Hanging of a Disco Ball

[adamcoppard]

Is it possible to hang a disco ball from a ceiling (polysterene style tiles with wood (not metal) support struts)?

I know that we can't hang truss out of it, so, obviously, doing anything like this with a disco ball is kinda out the question. Would we need to build a complete ground stack truss system, to get it anywhere near the ceiling (if yes, it becomes quickly not financially viable)?

[adamharman]

Depends a lot on how solid the wooden bits are. Mirror balls aren't particularly heavy.

Have you got a friendly architect / engineer / builder who can take a look at it for you?

 

It's also worth looking at some sort of bracket fixed to whatever structure is above the false ceiling.

[adamcoppard]

It's wood up there (we had our hire company see if we could take trussing, or use anything up there to support anything), and due to the age, nature, and use of the building (it's a small sports hall) it was designed with a high celling, with nothing to be hung from it ;-)

[adam2]

As others suggest mirror balls are not that heavy and it would probably be fine.

Since "probably" is not good enough where public safety is concerned, I would take advice from an experienced builder or architect.

Something must be holding up the existing false ceiling, and the additional weight of a mirror ball is probably trivial, but get that in writing from a suitably qaulified person.

[Wol]

I'm not sure if I'm reading the replies right, but the OP asked about *disco* balls, and the replies related to this are all concerning *mirror* balls.

 

As far as I have seen, mirror balls are the balls with mirrors on, but disco balls are the spherical ones with the holes in, and the lamp inside, projecting light out, rather than reflecting it. If this is wrong, and they're both referred to as disco balls, then what are the ones with holes in called?!

 

Mirror balls are suprisingly heavy considering majority of it is just polystyrene / lightweight plastic, and remember the surface area (pretty much proportional to the amount of heavier glass) goes up as r^2 dependent on the radius of the mirror ball. Twice the size of mirror ball, 4 times the weight of glass on the outside.

[aidso]

had this problem a while ago. We had a concrete cieling above the tiles. What we done was made a cube frame with a sheet of 1/4inch ply on the bottom with two sides the same size as a tile and the other 4 the distance to the ciel(taking into account the ply). The ply was fixed on with with about 5 large head screws a side.

 

So sides A+B the same as a tile and C the distance to the roof. We then screwed 3 large screws+plus a side into the roof through to top square. This gives use a frame hanging from the concrete with a solid bass. Then we drilled 4 holes the lined up with the motor through the tile and the ply. Place 4 T nuts in the ply and bolted the tile and motor to the ply. All you could see was the motor and ball hanging from the tile. Its still hang after about 9 months so has worked a treat.

 

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1163/cubenh3.th.pnghttp://img223.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif

[cliveybaby]

I spend my life taking down random lighting and disco effects

fixed to ceiling tiles

 

My personal advice is never ever use the tile as anything other than something

to hide (in an aesthetic way not a bodged way) what's above, they have no form of SWL and also get brittle as time goes on

 

Always use a solid fixing

 

Also the frames that hold ceiling tiles seem to be classed as a solid fixing by some fools

that I have seen

 

I cannot recommend an answer as I would need more info but please

just forget the Tile/frame and seek local advice

 

Mirror balls and their motors are heavier than you may think

[Jivemaster]

Weigh or find the weight of your proposed ball and motor add the weight of the chain and fixings. Then find a competent person and ask about hanging that weight from the structure with a reasonable safety factor. There is no chance that the tiles will be a safe support, there is however a fair chance that the roof beams may support a moderate attatched load.

 

There is also NO CHANCE that a competent person is going to give you a complete and unqualified decision based on information supplies in web chat.