Tools

[gnomatron]

10-45 hours a week is still plenty enough time to justify buying yourself a good pair of shoes. Money well spent. As for tools, the best way is to look at the tools you're having to borrow most often, be that from your workplace or from colleagues. If there aren't any things that fall into this category, then you probably don't really need any tools, so either save your money or buy something shiny.

[Paul TC]

10-45 hours a week is still plenty enough time to justify buying yourself a good pair of shoes. Money well spent.

It takes seconds for somthing to happen to make you wish you had had a pair of steelies on.

[Matthew Robinson]

Just to clarify, I do have a pair of steelies that my SU provided me with, and I wear them to every event I work almost religiously (many other people don't, I have no idea why not. Ok, they may not be 'cool', but I value my feet more than fashion- and they're working in a crew of maybe 5-8 people who are all in the same position). It's just that they aren't the most comfortable shoes ever. I suspect that there will be a time to replace them, but that now isn't that time, as they are reasonably ok for the moment. As an aside, my other hobby is working in the locomotive department of steam railway, where steelies are pretty much mandatory for station staff upwards, so I've got a decent pair at home.

[timtheenchanteruk]

In the world of Sheffield Students Union, I'm a lampy. If I was to go out into the real world, I'd become local crew for a time. I agree with you about multi-tools, but in the context of the work I currently do, I'd prefer to carry one tool, rather than many.

 

Just be careful about carrying a bladed instrument around a uni...

[Matthew Robinson]

In the world of Sheffield Students Union, I'm a lampy. If I was to go out into the real world, I'd become local crew for a time. I agree with you about multi-tools, but in the context of the work I currently do, I'd prefer to carry one tool, rather than many.

 

Just be careful about carrying a bladed instrument around a uni...

 

I've read previously that the way to go about carrying such a knife is in a bag, rather than on my belt, which is what I plan on doing. If I need to, say, invest in a locked box to store my knife in while not working to be in my bag, then I'll do that too.

[dosxuk]

In the world of Sheffield Students Union, I'm a lampy. If I was to go out into the real world, I'd become local crew for a time. I agree with you about multi-tools, but in the context of the work I currently do, I'd prefer to carry one tool, rather than many.

 

Just be careful about carrying a bladed instrument around a uni...

 

I've read previously that the way to go about carrying such a knife is in a bag, rather than on my belt, which is what I plan on doing. If I need to, say, invest in a locked box to store my knife in while not working to be in my bag, then I'll do that too.

 

I'd have a look to see if there's any where you can securely keep it in the SU, so it's not with you at lectures. You could find yourself in some serious bother if it fell out of your bag, or someone had a reason to search your bag, and the "yeah, but I need it to work in the SU later" probably wouldn't be taken as a valid excuse.

 

On a less serious note, one of those cheapo six channel DMX desks so you can plug it into an Atomic placed behind the DJ's head. Works particularaly well on a wednesday I believe - "The Hitman" loves it as an effect :D (You may wish to wear the aforementioned hard hat though for when he starts throwing stuff at you)

[Aaron-Hill07]

Generally I get by with these bits in my toolbox/bag:

 

Small & Medium Flathead Screwdrivers

Small & Medium Philips Screwdrivers

Gerber Suspension

WD40

Lubricant (For bits and pieces if you come across ML problems; non adult related.)

Mini Maglite (Best buy I've ever made)

Spare batteries for above

AJ

Quad Spanner

Thin nose pliers

Standard pliers

Tweezers (Small things inside lights etc)

One of those telescopic magnets with a single LED on the end (To be used as above)

Paintbrush

Cable Tester

1 x 3pin DMX tester

1 x 5pin DMX tester

[erroneousblack]

Don't buy a wingnut spanner, they're an oxymoron!

[mark_s]

Don't buy a wingnut spanner, they're an oxymoron for morons!

 

There, I've corrected that for you :)

 

The only reason to own a wingnut spanner if you're not a moron is for undoing the work of those who are.

[erroneousblack]

mark_, :** laughs out loud **:

 

Nice one!

[Matthew Robinson]

I'd have a look to see if there's any where you can securely keep it in the SU, so it's not with you at lectures. You could find yourself in some serious bother if it fell out of your bag, or someone had a reason to search your bag, and the "yeah, but I need it to work in the SU later" probably wouldn't be taken as a valid excuse.

Hmm, something to look into, maybe in our office. Many other people carry knives with them, so I'll ask them how they get on

 

On a less serious note, one of those cheapo six channel DMX desks so you can plug it into an Atomic placed behind the DJ's head. Works particularaly well on a Wednesday I believe - "The Hitman" loves it as an effect :D (You may wish to wear the aforementioned hard hat though for when he starts throwing stuff at you)

Hmm, while on the subject of Wednesday, have you seen the recent advert for a large chain of eateries that specialise in chicken fried in a southern American way? It features the main room DJ, if you're aware of him?

 

Generally I get by with these bits in my toolbox/bag:

 

Small & Medium Flathead Screwdrivers

Small & Medium Philips Screwdrivers

Gerber Suspension

WD40

Lubricant (For bits and pieces if you come across ML problems; non adult related.)

Mini Maglite (Best buy I've ever made)

Spare batteries for above

AJ

Quad Spanner

Thin nose pliers

Standard pliers

Tweezers (Small things inside lights etc)

One of those telescopic magnets with a single LED on the end (To be used as above)

Paintbrush

Cable Tester

1 x 3pin DMX tester

1 x 5pin DMX tester

If you were carrying 'adult related' lubricants to work regularly, that would worry me, and probably your employers :P I think making a DMX tester will be on the cards too...

 

Don't buy a wingnut spanner, they're an oxymoron!

I have no plans to- a carefully applied AJ seems to be doing a fair job at the moment for loosening wingnuts that are too tight. Otherwise, they're damn expensive to say that they're just a small sheet of metal with some holes in it!

[dosxuk]

Don't buy a wingnut spanner, they're an oxymoron for morons!

 

There, I've corrected that for you :)

 

The only reason to own a wingnut spanner if you're not a moron is for undoing the work of those who are.

 

There's one thing I'm do tighten up with my wingnut spanner - the legs for DJ consoles. When they remain built all the time, there's no reason to have the wing-bolts loose, all you end up doing is having the legs falling out at inopportune times.

 

When used properly and sensibly, they're useful, but, like all tools, they can be misused.

 

I also wouldn't buy one, but I do have two freebie ones from PLASA visits.

[timd]

There's one thing I'm do tighten up with my wingnut spanner - the legs for DJ consoles. When they remain built all the time, there's no reason to have the wing-bolts loose, all you end up doing is having the legs falling out at inopportune times.

 

 

Just replace them with nylocks. Much safer.

[adam2]

10-45 hours a week is still plenty enough time to justify buying yourself a good pair of shoes. Money well spent.

It takes seconds for somthing to happen to make you wish you had had a pair of steelies on.

 

Absolutely, cant agree more.

I am a strong believer in the use of safety footwear in almost any employment, not just theatre.

I do not posses ANY non safety footwear, when not at work I wear relatively smart polished safety shoes, and for rough work older and less smart, but still serviceable ones.

The risks of foot injury in the work place are well known, but even outside work the use of safety footwear is often sensible.

A horse once trod on my foot, my foot was run over by a motorcycle, and I dropped a heavy battery. All these occured outside work, but I was glad to be properly shod.

 

As regards the choice of footwear, it should be remembered that the choice is continually altering, and therefore that which you prefer may not be available in the future. If you find affordable, comfortable and durable safety shoes or boots it would be advisable to purchase at least one extra pair, and possibly several. (only if you are over18 to 20, I think that the feet still grow a bit even when the rest of the body is fully grown)

[rgye]

All you need is a hammer, a bigger hammer and maybe a big hammer as well.

 

In the dying days of the USSR (early 90's) I came across a bunch of Soviet squaddies in a Russian forest with a mobile radar station that had broken down. (Many readers of this forum will be too young to remember that this was the front line of the most formidable military threat the west had ever faced.) The soldiers' standard issue tool kit comprised two items: a very large sledge hammer and a 3ft tree-felling axe. When I left they still hadn't managed to repair the radar...