Methods on Storing Light Cables...

[rochem]

At my venue, we store cable using multiple 20-gallon bins, each labeled and color-coded for a different length. We keep 5', 10', and 25' cables in bins, as well as a bin for two-fers. 50' and 100' cables get thrown into roadcases, and all the soca has a couple different roadcases based on length and application. All the 20-gallon bins stack on top of eachother and roll on a small wooden base with casters, so moving them around is easy.

DMX cable is stored in basically the same way, but with smaller bins. And all cables are labeled and color-coded according to length, using a system similar to what [USER]fx120[/USER] described.

 

[firewater88]

I keep all my cable in rolling Knack box's, like the ones on construction sites. 99% of the time, the plot is in the air, so I don't have that much cable on the deck. I have one for xlr and edison, one for DMX and 4pin. The one nice thing about these are that you can lock them and your gear is safe for when you have rentals come in, as we often do. We also go by a color code system as mentioned before, but different colors. Just make your own.
My stage boxes have soco outs for 6 of the channels, so I put a large ladder hook on the wall next to them and draped the 50' soco on them. I use these for trees, or ground row.

 

[ptero]

Wheels are what counts to me, whatever the style! Being able to move the cable stock to the job at hand helps a bunch.

We have a rolling rack made of 1 1/2" pipe and, I believe, Kee-Klamps. There are 8 pins and room for 2fers on the crossbar. 50's go on the floor along with the milk crate with spare clamps. The cable is color coded as are the pins, so things stack by size. 50's are our longest - in this space anything longer is too hard to handle.

The rack won't handle everything, but ALL cable is on the floor for only about a week of maintenance in September. At that point the crossbar is handy for hanging and trimming lekos against the back wall/cyc.

The pictures show it with spare cable after finishing the current hang. Other shows will pick it clean. There is more cable that lives up in the FOH position, as well.

just ignore all the antique equipment,
it's an antique theatre...

 

[stagebuilder]

Hey Folks,
I'm trying to reorganize the lighting at the high school I text direct at. Actually, there never has been any organization! We have a bunch of professional meat racks for the instruments but nothing for the cable. Anyway, I wanted to store our lighting cables on some kind of rolling rack, but I haven't found any commercially available ones that I could model one after. Its needs to roll because we use part of the shop area as extra dressing rooms for bigger musicals, so things need to be easily movable. We don't have a lot of cable but it's more than I want to put in a hamper or road box. Does anyone have good photos of such a cart? Thanks!

 

[josh88]

Do you have any extra space on your meat racks? and any extra side arms laying around? you could probably clamp some onto the meat rack and make pegs to hang cable from. Then its all together in one place.

 

[derekleffew]

A cable trunk will always be the most efficient storage, but if you want a pre-made product, a "Hanging Folded Chair Storage Truck" (which your facility may already have) provides 24 "pegs" from which to hang coiled cable.

Also works as a conventional lighting instrument storage cart--just slide the yoke over the peg.

 

[TheaterEd]

At my college we had a rolling box that was about 8' x 2' and about 2.5' tall. It was split into four sections for different length of cables and had a solid lid.

 

[ptero]

Hey Folks,
I'm trying to reorganize the lighting at the high school I text direct at. Actually, there never has been any organization! We have a bunch of professional meat racks for the instruments but nothing for the cable. Anyway, I wanted to store our lighting cables on some kind of rolling rack, but I haven't found any commercially available ones that I could model one after. Its needs to roll because we use part of the shop area as extra dressing rooms for bigger musicals, so things need to be easily movable. We don't have a lot of cable but it's more than I want to put in a hamper or road box. Does anyone have good photos of such a cart? Thanks!

There was a thread back when. The post linked has a pic of our rack which is pipe and Kee Klamps. It ain't pretty but serves the purpose well for us. It easily travels everywhere on stage as a hang takes place.

http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/methods-on-storing-light-cables.17240/page-2#post-160611

 

[venuetech]

Big casters
arms are about 16"-18" apart
levels are about 22" apart
these arms are 1/4" square rod but i did have one made with 1" x 3/16 flat bar both were about 20 -22" long before being welded to the frame
Suggest that you size it to the intended parking spot.

 

[verschleierung]

Wheels are what counts to me, whatever the style! Being able to move the cable stock to the job at hand helps a bunch.

We have a rolling rack made of 1 1/2" pipe and, I believe, Kee-Klamps. There are 8 pins and room for 2fers on the crossbar. 50's go on the floor along with the milk crate with spare clamps. The cable is color coded as are the pins, so things stack by size. 50's are our longest - in this space anything longer is too hard to handle.

The rack won't handle everything, but ALL cable is on the floor for only about a week of maintenance in September. At that point the crossbar is handy for hanging and trimming lekos against the back wall/cyc.

The pictures show it with spare cable after finishing the current hang. Other shows will pick it clean. There is more cable that lives up in the FOH position, as well.

just ignore all the antique equipment,
it's an antique theatre...

What are the dimensions of the cart (assuming it is still in use)? Looks to be 3ft wide x 6ft long x 5ft tall.

 

[RonHebbard]

Good old plywood "hell" case! Use to build them as a case within a case, but they could be made as an open design like a flat cart. About 3' by 3'. Heavy cables are stacked on the outside section, data cables coiled and stacked on the inside section. I am a big proponent of not looping heavy cables any tighter then three feet, and don't like the hanging systems that leave a single pressure point on the cable.

You can relieve the "pressure point" by sleeving the pegboard hooks, or thin metal shelf brackets, with suitable lengths of 1-1/2" Black ABS, or similar, plumbing drain pipe.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.