Workboxes!

[thenelsontwins]

I had to document the contents of my work box recently in order to quell an ongoing debate at work. As it turns out, I don't carry sandbags in them, much to the warehouse's surprise.

A couple of years ago I decided to forgo the typical anvil type work box for a couple of pelican cases. This way, in a pinch, they can fit in a car, or be shipped easily via fedex or on the airline. And they are waterproof for those magical outdoor shows.

Although they are a bit HEAVY.

I am a planner for the worst possible scenario, which happens quite often. So I travel with a whole lot of seemingly random things, which I always end up needing at some point.

Paranoia is the key.

I am always curious to see how others travel with their work boxes. Any other pictures floating around out there of what you all carry?

Thanks!

Eric

[IMG]http://www.flickr.com/photos/thenelsontwins/2807101404/in/set-72157607001826181/[/IMG]

[derekleffew]

Eric,
Please post your inventory! I like seeing what others carry. Here's a thread that may interest you. http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/g...do-i-need.html. I have since "upgraded" to a real 4-drawer workbox that lives at my primary place of employment (which unfortunately means many tools are duplicated for one-day gigs when I shouldn't need the entire workbox).

Here's a link to a (primarily) Vidiot's workbox, rarely seen CB Member, kwotipka, Kris’s Thoughts My Yellow Box.

[gafftapegreenia]

Hold the phone, Rocco Wrench, for Fresnels and par can retaining rings, where can I get one of those beautiful contraptions?

And Derek, what is the crimper that you own, and you and ship love so much, that isn't made anymore?

[icewolf08]

If you (or any CB member) are ever in the market for new cases, I would suggest you take a look at Storm Cases by Hardigg Industries. They are basically the same as Pelican cases, but they are about half the price. They come in the same kind of configurations with foam or dividers. I just got one this summer for transporting hard drives and optical drives for my computer, and I think they are great.

PLEASE NOTE: I have no affiliation with either Pelican or Storm Case, nor do I have anything against either brand. This post is just to give some information.

[thenelsontwins]

True, true! I like the storm cases as well. They are a little lighter and in some ways nicer than the pelican cases. At my last place of employment we bought both like crazy for everything. It just happened that pelican had the size that I wanted and I liked the divider kit more.

Might I suggest Cases4Less.com . We were a pelican and storm case dealer and they typically came in even cheaper than what our cost would have been for many items.

E

[Oldschool]

I come from a Corporate AV background - not theatre - so this is list is skewed from that perspective. After 20 years of booking freelance labor and working or managing ballroom gigs, this is what (in my opinion) should be in your bag when walk through the door:

Essential:
• Leatherman multi-tool
• Headphones w/ adapters
• Crescent wrench
• 4-in-1 screwdriver
• Tweeker screwdriver
• 25’ Tape measure
• Black Sharpie marker
• Roll of white marking tape – NOT masking tape, but the paper board tape
• Legal size notepad
• Cell phone with the phone # of whomever hired you
• A fresh / clean black T-shirt – No logos
• A Good Attitude

Nice to have: - All the above plus
• Shure AT15TG XLR tone generator
• Shure A15AS switchable XLR in-line Attenuator
• USB Flash Drive
• Power Point alignment slides and test patterns
• iPod
• List of local cross rental companies and supply houses with phone #
• Calculator
• Dynamic mic with switch
• Roll of black gaffers tape – NOT carpet tape, but the good stuff
• Some trick line
• Assortment of gels
• Small roll of blackout aluminum foil
• Rolling bag with pull handle to put all this stuff in
• A Really Good Attitude

Extra nice to have: - All the above from both lists plus
• Whirlwind MCT-7 multi-cable tester
• Intercom headset with adapters/dryers to use with different brand Com
• Harness with tether and caribiner
• Small self-powered hot spot speaker
• Video Test Generator with various cables
• Laptop
• Scientific calculator that you know how to use
• Laser “tape” measure
• Lots of adapters you are willing to NOT get back at the end of the show
• Bigger rolling bag with pull handle to put all this stuff in
• A Great Attitude-This one doesn’t cost you anything extra to take to every gig

[thenelsontwins]

So, some people expressed interest in the supposed Rocco Wrench for removing retaining rings from older fresnels and par 64's.

I got mine around 1996 and bought a couple more for the place I was working around 2005 (or maybe 2004). I found them at Sapsis Rigging. I know that about a bazillion years ago BMI had them, but the last time I purchased them, they were on clearance.

Perhaps someone else knows where to get them now.

If not, they'd be pretty easy to fabricate, there isn't anything to it. Our shop could do it pretty quickly, but they'd probably then cost about $100 a unit, haha.

So check out the pictures and good hunting.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2808474251_3b8d86df52.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by thenelsontwins

...Perhaps someone else knows where to get them now. ...

Although I've never felt the need for such a specialized tool, Musson Theatrical/Rocco Wrench is the only vendor Google appears to find.

[ship]

I always travel heavy as it were and constantly out grow in tools needed to build the next road box about the time I’m finished building the next road box. On the other hand, been paid to study other people’s road boxes at times in my career, and built quite a few of them over the years.

First separate the company road box verses your personal road box. Best way to loose space for what is your home is to provide extra space say for Philips lamps that don’t get smaller in box size, just “And Leon is growing Larger” in boxes that also collect mold more easily than other boxes once wet.. This much less fall apart easier as shown in the largest box that’s not really so much a good container for the lamp any longer. No boxes are perfect of course, as shown the Ushio HPL lamp boxes also have their problems in loosing a wee slight fold over retainer or drop the GE and it also fails. Lots of concepts of lamp box design I constantly fight against with the manufacturers.

Because of this, I would say that beyond allowing space in your personal road box for what show or who you work for in spare lamps should be providing, they should be providing storage for the spare lamps for them. No longer your liability in space and proper storage for the spares, and more room for your own road box to grow.

Interesting sleeves/dividers between the types of stuff stored, be interested in you8r solution for doing this as it’s curious. On the tape... certainly your own selection but also in part a tour’s storage of it responsibility. If not your personal tape, more than a roll or two of each which creates space for your own tools or gack is over the wall in need for you in doing your job as opposed to doing the job for the production by way of your baggage. Am I seeing that much glow tape I think in the bottom row? That’s a bad sign in the talent getting control of the glow tape in it becoming much like an airport runway backstage. Tie line is fine in having a roll. That with half the amount of gaff and other tapes.

Down below this, like the bag concepts - who made this for you? Like the clothes pins etc. and what is seemingly a first aid kit. Good work on that in storing stuff well and in a way I have not seen so much.



Gam Wrap.. Good stuff as with Gam Tak. Second C-Wrench is also good Not liking your other tools for the most part as per quality and even seeing slip joint pliers but do note the crimp tool. Interesting hot tools, do you use them day to day? A few tools I don’t know from photo but good selection of parts and tools overall, though missing it would seem missing a basic socket set unless in a bag. This plus hammer and pry bar. And real Linsemens pliers and CamLoc tools plust Soco tools. Note the pin splitter and other than Fluke voltage meter. Missing stuff like gelling super glue and soldering tools but overall good selection.

Where I work and have worked over the years its more a seperation of personal verses company gear that has a leeway between but a certain element of company supplied road case verses personal gear status que always followed. This from huge road cases with flip top fan cooled lids for the multitude of cordless tool batter chargers in the top to the Menards metal brief case that’s stocked for those that need less tools and more walk into the production element. This from quarter pack size road case that stores Big Light lamps and more to huge Goliath of road box that stores everything in the world for a production including lens trains. Designed a few on my own from small to large and even have a team currently on tour designing our next era of box that will have a upper level to it that can be removed so one say can take the cable repair kit with them on the tour bus. This yet have sufficient storage for all parts moving light or tape a tour might need including fog fluid as a huge thing.

Love road box design. Even did one for myself one year that I expanded but kept to a specific size that would fit inside my 1996 Chevy Blazer as long as unloaded first. Fit exactly for the times I was transferring for more than a week between MOSE and Scenic View. Two trips, one for the road box that just fit inside the SUV and the other for the tools. One time I forgot to put a milk crate between the bottom casters and the rear window. Spent a night afterwards making a plywood window to replace the broken one but my road box did fit - got the hook like cut on my hand from the one time I did it myself in loading and a electrical box atop it caught my hand.

This granted I traveled heavy and from rigging to carpentry to electrics to metal work I had all my tools with me and it was a company sized road box. On the other hand, I attached rigging ring on plates to it so I could fly my road box also and had some awesome casters on it. Road box lives at home now in being replaced by a more efficient but costly large Craftsmen tool box at work. On the one I built... overgrown it after built for the most part even if like 24"x48"x60". Store bought drawer glides gave out and even the plywood drawer bottoms glued and stapled to the lumber frame for the drawers are starting to give out. Otherwise great case I built. Stores from worm drive saw in it’s own home to repelling gear. As I got more tools over the years even the Craftsmen tool chest don’t have enough room on the other hand.

Lots of concepts in personal road box. Know some few with quarter pack square area but tall road boxes even that are two part for smaller shows only needing the bottom half of the tool box, all have their personal road cases constantly full no matter if bought or built and the size. Constant battle of the more you experience, the more parts important and or less room you have.

I have seen just as with me people grow up from the small ammo can or tool box, to case to larger case to non-flip store bought road box that the company buys for you and takes out of your paycheck over time to the crew size road box that houses your life and perhaps coffee machine. This in addition to crew size road boxes that are huge, others for crew refrigerators, micro waves, coffee pots etc. This in addition to having at one point making a road box for a stove. This granted the talent wanted to make pan cakes during the tour and the stove was not really a tour type thing for them other than eating with it.

See the kids as it were grow up still from the ammo can to the case, to the standard non-flip road box to at times the huge box. Mostly for them, they don’t seem to worry about company gear as much for room or even its own case they have to transport.

On my part, I’m doing my best for the crews. I have cable repair kits as it were that just got upgraded to having solder stations with the various plugs, tools to fix etc. one might need on tour. Each case is worth like $1.5K in cost of gear inside. Recently just made a solder station only kit worth like a $K alone. Concept being on the like 80# case of gear, it’s stuff one might need from epoxy to plugs what the company should provide and does. This in addition to tubs of tape, lamps and tape measures. Didn’t see any 100' tape measures in your kit as something beyond what’s provided often really useful if not laser or ultrosonic. Storage tubs I provide full of them in styles of it that survive knocking about and specilize in packing well. This if not doing a road box for spares for the show.

Don’t think the crew should have to transport and or haul around the spares for the show with their own home as it were of personal gear, manuals and or tools. Some amounts of such sure but overall, what you transport could loose at least one of your cases and have room in another after that. Sure you want those bins of screws, lamp sockets, parts etc but beyond that a balance of bulk tour needs verses overstock emergency gear such as say just a roll or two of gaff tape might be enough to get you thru until resupplied.

Beyond this, I would say most having as much gear as you do have a road box for their gear. Non-flip type thing with opening door and flip down computer shelf. Travels with the tour gear at the back of the trailer. Smaller box for personal stuff perhaps or larger road box if you travel with screw gun and or SawZall. Still most I know like what you have mid or early in their career but also skip your step in size of smaller road case between what is reasonable to carry and a castered road box. Such a box would fit all and more plus have room for personal stuff. Most companies if free lance also wouldn’t have time storing your road box for you between shows or even helping transport it to who you work for next if worth your salt in getting you back for a later tour.

Small amount of gear stored or road boxes built. Mainly my road case I out grew and the solder kit that was only solder kit and plugs etc. type stuff in it.

[DaveySimps]

My personal case included the following in no particular order (if I can remember it all):

- black and white gaff tape (at least 2 rolls ea.)
- electrical tape
- a few different colors of spike tape
- board (paper) tape
- glow tape
- a few sharpies
- a few pens and a pad of paper
- spare phone charger
- multi tool
- LED flashlight with extra lamp and batteries
- 4-in-one screw driver
- adjustable end wrench
- micro screwdriver set
- allen wrench set
- soldering iron and solder
- Gam Check
- Greenlee voltage detector
- gloves
- multi meter
-wire strippers / crimpers
- tape measure (large and small)
- lots of sound and video adaptors and extra cables
- XLR phase reversers and iso transformers
- headphones
- ear plugs
- poncho
- spare SM58 with switch
- spare ClearCom beltpack, headset, and mic cable
- first aid kit
- spare connectors (XLR, RCA, 1/4", NL4, 2P&G, Edison, DMX, Cat.5, etc.)
- DMX terminators
- spare lamps (especially HPL and little lights)
- extension cord and power strip
- cordless drill and drill bits
- tie line
- jump drive with all of my manuels and updated software
- misc. hardware (screws, bolts, nuts, washers, etc.)
- Cam Lock turn arounds for ground and neutral
- Gorilla Glue
- Super Glue
- audio adaptor for cell phone (so I can use it to play house music if needed)
- CD with test tracks and house music
- clean black polo shirt and socks

And of course, I always have my cell phone with updated numbers for crew, local rentals, emergency contacts, (it is also has the internet and is a PDA, so advanced documents and email are accessable in case the need arises).

~Dave