dsharp7th Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I'm planning to have made some dollies/skates for moving guitar amps and general music gear around on a festival stage. Are these budget 50mm rubber castors from flints up to the job or should I go for something bigger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 They should take anything you throw at them but why, Danny? By the time you lift a guitar amp onto and off a skate which you will carry on and off stage you might as well just hump the amps. I am presuming this is for changeovers and while rolling risers for drums and keyboards are fairly normal, I haven't seen any amp skates being used to great effect. Not even on much bigger stages than I presume you are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 They're a bit handy when you've got processing rack, a few amps amps, and a lot of wiring. If you just hump the kit on then you've got minutes burning whilst you wire the kit up and test it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I'd disagree with you here Kerry. I've worked a couple of festival big top style stages where having some space back stage and 4 or 6 little amp skids, and the mic kit available, has meant that you can have one band off and the next on in under 5 minutes. If nothing else you can push the finished band off stage and let them banter and badly coil cables off stage out of your way. Also if you can look to put a 16A in and out and 13A sockets fixed to the skid, then you always know where power is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I've four or five in various sizes and they're damn handy!I have two of these dirt cheap onesCPC linkhttp://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/TL1058006-40.jpgThe casters are NOT rubber, but tough, and I use them for moving band gear mostly from the van, across car parks etc - nasty surfaces that often wreck nice soft caster tyres. They're quite small too, but ok for guitar amps, speakers, racks, that kind of stuff. They are also bright orange which helps find them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanSteely Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 With this sort of thing I always find small endless ratchets are a lot of help... http://www.theratchetshop.com/mini-ratchets-800kg-ratchet-straps-c-74_27_94.html?osCsid=3363bbea6fa75f747705ef51de595018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbertech Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Agree on ratchets and preferably braked wheels on one end otherwise a raked stage or more likely an over exuberant guitarist will send them sailing across the stage. It also focuses the bands mind to actually get pedals etc off on tight turnarounds as they see you wheel it off stage, agree on mounting a four way on the with a 16a plug on makes swap out easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 screwfix do some nice 4pack wheels with breaks for not all that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Screwfix's rubber wheels are not indestructible but are cheaper than more resilient castors, and are available more easily and quickly, having stock in most towns. The skates Paul linked to are very strong, mine has coped fine moving large upright pianos over very rough bumpy concrete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsharp7th Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 Thanks folks, I've placed an order for the budget flints castors (2 braked, 2 non braked per skate), slightly cheaper than Screwfix (and Screwfix quality control is not what it should be, however life-saving they can be at the last minute). Kerry, as others said it's definitely as much about speeding up changeovers by pre-setting kit behind the drape as it is about carrying and I've started to see band tech riders mentioning them. Good call on mounting 4-ways and having straps on hand. What else, perhaps attached bottle and towel holders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Noticed these in Aldi this morning, at 12.99 each: https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-specialbuys-6th-june/thursday-specialbuys-6th-june-product-detail/ps/p/dolly-trolley/ The anti-slip matting just sits on top. They look reasonably good for the money - 4x 75mm castors, unbraked, and the board is made out of 18mm MDF. The rectangular one is about 2' x 1', and the circular about 15" diameter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Just to add the screwfix ones I have are the big plastic ones. I think 8cm wheels (I know the total is 10 cm cause it lifts a slab of deck 1cm off the floor). I have never had a quality issue with those and I got 8 4packs 7 ? years ago and they have been used quite thoroughly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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