Best Ways to Spike Rigging Lines when dealing with Kids?

[DutchVander]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to spike Purchase Lines when dealing with high school kids?

They've been using tape (Masking, Electrical, and even some really nasty Duct Tape until I banned it from the building) and it's wreaking havoc on my rope locks and head and tension blocks. I'm reluctant to use ribbon spikes because I don't want one of them to accidentally shove a screwdriver or knitting needle through their hand trying to put the ribbon in.

Any Ideas?

[MarshallPope]

Spike tape? It's what we've always used. When applied neatly there is never any problem with it catching, and it doesn't leave residue.

[cpf]

Tell them to be smart with where they position their hands+fingers while putting them in? But then again proper tape is as safe as it gets, so might as well just do that.

[metti]

I have always used spike tape. Wrap to many times around and it can catch in the rope lock but it generally works great if you just wrap once around.

[DutchVander]

Thanks Guys. I've always used spike tape in every theatre I've been in and never had a problem either but we just had our rigging inspected and the inspector pointed out where small pieces of tape were coming off and gumming up everything. He told us to start using only ribbon spikes but the group of kids I'm dealing with tend to not be safety minded most of the time. I've been told by the higher ups I can't use tape anymore because that's what it said in the inspection report. I just need a safe alternative to the ribbons that doesn't involve tape but I haven't had any luck finding an alternative.

[derekleffew]

If you think a fid is dangerous, try a knuckle buster!

See also the thread Purchase line frayed by rope lock .

[chausman]

If you think a fid is dangerous, try a knuckle buster!

They are worried about using a knitting needle, so you suggest a small piece of metal be attached to the rigging to come "flying" at them?

[derekleffew]

They are worried about using a knitting needle, so you suggest a small piece of metal be attached to the rigging to come "flying" at them?

Yup. I can think of no better way to remedy the issue of

...but the group of kids I'm dealing with tend to not be safety minded most of the time. ...

If they can't be trusted with knitting needles, how can they be trusted with moving thousands of pounds over MY head?

[NickVon]

If they can't be trusted with knitting needles, how can they be trusted with moving thousands of pounds over MY head?

^ This

(extra characters for length)

[Arez]

I'm voting on proper teaching of proper methods. If some of the children can't handle becoming adults, don't let them do it, simple as that. Also, maybe such duties should be for yourself and your upperclassmen.

I also agree with DerekLeffew.

[DutchVander]

I completely agree with you guys. Unfortunately I'm not the teacher and I have to let them (including some with special needs that have comprehension issues) use the rigging because it's part of the required curriculum. I'm also not the only one with keys so there have been times when they get in the theatre without supervision and that's when I get really worried. I don't want them to try putting in a ribbon spike when no one's around and doing major damage to the purchase line or themselves. It's a catch 22. I can't use tape because it says so on the inspection report but if I use ribbon the risks are worse.

[MNicolai]

I completely agree with you guys. Unfortunately I'm not the teacher and I have to let them (including some with special needs that have comprehension issues) use the rigging because it's part of the required curriculum. I'm also not the only one with keys so there have been times when they get in the theatre without supervision and that's when I get really worried. I don't want them to try putting in a ribbon spike when no one's around and doing major damage to the purchase line or themselves. It's a catch 22. I can't use tape because it says so on the inspection report but if I use ribbon the risks are worse.

You don't trust the people in your theatre with a knitting needle (although an aluminium fid is more appropriate)? If you don't trust them with that, they shouldn't be touching the rigging, required curriculum or not. This isn't the place for policies that let everyone get a shot at the rigging regardless of how capable/qualified they are -- people's lives depend on your school not letting everyone and their brothers have access to the rigging systems just because everyone has to have their fair shot at seeing what it's like to move thousands of pounds of equipment around above people's heads.

A school could just as easily make it part of the curriculum of a class to discuss electricity, but that doesn't mean the teachers are therefore required to let every student wire up their own branch panels all over the school. Just because there's required curriculum in nursing classes doesn't mean everyone in those classes is therefore required to practice hooking up IV's to each other.

Maybe that's a battle you've chosen not to fight, and for all I know all of these students are more than capable of using counterweight line sets, but if you can't trust them to open up the strands of a rope and pass a fid through with a piece of twill tape sticking out of the back of it, you really shouldn't be letting them anywhere near your rigging sets in the first place.

If you're job title actually is Facilities Manager, you have the right to consider those areas and systems sacred ground that only certain people may trot on.

FWIW, my personal philosophy is that I have no stake in a culture or politics of the school district I work with; I do have a stake putting on an excellent show, but a much higher priority than that is keeping everyone safe, and if for any reason safety should be compromised because of an inane district policy or for a director's "artistic merit," I'll walk off the show. I'll certainly try to work with them first, but if they refuse to alter their practices and we cannot reconcile our differences, I'm not going to stick around and be the fall guy if/when something goes wrong and someone gets hurt.

If students had unrestricted/unsupervised access to our venue in the district that I work for and there was any reason to believe someone could get injured because of that, it'd take one phone call to the district Building & Grounds Manager and by the end of the week he'd have all of the locks changed through our entire end of the building.

[MPowers]

Mike N. Very good post! Well said.

The OP asked for ideas on "Other" ways to spike a rope.

First: Ways NOT to try. They would work..... BUT!!!!
1. Spray paint. No needles or fids, just toxic fumes and you have to paint the rope white again after each show.
2. latex paint, no toxic fumes but see method #1.
3. Screw type hose clamp. Worse than a knuckle buster, will cut hands and is small enough to go PART way through a lock or shieve.

Ways that will work but still not as good as ribbon or twill tape through the rope.
1. Use a Prussic knot, rolling timber hitch or stacked clove hitch to tie an 1/8", brightly colored twine around the rope. Must be VERY tight to avoid slipping. Spike mark must be set at a point above the lock, not "at" the lock, but above. Total travel has to be a few feet less than the distance from the lock to the head block. Takes time to do, more time and a PITA to change or reset.
2. Same as #1 but using brightly colored knitting yarn, without the needles. Must be VERY VERY tight and resemble "Whipping" used to bind the ends of rope -to avoid slipping. Spike mark must be set at a point not "at" the lock, but above. Total travel has to be a few feet less than the distance from the lock to the head block. Takes time to do, more time and a PITA to change or reset.
3. Not Recommended, but "Will" work. Use an old fashioned Knuckle Buster. IMHO the set screw risks more damage to the purchase line than a poorly used needle or fid. Spike mark must be set at a point not "at" the lock, but above. Total travel has to be a few feet less than the distance from the lock to the head block. This method is best suited for lines that move slowly rather than a drop or curtain that has to "POP". Very poor choice for a Grand drape that is used as a Guillotine at curtain call.
4. Take a small strip of polyester silk or similar very light weight material about 1" wide and 12" to 18" long. wrap at least twice around the rope, VERY tight. Tie a couple of knots. Check for slipping. if firm, you're good to go. Usually has to be cut off if tied tight enough, so use cheap material. Works better on a Laid Up rope than a braid.

HTH.

[DutchVander]

Thank you. I'm glad someone was finally able to help me out on my original question. Tying yarn to the line seems like my best bet at this point. As much as I agree with all of the other posters, dealing with a school district owned theatre that they want run as a professional theatre using student crews gets extremely complicated sometimes. Thanks to all who've posted for their help and suggestions.

[FatherMurphy]

Some theaters I know have had success with large screwdrivers that have had the corners ground off and rounded, making it much less likely that the tool damages the ropes or the users.

Assuming a twisted rope such as Multiline II (instead of a jacketed rope like Stage Set X), ribbons trapped between bundles work best. Lock the lock, and force the rope just above the lock to untwist by grabbing it and rotating it opposite the lay, so that the bundles between your hands and the lock are as close to straight as possible. This reduces most of the force needed to shove the ribbon and push tool between bundles. Release the rope, and the ribbon is gripped tightly. The drawback is that usually two people are now needed to put in the spikes, as few will be able to do both the twisting and the shoving.

Another trick is to use longer bits of narrower ribbon, say 12" lengths of 1/4" ribbon. The longer pieces are easy to fold across the tool and hold both ends and the handle in one hand, and the longer danglies can be easier to see coming at the flyman.