Loading lights

[Soxred93]

At our theater, we've decided that our light system needs to be completely redone. We've got a plot set up, and we're ready to update the lights. The best way to do it is probably to take all the lights off, and to add them one at a time. However, once all the lights are off, the weights on the fly are 40 feet in the air with nothing to counter them. I'm concerned if the lock will hold them (yes, I know it's not a brake). I know how to do this with light loads, but not with hundreds of pounds of iron one one side, and a single bar on the other. How would I go about doing this?

[zuixro]

Without giving rigging advice, I would say remove one light, put one on. One at a time. If they are close in weight, I would say that that would be the safest way of doing it.

[Soxred93]

Would it work (if you had 2 or 3 people) to remove 2/3 lights, raise it, remove 2/3 weights, lower it, and so on?

[mrtrudeau23]

First, if i understand this correctly, you have no loading gallery? if you do then, i am not trying to give advice here, only stating what works for me when handling larger transitions on batons. can you take the weight (of the load you are removing from the pipe) off the arbor first? that way all the weight would be on the pipe and there is no danger of it flying out. this is how i learned to do it. if you don't have a loading gallery, i can't be of much help.

[gafftapegreenia]

Yea, the first question is, do you have a loading gallery?

But even if you do it's still highly dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

[DaveySimps]

I think the advice given so far already violates the terms of use here on CB. With no offense intended. You clearly do not have an understanding on how to do this safely, so please do not attempt it with out the direct supervision of a trained professional. The potential of injury is just too great. FYI, The locks on fly systems, even when the system is in perfect working order, are just not designed to hold sets that are out of weight. This is misuse of a system and creates a potentially dangerous work environment.

~Dave