MarkBarl Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 I would have thought that winding the cable round your elbow would not help as the cables will end up being stretched and become out of shape, even thought this is not a major problem, there are better ways.I carry a theoretical gun for people who coil cables like that...Why is it also, that no matter that you train a cable to be coiled in the over under method, it only takes 1 time of some numpty wrapping it round their elbow and it takes ages to get it to coil back up neatly again. I "Just say no" when someone with no experience offers to help, or get them to make a coffee. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Agreed. One numpty coiling takes ages to go away--if ever. Coffee making is the best option. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcoppard Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Good job there aren't loads of Jeremy clarksons working in hire companys (he uses the elbow technique (Top Gear Series 08 Ep 08)). As with people helping, some parents helped with our longest cable last year (a new 50m VGA cable), and they used half elbow, and half just collect the cable in your hands technique, and just dumped it on the stage. We then proceded for the next afternoon to try and coil the cable. Must remember the long cable coiling technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Uncle Bobbsy's long cable restoration technique--it even works (sometimes): Uncoil and de-tangle the cable, then put it someplace hot--a tarmac drive in afternoon summer sun is ideal. Bake for a couple of hours, then re-coil using a proper technique. As often as not (knot?) this gets rid of the "numpty kinks". Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berry120 Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 I think I'll have to try that! Based on that principle, would using a low powered heat gun have the same sort of effect? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyweb Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 If a cable gets poorly coiled and then stuck in a van overnight (on a cold night) the easiest solution I have found is to stick the cable on a radiator, similar idea to bob but most rads won't like a 125A 3ph on them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Q Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 In addition to coiling cable correctly - the first thing I ever did wrong in theatre was to coil a cable round my elbow, and nearly got slapped for it (never ever did it again though) - I was very surprised to discover that a highly regarded technical theatre course does not teach its students how to gaffa cables down correctly... I wasted many hours on a gig a few years a go, when working with some recently ex students of this course, due to having to clean gaffa off the cables and re doing all the taping so that the cables weren't completely trashed. Please please remember a little strip across the cable before going along... If only for my sanity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcoppard Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 I think most courses take off all the proper technical requirements. I was / am lucky, and ended up learning everything I know off of a very generous hire company, and our IT Technician, who tought me the fundermetnals of coiling, gaffa, and other sound things. But, if I had learnt it off of our 'Technicial' Drama course, then I probably would know a lot less than I do now ;-) I think all that the technical drama awards you is marks for actually the lighting / sound on the day, which doesn't show anky knowledge of anything other than really using some faders, and a CD player. On that tanagent, I ownder how many speakers are EQ'ed properly in schools for there location... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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