so i'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, if its not please move it to the right one. i'm working on flying a set of speakers at my church and i'm wondering if anyone knows of a good vendor (either online or in the seattle area) for grade 8 welded eye bolts. any help on this would be most appreciated.
flying hardware
- Thread starterVersha
- Start date
MPowers
Well-Known Member
You don't want welded, you want forged. You are correct though, in not wanting a bent eye but a closed eye. Also, don't look for grade 8, you won't find them. What you want is forged, domestic, Machinery Shoulder Eye Bolts. Probably the most common size for speakers is 10mm, so check the threads to see if they are metric or imperial. Check the speaker manual or on-line spec sheets to see if they list a minimum thread length. If not, measure the hole depth and get an eye bolt with a thread length 1/8" to 1/4" shorter as you don't want the Eye Bolt to bottom out in the hole. Lots of places to buy. In fact some, not all, hardware stores, especially in farm country, like Tractor Supply, carry the forged product. places to buy on line in addition to the above:
McMaster-Carr
Fehr Bros. Industries, Inc.
Lifting Eyes | Fastenal
Eyebolts - Bolts - Grainger Industrial Supply
Shoulder Nut Eye Bolts Hot Dip Galvanized Drop Forged on Lexco Cable Manufacturers
BTW - Don't forget to use a lock washer, especially if you are hanging with GAC.
We get ours through Lexco as they are close and give us a good quantity discount.
McMaster-Carr
Fehr Bros. Industries, Inc.
Lifting Eyes | Fastenal
Eyebolts - Bolts - Grainger Industrial Supply
Shoulder Nut Eye Bolts Hot Dip Galvanized Drop Forged on Lexco Cable Manufacturers
BTW - Don't forget to use a lock washer, especially if you are hanging with GAC.
We get ours through Lexco as they are close and give us a good quantity discount.
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As for sourcing the products locally, PNTA or Hollywood lights are the local theatrical supply houses. PNTA has a rigging section that might have forged eye bolts in stock. Else wise Tacoma screw is a great source for products such as this, I am not sure if they have retail outlets but PNTA I believe can order stuff from them for you.
flying hardware part 2
I'm wondering if you guys know of any chain suppliers that are local to the seattle area? i'm looking for 5/8" grade 80 chain and would prefer to not have to order from an online supplier in order to avoid the shipping costs. this is for the same flying project i posted about in my last post inquiring about eye bolts (2 mackie speakers).
I'm wondering if you guys know of any chain suppliers that are local to the seattle area? i'm looking for 5/8" grade 80 chain and would prefer to not have to order from an online supplier in order to avoid the shipping costs. this is for the same flying project i posted about in my last post inquiring about eye bolts (2 mackie speakers).
techieman33
Well-Known Member
Re: flying hardware part 2
What on earth are you hanging that you need that big of a chain?
What on earth are you hanging that you need that big of a chain?
JLNorthGA
Active Member
Re: flying hardware part 2
Grade 30 chain would work quite nicely for what you need. You are just hanging it. You don't need 5/8" chain - you aren't anchoring a ship or tying down a backhoe. Your speakers weigh what? Maybe 50-100 lbs? 1/4" Grade 30 chain has a weight capacity limit of 1250 lbs. Your big problem will be getting shackles to fit with your eye bolts and through your chain. Get the weight rated shackles.
Grade 30 chain would work quite nicely for what you need. You are just hanging it. You don't need 5/8" chain - you aren't anchoring a ship or tying down a backhoe. Your speakers weigh what? Maybe 50-100 lbs? 1/4" Grade 30 chain has a weight capacity limit of 1250 lbs. Your big problem will be getting shackles to fit with your eye bolts and through your chain. Get the weight rated shackles.
Re: flying hardware part 2
We don't know what they are flying, it could be a 250lbs. WorxAudio X5-P or EAW KF850z, a 720lbs. Danley JH 90 or a multiple box array. 1/4" Grade 30 might be fine but rigging is not a good place to make assumptions.
MPowers
Well-Known Member
Re: flying hardware part 2
You really, Really, REALLY, DON'T WANT or need 5/8" G80 chain. That is rated at 18,100 pounds WLL. If you are hanging each speaker separately, by at least 2 points each, even if they are the 750 pound each mentioned in another post, you could drop down to 3/16" G30 chain rated at 800 # WLL.
You will find even 1/4" G80 chain extremely difficult to work with. You can not cut it with a bolt cutter, 1/4" shackles only fit in an end link.
If you truly feel that you need a heavier chain (you don't) try either the SECOA STC chain or the JR Clancy Alpha Chain. Both are G63 alloy chain with a link size and thickness to accept 1/4" shackles in any link position, rated at 3250# WLL. The Alpha chain has one big plus, it is black if visibility is an issue.
You really, Really, REALLY, DON'T WANT or need 5/8" G80 chain. That is rated at 18,100 pounds WLL. If you are hanging each speaker separately, by at least 2 points each, even if they are the 750 pound each mentioned in another post, you could drop down to 3/16" G30 chain rated at 800 # WLL.
You will find even 1/4" G80 chain extremely difficult to work with. You can not cut it with a bolt cutter, 1/4" shackles only fit in an end link.
If you truly feel that you need a heavier chain (you don't) try either the SECOA STC chain or the JR Clancy Alpha Chain. Both are G63 alloy chain with a link size and thickness to accept 1/4" shackles in any link position, rated at 3250# WLL. The Alpha chain has one big plus, it is black if visibility is an issue.
MPowers
Well-Known Member
Re: flying hardware part 2
Actually, we do. The OP told us in this thread post #6.
For Mackie speakers, it is unlikely that they weigh more than 150# each, however, as you say
IMHO, if the OP intends to use the same chain in the future for other rigging with currently unknown loads, he should consider the SECOA or Clancy chains with a 5/16" shackle as that will handle a wide range of loads, is easy to rig and the hardware will fit a wide range of speaker fittings and rig points in venues.
Hope this helps
Actually, we do. The OP told us in this thread post #6.
For Mackie speakers, it is unlikely that they weigh more than 150# each, however, as you say
So the OP needs to use a chain rated for the actual load he will be rigging.
IMHO, if the OP intends to use the same chain in the future for other rigging with currently unknown loads, he should consider the SECOA or Clancy chains with a 5/16" shackle as that will handle a wide range of loads, is easy to rig and the hardware will fit a wide range of speaker fittings and rig points in venues.
Hope this helps
Re: flying hardware part 2
ok, so 5/8" is obviously too big. this is the first time i've sourced the chain needed and when i was researching chain grades at the beginning of this project i found controlbooth and according the post on this site about chain grades there were a bunch of sources that said that for overhead lifting grade 80 was the minimum required grade. the speakers are going to be hanging about 15' overhead so according to the NACM grade 80 was, again, the minimum recommended grade. i said 5/8" because i had originally misread the size of the shackle. yeah, grade 80 does seem to be overkill for this job but since there were at least 3 regulating bodies sited in the chain grade thread about this apart from the NACM that all agreed that grade 80 was needed I figured that that was what i needed in order to do this project safely. we are flying two mackie sr1521z speakers. these speakers do not have flyware on their own but we have found some steel fabricators that can make us appropriate flyware for the speakers w/o compromising the integrity of the speakers themselves for cheaper than buying new speakers (which is in the plans to buy in the future) we're hanging each speaker separately with 2 points hanging and a third point as a trim. plus the failsafe in case of catastrophic failure. the speakers themselves weigh about 50 pounds. so yes, a WLL of 18,000 pounds seems like way too much but again i'm going off of what the NACM, ANSI, ASTM, ASSE say about overhead hanging applications.
ok, so 5/8" is obviously too big. this is the first time i've sourced the chain needed and when i was researching chain grades at the beginning of this project i found controlbooth and according the post on this site about chain grades there were a bunch of sources that said that for overhead lifting grade 80 was the minimum required grade. the speakers are going to be hanging about 15' overhead so according to the NACM grade 80 was, again, the minimum recommended grade. i said 5/8" because i had originally misread the size of the shackle. yeah, grade 80 does seem to be overkill for this job but since there were at least 3 regulating bodies sited in the chain grade thread about this apart from the NACM that all agreed that grade 80 was needed I figured that that was what i needed in order to do this project safely. we are flying two mackie sr1521z speakers. these speakers do not have flyware on their own but we have found some steel fabricators that can make us appropriate flyware for the speakers w/o compromising the integrity of the speakers themselves for cheaper than buying new speakers (which is in the plans to buy in the future) we're hanging each speaker separately with 2 points hanging and a third point as a trim. plus the failsafe in case of catastrophic failure. the speakers themselves weigh about 50 pounds. so yes, a WLL of 18,000 pounds seems like way too much but again i'm going off of what the NACM, ANSI, ASTM, ASSE say about overhead hanging applications.
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DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
Over head lifting is a difficult term its mean actual lifting as in moving.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
Les
Well-Known Member
Emphasis is mine.
From this thread:
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...ns/15843-difference-between-grades-chain.html
MPowers
Well-Known Member
Believe it or not, 1/4" G30 proof coil chain is available almost every where, Home Depot, Lowes, ACE Hardware et. al. The tougher job is getting good rated shackles. In Seattle try:
Seattle Stage Lighting Company Information
Seattle Stage lighting
206-283-7464
Email: [email protected]
PNTA
2414 SW Andover Street C100
Seattle, WA 98106
(800) 622-7850 Toll Free
(206) 622-7850 Seattle Area
(206) 267-1789 Fax
PNTA | Your Experts in Theater and Stage Equipment, Supplies, Rentals and Consulting
Crane Con Products CO
15303 1st Ave S, Burien, WA 98148
CCI Introduction
Rainier Industrial & SUPPLY
9026 E Marginal Way S
Tukwila, WA
I have never dealt with any of these people , All I know is that they are in the Seattle Area. Hope this helps
kiwitechgirl
Well-Known Member
Sorry, but I think if you're having to ask this question you shouldn't be undertaking this project without some expert advice. Also, without knowing the construction of the ceiling there's no way we can advise. My thoughts would be that you need to get someone who knows what they're doing to come and look at the space and advise you - attaching to a ceiling is very different from finding the right bolts and chain. Do you know that the structure is strong enough to support the speakers you're planning to fly? Has a structural engineer OK'd it, or do you have building plans which indicate that it's OK?
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