Saftey bonds for rigging

[deadpixel]

OK so I want to know what is the general consensus of using rated safety bonds for rigging? I personally have no problem with it, as I feel it is as safe as any alternatives, but I would be interested if there is an official answer to this one?

 

lets use an example;

 

2 foot length of Aluminum scaff flown from Eye bolts scaff clamps, using 2 x Doughty 4mm SWR safety bonds (SWL 75KG each) either end to unistrut eye bolts using shackles or carabinas. Assuming that the uni strut has the capacity. I would happily fly 50KGs of that, maybe 25KGs if it was low enough for a punter to jump up and swing off it.

 

Interested to hear peoples thoughts or alternatives.

[brainwave-generator]

Just buy a big roll of steel wire rope from Flints, and terminate it yourself using whatever termination you wish. It'll be much cheaper than using assembled safety bonds.

 

Nothing wrong with using safety bonds in principle, they are designed to take the weight which they are rated for, it's just an expensive way to do it when you could make your own up much cheaper.

 

I recall seeing 4mm safety bonds for about £7. 4mm SWR is about 50-60p per metre. Dogs are pennies each. A nut spinner will cost you a few quid once and never cost you again. There are other fancy terminations like gripples, etc which you can also use to make your life easier. And it'd still be cheaper.

[portytech]

Just buy a big roll of steel wire rope from Flints,

 

unless its a one off, as you are likely to have the bonds allready and so it will cost next to nothing.

Useing bonds also means that there is no risk of your quickly terminated steel parting

[deadpixel]

Thanks guys, I have SWR and dogs/gripples already but I am looking at a solution to allow us to put in a lighting bar from eyes on the unistrut if a gig needs it. would rather have safety bonds as they are already made/ painted and rated and the correct length.

[brainwave-generator]

Just buy a big roll of steel wire rope from Flints,

 

unless its a one off, as you are likely to have the bonds allready and so it will cost next to nothing.

Useing bonds also means that there is no risk of your quickly terminated steel parting

 

No reason why properly terminated steel wire rope should part. 'Temporary' terminations (like dogs, gripples etc) are no more prone to coming undone than permanent terminations.

 

I would argue the other way and suggest that using bonds is less good. Yes they are already 'rated', but so is steel wire rope in cut lengths. The difference, however, is that when buying SWR and making steels up, you know it's history (IE none). Safety bonds however have probably been hanging around the venue for years and you don't know their history, so whilst yes they might be 'rated for 50kg', they may have been maltreated in the past.

 

OP - why not use SWR to hang from the beam as and when required? You could easily make up a set of SWR lengths just for this purpose. If you already have the kit you need just put them together!

[Pete McCrea]

Bonds are fine. An alternative is what we know as the Rope Glider which will run on SWR. Infinitely adjustable so with a 5m SWR you can go from the eye to the end and anywhere inbetween. Great for flying projection screens.

[brainwave-generator]

Bonds are fine. An alternative is what we know as the Rope Glider which will run on SWR. Infinitely adjustable so with a 5m SWR you can go from the eye to the end and anywhere inbetween. Great for flying projection screens.

 

They are good, but twice the price of bullets and do more or less the same thing.

 

Yes bullets only go in one direction,and you need a screwdriver to go the other way; but on the up shot the bale is removable so no further hardware is required to attach it to an eye bolt.

[J Pearce]

I have to say those rope gliders/ferret grips are amazing. I had two to dead hang a large flown set piece and the ability to slide it up the swr made rigging and derigging so easy, and meant we could very easily tweak the dead height.

 

Whilst safety bonds may be overspecified, in some venues there could be a hazard in introducing something that looks like a safety bond but isn't...

[deadpixel]

Thanks guys, all very valid points, particularly the one about not knowing where safety bonds have been. I think I will just make up my own with a eye clamp on the bottom and a gripple at the top for adjustment, which will be pretty much hidden.

[Seano]

..it's just an expensive way to do it when you could make your own up much cheaper.

 

Cheaper does not always mean better value for money though. Personally, I would suggest that professionally crimped drifts are well worth the (not very much) money. Dogs are fiddly and time consuming, and when you're finished they're butt ugly and still need to be double-checked for tightness after they've been loaded.

 

(Most) Gripples aren't really intended for hanging stuff - using them for that purpose can be ok, but it requires er... professional judgement.

 

Bonds are fine. An alternative is what we know as the Rope Glider which will run on SWR. Infinitely adjustable so with a 5m SWR you can go from the eye to the end and anywhere inbetween. Great for flying projection screens.

 

They are good, but twice the price of bullets and do more or less the same thing.

 

They do more or less the same thing as bullets, but to a er.. 'higher standard', which could be important depending on the job at hand. I agree, in many cases Bullets would be a more cost-effective option, and possibly more convenient to use. I'd probably be more inclined to use Bullets for a fast-fold screen too.

[kerry davies]

While searching for the "Hammers, for the use of, safety manual" I found this; Gripple

The last word on how to use gripples, tensioning tools and what loads can be carried. Lots of prettifying bits'n'pieces I never knew existed.

 

Interestingly, Seano, there is another table of what Gripples can carry as vertical loads Here

[deadpixel]

Yeah, I was going to say, gripples are designed for flying!

[Seano]

Yeah, I was going to say, gripples are designed for flying!

 

Actually they were originally designed for agricultural (wire) fencing, but you're quite right they are definitely also marketed for hanging and bracing 'suspended services'.

That's not quite the same thing as 'flying' in the theatrical sense exactly, and definitely not quite the same as being used to knit-your-own lifting accessories.

 

Historically, flying with Gripples hasn't been regarded as um... 'best practice' exactly. (See this old thread, for example.) Maybe the manufacturers advice has changed somewhat over the years as they've expanded into new markets, dunno. It isn't something I've looked into lately, as I hardly ever use them - in almost every theatrical application where you might use them, there's a better way to do it anyway.

[deadpixel]

I suppose I could always just use cable ties :P

[Ynot]

An alternative is what we know as the Rope Glider which will run on SWR.

A little (further) off topic, but I must admit to a chuckle when reading the Flints description about what to call these beasts.

"Black Wire Rope Holders" seemed a bit of a dull name for such a fantastic product so we asked our staff if they could think of a better one. I rather liked: "Dogs Nomor" which would have fitted in well with "Slip Nomor" but, currently running at favourite, is: "Ferret Grip" because- it won't let go until you tell it, and it's small enough to keep in your pocket!

I do appreciate the dry humour on many Flints catalogue entries. :D

 

And then again when I looked at the 'AKA' list at the end of the entry...

 

Also known as:

1. Never Slip Quick Grip

2. No Slip Grip

3. Non Slip Grip

4. No More Slip Grip

5. Never Slip Grip

6. Easy Grip

7. Hassle Free Grip

8. Spring Grip

9. No More Dogs grip

10. Dog No More Grip

11. No Hassle Grip

12. Lockable Wire Slider

13. Easy Lock Grip

14. Instant Sliding Grip

15. Dogless Instant Grip (DIG Grip)

16. Fiddle Free Grip

17. Instant Action Grip

18. Bite the Bullet Grip

19. The Better Bullet Grip (BB Grip)

20. Spring Bite Grip

21. Ferret Grip (won't let go until you tell it, and small enough to keep in your trousers)

22. Releasable Ferret Grip

23. Adjustable Ferret Grip

24. Best Damn Thing Ever Grip

25. Dead Hang Adjuster Grip

26. Non Slip Adjustable Grip (NSA Grip)

27. Easy Eye Grip

28. Extreme Grip

29. Gripatron 3000

30. Gripatron 50SVE

31. The First Instant Non-slip Tested Grip (FLINT Grip)

32. The Fantastic Instant Non-slip Tested Grip (FLINT Grip)

33. Dog Catcher Grip

34. Firedog Grip

35. Epic Grip

36. Quantum Grip

37. Hound Dog grip

38. DumDum grip

39. Dummy grip

40. Schnell grip

41. Shell grip

42. Dog Collar Grip

43. Easy On Easy Off Grip

44. Stark Grip

45. Neat Grip

46. Steely Grip

47. Ever grip

48. Sure Grip

49. Rapid Grip

50. Ultra Grip