Grid item question

[Amiers]

So I was up in the Herberger grid today dropping points for some booms and while I was up there I saw something I’ve never seen before. I didn’t take my phone up with me so I didn’t get to snap pictures so hopefully I can describe it the best I can.

There was unistrut with a 3 or 4 inch metal pipe bolted to the unistrut with a piece of chain running from the bottom to the unistrut. Then there was GAC running in a track from one side to the other then to a pulley on edge which ran to the perimeter of the grid. There were many of them through the whole grid.

My first thought when we got up there was a safety tie off but it didn’t move along the unistrut.

My second thought was that it might be for the roof vents as the cable ran to the front and back so you could open them from the stage.

Third thought was for the fire curtain but I didn’t see one.

So I’m totally confused.

If I go up again I think I might take my phone up and get a picture if nobody can get the gist of how I described it.

 

[RonHebbard]

So I was up in the Herberger grid today dropping points for some booms and while I was up there I saw something I’ve never seen before. I didn’t take my phone up with me so I didn’t get to snap pictures so hopefully I can describe it the best I can.

There was unistrut with a 3 or 4 inch metal pipe bolted to the unistrut with a piece of chain running from the bottom to the unistrut. Then there was GAC running in a track from one side to the other then to a pulley on edge which ran to the perimeter of the grid. There were many of them through the whole grid.

My first thought when we got up there was a safety tie off but it didn’t move along the unistrut.

My second thought was that it might be for the roof vents as the cable ran to the front and back so you could open them from the stage.

Third thought was for the fire curtain but I didn’t see one.

So I’m totally confused.

If (When) I go up again I'll take my phone and get a picture if nobody can get the gist of how I described it.

@Amiers Photo's PLEASE and DON'T drop your phone.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[Amiers]

I will try. But I don’t know if I we will go back up there. I don’t want to sneak off on a job to snap a picture.

It completely bugged me that I didn’t take my Phone to get a picture.

 

[RonHebbard]

I will try. But I don’t know if I we will go back up there. I don’t want to sneak off on a job to snap a picture.

It completely bugged me that I didn’t take my Phone to get a picture.

@Amiers On a positive note, be pleased with yourself. It's normally good practice to NEVER take anything up to a grid that you don't need, that way you've less to drop and apologize for. It's also good practice to keep a box at grid level at the top of the stairs, ladder, et al, so crew, and guests, have somewhere safe to deposit pocket items prior to venturing out across the grid. People always have pocket change, markers, phones, lighters, flashlights, screwdrivers, wrenches, those sorts of things in trouser and shirt pockets. Sharpies don't survive well from 120'. Don't ask me how I know. I was able to holler "Heads!" twice before one hit the deck after becoming unclipped from my shirt pocket when I bent over prior to adjusting and marking a six-pole rotary limit switch on a main drape motor drive. An associate had a Bic lighter spill form his shirt pocket. It was a dead loss after bouncing in pieces off the deck. Have you ever gone up the several elevators and stairs to the highest public level of New York's Empire State building? I lived on the same block for a couple of months and made the tour to the top at least twice. They check you over VERY THOROUGHLY for pocket change and any / all other drop-able / throw-able items PRIOR to letting you up to the highest level and out into the open air.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[Amiers]

Yeah I took everything out of my pockets. Tucked my shirt in and waited for the guy to tell me what we needed to do.

We started to go up and he said you got your wrench. I said no I took everything outta my pockets lol. So I had to go back to the crew room and grab my wrench and lanyard 2x.

Hopefully someone else will chime in on this as my curiosity is through the roof.

@What Rigger? @bobgaggle @BillConnerFASTC @BillESC

TOP of my head people that might know.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Was it connected to vents or fire safety curtain? Was the unistrut anchored to grid or anything? What did chain go to bottom of? Was gac to one side and other of pipe, grid, or unistrut? Was gac anchored? We're unistrut and pipe both horizontal? At right angles to each other? Anchored to grid? Was gac taut?

Knowing some previous herberger folks I'd guess absent a lot of info it was to tie off to for fall protection, but not at all certain.

 

[Amiers]

It was dark up there so I couldn’t really tell.
This whole thing was head height above the grid we were standing on

The chain ran from the unistrut to the bottom of this pipe with a 1/4” bolt running through it.

Unistrut was mounted track down. Running with the grid.

The pipe was bolted to the unistrut vertical

Crude drawing.

Gr Unistrut
Rd pipe
Bu chain
Oj Gac

 

[gafftaper]

Let's add @egilson1 and @porkchop to the list of names being called out for thoughts on what this could be.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

So a short piece of pipe with open end down, and a chain hanging out of it? The gac is apparently through hoes drilled in the pipe? I guess the unistrut holds it all up.

The saying is wrong. I think a picture would be worth more than 1000 words. Short of collecting on your cell phone insurance, could you ask a local?

Sure seems interesting. Answer will probably be a let down.

 

[Amiers]

It prolly will be a let down but worth a sneak if i can

 

[egilson1]

yeah, Picture is needed. Nothing is jumping into my brain yet.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I cant even picture a 3-4" piece of pipe stood off a piece of unistrut, let alone chain and cable.

 

[Amiers]

We have one more boom to hang but I was told I can’t take my phone up with me. So all we are going to get are words. I’m gonna look at it more and try to be more descriptive.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Or get a very, very good telephoto lens....

One picture? Overboard. Just clear the stage for 5 minutes.

PS; Or a drone with a camera!

 

[Amiers]

I wish lol. I’m just a overhire I don’t think I get to make that kind of call.

They do have a fire curtain.

Now it does run up loosely to kind of where everything is.

Theory. Would the fire curtain dropping be allowed to also engage the vents to help vent the smoke?

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

There is a faction that the vents might prevent a fire curtain from closing - the air pressure - and that they should be interlocked to prevent vents opening until curtain is closed. I disagree. Vents have been clearly shown to save lives by keeping auditorium smoke free or smoke level higher. No one can present a case where a fire curtain has saved lives. I think that preventing a proven life saver to operate while an unproven one delays or prevents it is simply misguided.

 

[bobgaggle]

where's the other end of the chain tied off to? overhead steel by the looks of your sketch. Either way, a 4" pipe "bolted" to unistrut is bizarre (like, they drilled a hole in the strut and bolted it on from the side?). Chain attached to bottom of pipe by through bolt. And no carrier to make everything move in the track, so the cable is pointless, sketch looks like 2 cable ends are terminated near/inside the pipe?... If I see something weird like that I usually chalk it up to an artifact from a previous show that no one bothered to climb up to the grid to strike. Maybe it was once a home brewed spot line? The existence of the pipe kind of throws that idea out the window though...

 

[Amiers]

I was told by one of the girls that works here regularly they have something to do with the “smoke vents”

I really wish I could of gotten a picture.

 

[porkchop]

Hmmm some kind of pulley system, but nothing that I've seen before comes to mind.

 

[MNicolai]

Release mechanism linked to all of the smoke hatches that you can operate from ground level? Kabuki-style kind of thing?