Extra long G clamps

[vinntec]

Hi everyone

 

 

I have a show coming up where the [low] sun is coming from SR and going diagonally across the stage. My tiny theatre has no booms or a circle or anything like that. There is a low position on the wall SL close to the stage, but not an equivalent on the SR side (this is a medieval building so we can't just drill holes where we like!) So everything from SR has to go on the two conventional lighting bars FOH. The snag is that with the face/area lights in their optimum places, any cross lighting in between is easily "eclipsed" by these. I have tried the Dowdy Extra Long clamps but they are too short - only 138mm longer than a normal one.

 

What I am looking for is a clamp which is long enough for a conventional fixture to (just about) rotate freely underneath the fixtures either side of it so that it can fill the gap of providing a cross light as near as we can possibly get in our tiny theatre. As I already said the Doughty long clamp is not long enough, so does anyone know if there is a supplier of such things anywhere? Or are we talking about having custom ones made?

[andy_s]

I would look at D-rig arms - could you drop one vertically from the existing position and then perhaps use a boom arm attached to the D-rig to rig your special from below the other lanterns? or you could just use scaff and clamps, but in a small space, the D-rig would look tidier.

[vinntec]

Hi everyone

 

 

I have a show coming up where the [low] sun is coming from SR and going diagonally across the stage. My tiny theatre has no booms or a circle or anything like that. There is a low position on the wall SL close to the stage, but not an equivalent on the SR side (this is a medieval building so we can't just drill holes where we like!) So everything from SR has to go on the two conventional lighting bars FOH. The snag is that with the face/area lights in their optimum places, any cross lighting in between is easily "eclipsed" by these. I have tried the Dowdy Extra Long clamps but they are too short - only 138mm longer than a normal one.

 

What I am looking for is a clamp which is long enough for a conventional fixture to (just about) rotate freely underneath the fixtures either side of it so that it can fill the gap of providing a cross light as near as we can possibly get in our tiny theatre. As I already said the Doughty long clamp is not long enough, so does anyone know if there is a supplier of such things anywhere? Or are we talking about having custom ones made?

Damn! Just did some more searching on the internet and turns out Ultrimax have what I am looking for and loads of potential suppliers! 500, 750 and 1000mm lengths (standard clamp is 125mm).

 

 

 

 

I would look at D-rig arms - could you drop one vertically from the existing position and then perhaps use a boom arm attached to the D-rig to rig your special from below the other lanterns? or you could just use scaff and clamps, but in a small space, the D-rig would look tidier.

Hi Andy - that's an interesting idea and worth looking at as it could be semi permanent and not need the clamps on the fixtures to be changed. In other words I could make a "mini-boom" on either end of the LX bar as there is space to the wall either side. Thanks.

[Jevans]

I would also add that I've previously found Doughty very able to make custom shape/size clamps in very small production runs for much less money than I was expecting - we got 12 custom clamps made up to go on either end of our Coda 4 battens to replace the Strand clamp and half yoke assembly and it hardly cost much more than the standard ones, so if you do ever need funny bits of metal made up they're well worth talking to!

[the kid]

Maybe this new stuff from Doughty http://www.doughty-usa.com/shop/49/index.htm

 

or a pair of these http://www.doughty-usa.com/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_T57340

[david.elsbury]

Threaded m10/12 rod with nylocks and washers to keep it set at right height?

[boatman]

Threaded m10/12 rod with nylocks and washers to keep it set at right height?

 

Like ^^ he ^^ says, from Screwfix or CPC!

[jonathanhill]

Threaded m10/12 rod with nylocks and washers to keep it set at right height?

 

I have done this successfully for a tour, but with PAR cans that were cross lighting parallel to the bar. If you were attempting to swing the light to anywhere but parallel to the bar, and with something heavier than a PAR, then I would recommend a clamp that was better than a standard hook clamp, such as a half coupler, or quick trigger clamp. I would also use M12 studding as it is less likely to bend.

 

Personally I would go to Multifix (www.multifixsupplycompany.com) for all these bits.

[boatman]

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Personally I would go to Multifix (www.multifixsupplycompany.com) for all these bits.

 

Great for those who live in the South-East, but they want £25 to deliver to Scotland. CPC is free!

[paulears]

In a hurry, I drilled a hole in two 600mm double ended clamps, and put the yoke bolt through that!

[AndyJones]

Hello Pete,

 

We have various different dropdown bars. These are like the ones in the middle of http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_MODULAR picture. These simply half couple onto the existing lighting bar. You're more than welcome to borrow one?

[vinntec]

Hi everyone, many thanks for the thoughts and ideas. I have been doing some modelling (and experiments with a stick tied to a G clamp) and a drop of 500mm from the top of the bar to the top of the lantern) is about right. I need to do some more work now to see what will work best as a low sun then decide how to provide it using these valuable suggestions.