light tree

[arfinator]

How many stage lights can you safely put on a light tree?

[DaveySimps]

It varies greatly depending on the height, diameter, base, material of the tree and how much the individual lighting instruments weigh. I would also consider wether it is being used indoors or outdoors because wind can be a great safety concern as well.

~Dave

[arfinator]

It is being used inside. I was thinking about using source four elipsoidals and source four pars.

I don't know about the height of the pipe, maybe 10-15' maybe shorter. This is my only place to hang lights and I want to get as few as possible.

Do you know of places to rent trees?

[Footer]

If what you are looking for is a weighted boom base that take 1 1/2 sch 40 pipe, here ya go... they usually come in 50lb variety's. If you are low on the pipe, under 6' you can load it up as much as you want. I would suggest though that you also chain as many stageweights as possible to base. Over 6', depends.

If you are looking for crank up trees, they will come with a manufactures SWL (safe working load). Usually, its around 200 lbs or so. Tell us where you are and we might be able to help you find a rental house.

[arfinator]

I am in Phoenix, Arizona.

I might be able to work under 6 feet. The thing is that I am up on a balcony with this to the side of the stage (I am used to a full grid in a black box) and I am trying to light the whole stage.

I was thinking of schedule 40 pipe as the way to go.

Thank you for the quick replies.

[Charc]

Digression:

Schedule 40 for lighting positions and Schedule 80 for rigging?

[soundman]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Digression:
Schedule 40 for lighting positions and Schedule 80 for rigging?

Not by standard battens are normally schd 40 as it is lighter and for most applications it is getting picked on 8' centers so there is no need for the extra strength.

I believe the truss used in self climbing towers is schd 80, I know it is heavier.

[meatpopsicle]

Lighting positions are rigging. Schedule 40 is going to readily available from your local rental house. Rule of thumb: figure 4 to 6 units on a tree. More if their pars, less if they're lekos. Any more than that and you should secure the top of the tree from above. In any case add sandbags or stageweights to the base to improve stability. Add trees if you need more units. On the last film I was on we made postions out of 50# boom bases, pipe and cheeseboroughs.


I'm sure the theatre TD's will jump in here and give you their safe working practice.

[arfinator]

OK.

Thank you. What is a general rental price for like a 6' tree for like 1 week?

[SerraAva]

Just a quick interjection. In my high school theatre, we had schedule 40 battens which had to be replaced with schedule 80. For the high school alone, schedule 40 was enough, but do to loads being put on them from touring shows we needed 80. The pipes were actually bending, one was even bent at a 30 degree angle downward on the one end. So it really depends on what you want to load on them, not what standard is. When the rig was installed, they went off of standard. If they had asked a touring show what it needed to be while the theatre was being built, it would have been schedule 80 to start. So start at schedule 40 and determine if that would be enough, don't just use it because it's 'standard'.

Also, make sure your arbors can handle the weight too. They just installed a whole new lighting system in the smaller theatre and had to take away all the nice, new, shiny Source Fours and replace them with Colorcraps . Reason being, someone didn't think to look at what the arbors could handle weight wise with new pipe, cable, raceways, and fixtures . The Colorcraps weigh about half as much as the Source Fours. So this was very upsetting since I might have to do a show in there soon .