Boom Height

[RichG]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice or "rules of thumb"... What's the max height you would use for a boom that is not tied off at all? I have a space where I have plenty of height available but nothing to tie off to. I've used 10' booms on a standard 50lb bases but in this space I would like to go much higher. I only need to hang 3-4 source fours either with a 4' cross bar with a cheeseborough or just sidearms. The higher I can go the better for proper angles so looking to approach the limit without going to far...

-Rich

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

My personal rule is 10'. Ladders or tail downs after that, or tied off. Check the ESTA standard though.

(Referring here to single vertical pipe booms, not truss.)

 

[gafftapegreenia]

I too would not go above 10' without a tie-off.

 

[egilson1]

Look at ANSI E1-15 theatrical boom and base. Lots of great info about how tall you can go with what base.

Ethan

 

[JacobRothermel]

If it's properly balanced (i.e., instruments on opposite sides to counter their own weight), I would agree with everyone else that a 10ft max is advisable without at least a cable safety to the ceiling/grid/something above. If there's any imbalance (i've worked a few places that like to front hang everything w/ no ballast at the back), then I'd shorten that to 8ft. Can you lag into the floor at all?

 

[gafftapegreenia]

If it's properly balanced (i.e., instruments on opposite sides to counter their own weight), I would agree with everyone else that a 10ft max is advisable without at least a cable safety to the ceiling/grid/something above. If there's any imbalance (i've worked a few places that like to front hang everything w/ no ballast at the back), then I'd shorten that to 8ft. Can you lag into the floor at all?

Lagging help keeps it from moving when someone bumps into it, but what’s best is a flat base (not Altman) that you can pile a bunch of sand bags in. The domed bases will hold a few but add too many and they start sliding

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I need to adjust my thinking for LED. A lot different than a bunch of old Altman 6 x 9s. After all a tungsten S4 complete with clamp and 36 degree lens tube is about 14 pounds, and a Series 2 S4 with same is around 24-25 pounds. I might shorten my personal rule of 10' to 8' if using all LED.

 

[Sean]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice or "rules of thumb"... What's the max height you would use for a boom that is not tied off at all? I have a space where I have plenty of height available but nothing to tie off to. I've used 10' booms on a standard 50lb bases but in this space I would like to go much higher. I only need to hang 3-4 source fours either with a 4' cross bar with a cheeseborough or just sidearms. The higher I can go the better for proper angles so looking to approach the limit without going to far...

-Rich

Can you build a goalpost? 2 or more booms piped together?

 

[gafftapegreenia]

How do people feel about a stick of truss on a large plate? How high would you go with that?

 

[RonHebbard]

How do people feel about a stick of truss on a large plate? How high would you go with that?

@gafftapegreenia Similarly to how long is a piece of string, how large is your plate? How thick? Steel or aluminum? How is the truss secured to the plate? Welded? How many hundreds of pounds of stage weights can I stably stack on your plate? How large is your truss?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

@gafftapegreenia Similarly to how long is a piece of string, how large is your plate? How thick? Steel or aluminum? How is the truss secured to the plate? Welded? How many hundreds of pounds of stage weights can I stably stack on your plate? How large is your truss?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

Well, what do you think would be reasonable based upon what it commonly available from local rental houses?

 

[JohnD]

Warning: Geezer swerve ahead........
One helpful hint, when going to your local plumbing supply house to buy some pipe sections, it might be cheaper to get 10.5' sections instead of 10'. Some companies charge per cut (and number of threads) and Sch 40 comes in 21' lengths.
Be very careful using pipe couplings to connect pipe together........Why I remember the time.......
Bus and truck touring opera company (Goldovsky) was loading into a field house. They provided all scenery and lighting. They used 4 booms for all their lighting. They were using all Altman, 6 x 9 and 6 x 12 radial ers on side arms and the usual 50# boom base with 2 10' sections of pipe. They had a real cluster flock of lights on the two main booms. While walking the second heavily loaded boom up, the coupling failed. The stage hands mostly caught it with very little damage to the instruments. The only casualty were the stripped threads on the pipe and coupling.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Oh yeah, knowing what I know now I will definitely not use a threaded coupling on a boom when much better alternatives exist. A pipe is weakest at the threads. I’ve seen enough snapped off at the threads to believe it’s true.

 

[RonHebbard]

Oh yeah, knowing what I know now I will definitely not use a threaded coupling on a boom when much better alternatives exist. A pipe is weakest at the threads. I’ve seen enough snapped off at the threads to believe it’s true.

@gafftapegreenia In that regard, I put more faith in rated KEE fittings from Britain and / or one of their similarly rated competitors.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

There are a lot of internal sleeves available for splices that are rated as strong as the pipe. The Light Source, I Weiss, Clancy, Rose Brand, and others. I like the expanding type in particular.

 

[Dionysus]

@gafftapegreenia In that regard, I put more faith in rated KEE fittings from Britain and / or one of their similarly rated competitors.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

Indeed, important to remember is that wherever pipe is threaded it is significantly weaker. It will commonly provide a point of failure. KEE clamp fittings, cheese, and the internal sleeves Bill mentioned are all far stronger connections generally than threaded pipe connections (assuming all is done properly).

One thing to remember with KEE clamps is that generally they only use one or perhaps two "bolts" generally on one side to clamp against the other side with just friction. Always keep this in mind with these connections. Also generally keep extra safeties and such in mind.

 

[RichG]

Thanks all for the input and discussion. This is pretty much what I was thinking... ANSI E1-15 is helpful.

 

[globalg]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice or "rules of thumb"... What's the max height you would use for a boom that is not tied off at all? I have a space where I have plenty of height available but nothing to tie off to. I've used 10' booms on a standard 50lb bases but in this space I would like to go much higher. I only need to hang 3-4 source fours either with a 4' cross bar with a cheeseborough or just sidearms. The higher I can go the better for proper angles so looking to approach the limit without going to far...

-Rich

I don't go above 10