Black anodised scaffold tube

[ajh51]

Hi all,

 

I have a situation where I need to hang a lighting bar so that it is as discrete as possible when there is nothing hung on it. It will be suspended off of a rated I-beam which is painted a dark gray colour. Therefore a dark colour is going to be the least obtrusive but probably not if it is all scratched up.

 

I've had a good search and found plenty of chat on how best to paint scaffold tube but I wondered if anyone had experience of black anodised aluminum scaffold tube? Specifically how well does the finish hold up?

 

I would imagine that hook clamps might well make a mess of it as the retaining bolts do scratch normal aluminum bars easily enough - but if we restricted rigging from this bar to only being done with half-couplers or truss clamps, will the finish last?

 

I would prefer a silver bar to a scratched paint finish and I can't really stretch to a power coat finish so I think it is anodised or nothing!

 

Any thoughts?

 

ta,

Andy.

[ImagineerTom]

Powder coating a single bit off scaff tube should cost you a drink- don't ring the office but instead walk in to your local powdercoaters and ask them if they can drop it on to the next job of whatever colour they're doing. That said even PC won't withstand the mangling of a clamp.

[ajh51]

This may well be true for a couple of meters but alas I'm talking about a full 6m length and that is less easy to slip in the next batch for a bottle of whiskey!

 

So how's about the anodised stuff?

 

Andy

[Brian]

So how's about the anodised stuff?

Depends.

 

You can get a few different types of anodising and then you have a choice of depth of anodising. At the end of the day you are only turning a thin layer of the Ali a different colour and any mechanical damage from your fittings will show through.

 

Does it only need to be coloured when nothing is rigged? If so you could do worse than a long fabric sleeve with velcro down the long side.

[Stuart91]

Does it only need to be coloured when nothing is rigged? If so you could do worse than a long fabric sleeve with velcro down the long side.

 

That's a brilliant bit of lateral thinking.

 

The only issue might be putting the sleeve on, if the bar is static and cannot be lowered.

[Tom Baldwin]

If a steel bar can be used, small magnets in pockets along the "sleeve" might allow it to be fitted at one end, then flicked onto the bar from the other end.

[ImagineerTom]

or make the sleeve in several sections (say 1m each) so that by definition if you're able to reach to remove a lantern you're able to reach to replace that section of cover without having to move?

[dynamo_ozz]

Depends on how you look after it I suppose. Overtightening, and trying to move lanterns along without undoing the clamp properly does like scratches and marks.

[kitlane]

If you are faffing about with a fabric sleeve, velcro and/or magnets whilst up a ladder why not just take a pot of paint and a brush and touch up the scratches in the painted finish instead?

[themadhippy]

If its steel get it red hot and drop in a vat of oil,stand well back and dont breath in the fumes.

[ajh51]

There's some useful thoughts there - thanks guys. I hadn't really considered some kind of dressing for it when not in use.

 

But I also agree that the effort to put the cover on might well be better spend touching up a finish - with the added bonus that the bar will be a bit less obvious when in use.

 

That also got me thinking that perhaps just covering with wide insulation tape and replacing it every 6months or so could be an option....

 

...leading to a related question - can you get 48mm diameter heatshrink?

 

 

I am also still interested to hear from anyone who actually has installed/used/even just seen anodised barrel.

 

 

Andy.

[boswell]

...leading to a related question - can you get 48mm diameter heatshrink?

 

Andy.

 

Yes, usual suppliers RS,CPC etc

[ramdram]

Gaffa tape without a doubt, ** laughs out loud **, but earthing the bar may be something to consider perhaps if touchable?

[adam2]

If you are faffing about with a fabric sleeve, velcro and/or magnets whilst up a ladder why not just take a pot of paint and a brush and touch up the scratches in the painted finish instead?

 

Agree, or for minor scratches a black paint marker pen is easier to use up a ladder.

 

Black heatshrink is available in suitable sizes but is very expensive in the amounts needed, and still liable to damage.

[abbotsmike]

I still think the fabric sleeve could work. Make it big enough, and just open up a gap in the velcro where a clamp pokes through, could also do a good job of hiding any cabling.