folks, he's right. See the other post on tallescopes for some suggested models...the JLG one rocks, but (literally) weighs a ton. I have the Genie one.

 

Not sure there's anything wrong with secondhand access equipment if you get it with a service history and from a decent dealer..

 

Anti rake? Probably not...you could ask the manufacturers.

Lifting it up? Get a ramp - like the ones you get on the back of artics.

[cybergibbons]

Why not make get big Brian to sit at the bottom and send wee Johnny up the tallescope? Much better solution. Or, if big Brian is big enough, just get wee Johnny to stand on his shoulders.

 

Or, better solution still, are the trained monkeys. They don't need access gear, are nice and small, fire retardent, and can fit under steel deck to bolt it together. They are quite hard to get hold of, there are very few lighting monkeys and sound monkeys, but stage manager monkeys are ten a penny.

[Thirdtap]

Or, better solution still, are the trained monkeys. Blah Blah blah ..........., but stage manager monkeys are ten a penny.

 

Simian humour rocks. :D

[Ben...]

and you should see the flying monkeys...