Lighting Grid Installation... what kind of pipe do I need?

[egonF]

Hey ya'll,

Me and my ensemble are in the middle of transforming a house in Detroit into a rehearsal/small performance space. We've acquired several lighting instruments, dimmers, cable, board etc. The plan is to run lighting bars around the perimeter of the stage. We have the following questions:

1) What diameter bar or pipe should we be using? 3 inch? What gauge? Steel?
2) We want to mount the bars to the walls. How should we do this, and what distance from the wall should they mounted at?

Thanks!

Egon

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I don't mean to be rude or impolite, but based on questions I have to ask who is going to do this, because I can tell you should not be in charge. You need someone with experience doing this kind of work. Too many questions - like what is wall construction and what kind of lighting fixtures - to give a good answer and not feel I may contribute to injuring someone.

 

[StNic54]

Ditto Bill. You'll probably receive some pretty strong responses on this forum, and there are many elements to what you are asking that you may not know to take into consideration. Do yourself, your insurance provider, and those around you a big favor and contact a local consultant on your project. You're in a theatrically strong area, so help won't be far away. For safety's sake, don't move forward with this project without guidance.

 

[DinoAgeDude]

I would mount the bars from the ceiling but if you do it from the wall go at least 12 inches to 18 inches especially if you are using par 64's don't wanna burn the wall If you go from the ceiling then you can anchor the bar from the beams of the roof and its much easier.

 

[Van]

I am closing this thread. If you need to ask what kind of pipe, you need to not be doing this. Period.

 

[gafftaper]

Egonf, please don't take this as an insult. We want to keep you, your actors, and your audience safe. The very questions you have asked show us that you don't have the knowledge to do this safely. The old saying around here is "If you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it."

The internet is a dangerous place full of information that can get you arrested or killed. In this case you are doing a project that requires extensive knowledge of building structural engineering and rigging. Yes you can find the information you need to "complete" this project on the internet, but you will not find the added expertise that you personally need to complete this project SAFELY. Building this grid will endanger you, your actors, and your audience. You clearly don't know enough about the structural engineering to know how and where to safely attach this grid or how what the added weight load will do to the building itself. You also clearly don't have enough rigging knowledge to safely design and build the grid itself. You could easily put up a grid that seems stable and have it fall and kill others a few weeks, months, or even years from now. There is nothing more dangerous in theater than installing or hanging things overhead. While the CB community is here to encourage people to learn, we draw a strict line at experimental learning in areas that are dangerous to self and others.