He he he, about what was it 20 or 30 years ago were this a post, someone will have said
twist lock as modern instead of
stage pin.
Twistlock is the “get into the
current days” reality for when the theater was wired and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, a
twistlock stage has certain advantages over that of a
stage pin stage including plugs not coming undone by way of gravity and experience in splitting the pins. This much less, experience in knowing how to
wire a
plug, it’s simpler to get a standard
twist lock properly done than that of a
stage pin that takes
crimp terminals or ferrules properly applied and often not done properly.
Sounds unsafe and planning a work stoppage ha? Time based upon your experience with real life to learn from it and make the best of it over avoiding it. On a personal note, did you ever study why stages at some
point went
twistlock, why it’s in many ways very safe and even if it were
Edison plugged safe and code compliant? Before getting on a high horse about refusing to deal with what you get the chance to experience, understand it that fix it. Running away and
stomping one’s
foot don’t help.
I would on
twist lock plugs rely upon the rattle test of the
plug. A
twist lock or even
Edison plug shouldn’t rattle when you shake it. You hear a rattle, you know some screw
terminal is loose. This as opposed to
stage pin plugs that have extra tolerances and do tend to rattle if you shake them, a twist
plug won’t rattle if in as a
broad concept safe condition.
Follow this up with the why a
plug might get hot. Imagine a bunch of strands of
wire under load. That’s the theater aspect, now add the science aspect of expansion and contraction and you now at times get a
wire loose within a
plug. This looseness causes resistance to
current flow which results in heat. Don’t worry - also happens at times on
stage pin plugs, much less the reverse of this where by something is overly tight and it also causes resistance to
current flow.
Simple enough concepts I would expect overall. Simple enough to also inspect each time such a
plug is used as opposed to on a
stage pin plug where used that they would make noise in a rattle test at least after innitial install where the strands of
wire settle down due to heating in often also making for stuff that gets loose with age. Overall sounds fine to me, just needs some TLC. Too bad in being a top talent you would refuse to come back until you get what you feel safe.
I would recommend a thorough reading of Edward Gordan Craig for background in such concepts.
Am I the only one who thinks this guy should get ride of every
twist-lock connector, and replace them all with
stage-pin connectors? Am I wrong in thinking that is standard for today's theaters? Bring your theater into the present 21st, start with the
safety issues. If (this is a school, right?) the administration doesn't give you money, I'd grab the guy (or gal) who doles out money and bring him down to the theater. Show him the buzzing
connector with sparks. Tell him you need money above and beyond your
current budget to update a
safety concern. Tell him if he doesn't appropriate the funds, you'll hold him responsible for any problems or accidents caused by the faulty connectors.
I don't know anyone else, but as a student, I'd refuse to work under those circumstances. From the way you've written it, it just sounds plain unsafe.