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How do you hang yours?


kgallen

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Over the years I've tended to buy the Stage Electrics "Lantern Suspension Kits" as the bolt set for joining the hook clamp to the lantern yoke, because the "kit" contains the parts to do:

 

 

bolt - plain washer - [lantern yoke] - plain washer - nut - hookclamp - plain washer - spring washer - wingnut

 

 

(for Strand lanterns with a threaded yoke this can be reduced to bolt - plain washer - [yoke] - HC - plain washer - spring washer - wingnut)

 

 

However having just ordered some sets from SLX, I find they now no longer contain the wingnut, and hence only the one nut of any type (although still 3 plain and 1 spring washer).

 

Has the world moved on and users are now universally using a spanner to lock off their lights when rigging?

 

I queried the change of kit make up and the response was "it's been like that for many years" - which I'm not quite so sure is actually the case, it hasn't been that long (maybe a year or so) since I ordered the last lot, and they certainly had wingnut with them! (And anyway, why still so many washers in the kit for just one nut?)

 

 

What do other Blue Roomer's do?

 

 

Kevin

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The last batch I assembled were bolt - plain washer - yoke - plain washer - HC - plain washer - spring washer - wingnut.

I don't think I've encountered a nut between the yoke & HC before though.

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Bolt->washer->yoke->washer->hook clamp->washer->spring washer->nyloc.

 

Use a nyloc nut and tighten it a sensible amount the first time, and you won't have to get your AJ out while focusing ever again.

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Apologies guys, didn't want to resurect a long suffered subject - it was triggered by an apparent change in a product supplied for this job.

 

Interesting to see the changes in approach from the earlier threads though!

 

 

Kevin

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Bolt->washer->yoke->washer->hook clamp->washer->spring washer->nyloc.

 

Use a nyloc nut and tighten it a sensible amount the first time, and you won't have to get your AJ out while focusing ever again.

 

 

This with the exception of the nyloc - in my experience, a spring washer with a standard hex nut is sufficient to keep a steady tension that will maintain the position of the lamp once focussed. Nylocs become a massive pain if you need to take the hook clamp off, whereas conventionals merely need loosening.

 

But for me, hex rather than wing nut all the way.

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To Shez - the nut between the yoke and hook clamp is there to lock the bolt to the yoke. With Strand lanters the yoke is often threaded, so the nut is not needed. For non-threaded yokes, without the M10 nut locking the bolt to the yoke, you'd need a spanner to stop it spinning whilst tightening up the wingnut. Or if you use a plain nut or nyloc on the top of the hook clamp, then two spanners!

 

 

Kevin

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To Shez - the nut between the yoke and hook clamp is there to lock the bolt to the yoke. With Strand lanters the yoke is often threaded, so the nut is not needed. For non-threaded yokes, without the M10 nut locking the bolt to the yoke, you'd need a spanner to stop it spinning whilst tightening up the wingnut. Or if you use a plain nut or nyloc on the top of the hook clamp, then two spanners!

I've never got on with those threaded yokes - not sure why but they always just seemed to be a massive pain. I know a couple of people who just drilled them out...

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- nut - hookclamp -

That just feels wrong. Most hook clamps aren't that flat where the bolt hole is and sitting a nut against one face is going to give you an uneven pressure at the unit turns.

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Brian, I agree, especially as the hole in a hook clamp (say a Doughty HC) tends to be much more than M10, more like 12mm. I know this contradicts somewhat my original post, but that's how I saw the available "kit of parts" in the SLX bag of bits going together - having 3 plain washers - to use a washer before the HC would mean the M10 nut straight onto the yoke (which would also have a 12mm hole!).

 

Actually I liked the Strand yokes being threaded and hated it when I found a lantern with the thread drilled out...!

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