I finally got a clew!

[gafftapegreenia]

Roaming around an antique fair yesterday, I spotted this sitting on a table of old iron. “It’s some kind of cable clamp” the dealer said to me. I replied, “oh, I know exactly what it is, I’ve used similar versions in theatre rigging!” $10 later and it was mine.

Rick Boychuk believes it’s from the 1920’s. It’s interesting to note that it’s made for only three lift lines as opposed to five. It’s also a much beefier yet more graceful casting compared to the ones I’ve actually use in college, which were likely from the 80’s.

 

[RonHebbard]

Roaming around an antique fair yesterday, I spotted this sitting on a table of old iron. “It’s some kind of cable clamp” the dealer said to me. I replied, “oh, I know exactly what it is, I’ve used similar versions in theatre rigging!” $10 later and it was mine.

Rick Boychuk believes it’s from the 1920’s. It’s interesting to note that it’s made for only three lift lines as opposed to five. It’s also a much beefier yet more graceful casting compared to the ones I’ve actually used in college, which were likely from the 80’s.

@gafftapegreenia What diameter lines is it designed to grip? For adding bags to hemp sets possibly??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[TimMc]

"Workin' on mysteries without any clew..." /nudge, wink

 

[Van]

@gafftapegreenia What diameter lines is it designed to grip? For adding bags to hemp sets possibly??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

Yes, typically Clews like that would either have a spot line and or Sandbags to counterweight the lineset. With only three lines I would be it was for a side set or leg batten or maybe a short batten for the leg of a cut drop.

 

[derekleffew]

Congrats on finally getting a clue.* But now, what's your excuse?

And just in case anyone missed my favorite joke (can one trademark a joke?),

Q: What do you call a rigger who can't combine multiple lines into one?
A: Clewless.

I wonder if @Ted jones has ever encountered product made by the James H. Channon Mfg Co, Chicago? A google search returns lots of pulleys.

Your new possession is more correctly called a trim clamp or trimming clamp, or as said below, a weight clamp, not a ganging clew. Who knew? The clew crew knew. When I was in HS, the drill team was known as the screw crew, but let's keep this PG-13.

One thing, the spring loaded type of rope clew IS NOT a way to run 4 or 5 lines to a single line for handling and tie off, it is a WEIGHT clew, designed to hold the sand bag counter weights only. When properly used, the sand bags clip to the weight loop, but all the lift lines run to the rail to be tied off. Never rely on the clew to safely hold the load when tied off. If any line in the clew slips for any reason, and the tie off is to the clew, the slipping will continue and probably increase until the load falls. If, however, the lines are all tied off and the clew slips, the load simply stays in place until the problem is noticed and corrected. This last advice also applies to the single piece, cast type of rope clew, it IS a weight clew, NOT a ganging clew.

 

[JohnD]

Maybe there should be a board came for theater techs called "Clew".

 

[RonHebbard]

Maybe there should be a board game for theater techs called "Clew".

Crew Clew.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Van]

You know what is really funny about all this? I walked into the office this morning and sitting on the floor outside our Presidents office was a 4 line clew that one of the installers brought back from a demolition.

 

[JonCarter]

I wish I HAD had a bunch of those back in the day. My high school auditorium (built 1922--I was there in the '50s) was a hemp house with a narrow stage (only 3-line sets--long,, center & short) and NO CLEWS NOR SANDBAGS. Everything was flown by "boypower" and trimming things was . . . . fun. Only the big guys worked the flies (when we could keep the football coach from stealing them, that is.) Ahhh, the good ol' days!

 

[brucek]

I kid you not - I just stuck 2 clews in my car about 2 weeks ago. from a job site...and they are still there...and I made the same joke about getting a clue...but my wife had no idea what I was talking about....so I just put them back in my car. They are destine for a theatre I won't be at for a few weeks, so I'll just drive around with two clews for awhile

 

[bobgaggle]

It's been 10 years since I've seen one; maybe i'm misremembering. I thought clews typically had another eye at the other end for the helper line to be tied off...

 

[TimMc]

It's been 10 years since I've seen one; maybe i'm misremembering. I thought clews typically had another eye at the other end for the helper line to be tied off...

Something like this:

Swivel Clews

World leading manufacturers of rigging, suspension and lifting equipment for film, tv & theatre industries. TUV approved. Est 1985.

www.doughty-engineering.co.uk

 

[MPowers]

Roaming around an antique fair yesterday, I spotted this sitting on a table of old iron. “It’s some kind of cable clamp” the dealer said to me. I replied, “oh, I know exactly what it is, I’ve used similar versions in theatre rigging!” $10 later and it was mine.

Rick Boychuk believes it’s from the 1920’s. It’s interesting to note that it’s made for only three lift lines as opposed to five. It’s also a much beefier yet more graceful casting compared to the ones I’ve actually use in college, which were likely from the 80’s.

This is indeed a “Trim Clamp “. It is intended for a 3-line “hemp” line set. In the late 1800’s and early 20th century, many stages had 30’-0” proscenium openings, so 30’ - 35’ wood battens were common and a three line set was sufficient. The picture is looking at it upside down, the sand bag loop is at the bottom in a working position. If you examine the spring loaded pawls inside, you will see that they are directional, they will allow you to pull a rope, usually 1/2”, through from the bottom, but clamp tighter and prevent slipping or pulling from the top. Thus as the hemp rope stretched and contracted due to humidity on a day to day basis, the long line reacting the most, making daily trimming a necessity. The battens would often be sloped to one side or the other, it was easy to adjust without unweighting or loosening the lines. After several days of trimming, it might be necessary to re adjust the trim height of the clew and sandbag. Again, easy! Just tie off the lines at the rail, remove the sandbag, loosen the wing nuts on the sides of the clamp and reposition it as needed. Retighten the nuts and clip the sandbag back on! Job done!

 

[Ted jones]

Congrats on finally getting a clue.* But now, what's your excuse?

And just in case anyone missed my favorite joke (can one trademark a joke?),


I wonder if @Ted jones has ever encountered product made by the James H. Channon Mfg Co, Chicago? A google search returns lots of pulleys.

Your new possession is more correctly called a trim clamp or trimming clamp, or as said below, a weight clamp, not a ganging clew. Who knew? The clew crew knew. When I was in HS, the drill team was known as the screw crew, but let's keep this PG-13.

Thanks for the shout out. Yes, JH Channon made them but, to my knowledge, not when the Rollers had the company. These would have been made when the Winchester family had the company, I believe.

T

 

[derekleffew]

Yes, JH Channon made them but, to my knowledge, not when the Rollers had the company. These would have been made when the Winchester family had the company, I believe.

Umm, sorry but I'm going to need more. I feel like I've woken up in the middle of the movie. Rollers? Winchesters? I'll take "Stage Rigging Manufacturers of Chicago" for $500, Alex.

 

[Ted jones]

Umm, sorry but I'm going to need more. I feel like I've woken up in the middle of the movie. Rollers? Winchesters? I'll take "Stage Rigging Manufacturers of Chicago" for $500, Alex.

The Roller family bought JH Channon from the Winchester family in the early/mid 60's. I know little about the Winchester family except that they had owned the company since the 30's. JHC, in those days (The 30's) was more like Grainger in it's range of hardware. The one old Channon catalog I've seen from those days was a couple of inches thick with about 10 pages of stage hardware in the middle. The stage hardware included head and loft blocks, both upright and underhung, arbors, rope locks, tension pulleys, battens, stage braces, flat hardware, clout nails, etc. When I started at Art Drapery in 1980, we still had barrels of flat hardware that we sold sporadically. I think that my personal stage braces are Channons.

Ferdinand Roller bought the company in the early 60's and inserted his one son, Max, as president about 1970. Max was in installer as a teenager. Max's brother, Otto, worked in the shop and on installations. I still see his name on beams at old installations. He left his mark. Max's son, Jeffrey, worked at Channon/Art Drapery starting in the late 70's. I don't know where he is now. Max died in '96. I assume Otto died since then.

Channon made pulleys, winches, pioneered a lot of hydraulic rigging systems (We are replacing one right now.), custom elevators like the lift/turntable at the MGM Grand and made drapery. The Rollers also bought Art Drapery Studios in the late 60's and made ADS the installation arm of the company. ADS was sold to George Petterson, Mike Neben, Don Kelly and a silent partner in '79 and I joined the company in '80.

Under Max, Channon also made gym divider curtains and aircraft hanger doors. (Think hanger doors that are still in use that are 180' wide and 50' tall.) They also made the spun steel blocks that we used for years. The best pulley for stage use ever, in my opinion.

Channon also pushed sizing hardware to the load. Hence using appropriately sized cable and sheaves to achieve 8 to 1 factors instead of using 1/4" for everything.

Max was a visionary with a very short attention span and a little nutty. But, he came up with some good stuff.

Dereck, I'm not sure I answered your question.

T

 

[MPowers]

The Roller family bought JH Channon from the Winchester family in the early/mid 60's. I know little about the Winchester family except that they had owned the company since the 30's. JHC, in those days (The 30's) was more like Grainger in it's range of hardware. The one old Channon catalog I've seen from those days was a couple of inches thick with about 10 pages of stage hardware in the middle. The stage hardware included head and loft blocks, both upright and underhung, arbors, rope locks, tension pulleys, battens, stage braces, flat hardware, clout nails, etc. When I started at Art Drapery in 1980, we still had barrels of flat hardware that we sold sporadically. I think that my personal stage braces are Channons.

Ferdinand Roller bought the company in the early 60's and inserted his one son, Max, as president about 1970. Max was in installer as a teenager. Max's brother, Otto, worked in the shop and on installations. I still see his name on beams at old installations. He left his mark. Max's son, Jeffrey, worked at Channon/Art Drapery starting in the late 70's. I don't know where he is now. Max died in '96. I assume Otto died since then.

Channon made pulleys, winches, pioneered a lot of hydraulic rigging systems (We are replacing one right now.), custom elevators like the lift/turntable at the MGM Grand and made drapery. The Rollers also bought Art Drapery Studios in the late 60's and made ADS the installation arm of the company. ADS was sold to George Petterson, Mike Neben, Don Kelly and a silent partner in '79 and I joined the company in '80.

Under Max, Channon also made gym divider curtains and aircraft hanger doors. (Think hanger doors that are still in use that are 180' wide and 50' tall.) They also made the spun steel blocks that we used for years. The best pulley for stage use ever, in my opinion.

Channon also pushed sizing hardware to the load. Hence using appropriately sized cable and sheaves to achieve 8 to 1 factors instead of using 1/4" for everything.

Max was a visionary with a very short attention span and a little nutty. But, he came up with some good stuff.

Dereck, I'm not sure I answered your question.

T

Ted, would you be so kind as to describe the manufacturing process of the “spun steel” blocks you mention? What kind of bearings did they have? You also said they were the best blocks you knew. How do they compare with today’s Nylotron blocks?

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Here’s one old Channon catalog. Lots of interesting pages to get lost in, but I didn’t spot any theatre hardware.

https://ia800709.us.archive.org/8/items/HChannonCoCatalogNo801916/H%20Channon%20Co%20%20Catalog%20No%2080%201916.pdf

 

[Footer]

Again, easy! Just tie off the lines at the rail, remove the sandbag, loosen the wing nuts on the sides of the clamp and reposition it as needed. Retighten the nuts and clip the sandbag back on! Job done!

You say that like getting those sand bags off and on they just hop off and on.... every hemp house I've ever worked in has 100# bags that are impossible to move!

 

[MPowers]

You say that like getting those sand bags off and on they just hop off and on.... every hemp house I've ever worked in has 100# bags that are impossible to move!

In all the hemp houses I have worked over the years, and there have been a few, we always had a method of overhauling to take loads or lift the bags, for a short time while bags were added or taken off or repositioned. More often than not it was simply block and fall, at some of the larger houses, like the Walnut Street, it was a capstan winch. You are correct, man-handling bags over 50-60 pounds is potentially dangerous at best. They don’t really have good handles and they shift shape, depending on how tightly they are packed. 100 lb bags or larger are a real pita! Not impossible, but a pita, even with overhaul devices. When I say “easy”, it’s easy because you are prepared for it. And I didn’t say “they hop on and off”!