Olio Issues

[JVV]

Hello All,
I am encountering a problem with the Olio Drop being used in a production I designed. It seems the fabric is unspooling quicker coming down than we want. By the time the 'pipe' gets to the floor the drop is a mess. Presetting and rolling it up the first time is perfect. Everything is horizontal and under tension. But coming down the first time is the problem, and each successive travel only makes the problem worse unless the crew resets the drop when it is down.

Without getting into rigging specifics:
Basically the system is a dead hung drop with four lift lines running from offstage to points spread out evenly across the 40' span that go down the back of the drop, under the 4" PVC pipe (possible issue #1) and then back up in front of the drop to the top of the goods where they are tied off. The PVC rolls within the 'baskets' created by the rope.

As I said, rolling up the first time is great. Its unrolling that is the problem. Could it be friction? I don't think its sag in the PVC as everything is pretty taut and well equalized across the span.

Any help with the fabric portion of this drop would be appreciated. I understand that I will not get rigging how-tos here.

 

[gafftaper]

Do you have any spare fabric wrapped around the take up pipe when it's on the ground? You should have at least one or two wraps of fabric around the pipe when it's fully open. That keeps it tight. I've built two Olios and haven't used center pickup lines, just lines on the ends. However, the largest Olio I've built is 20' (and it sagged in the middle). I don't think it's possible to do a 40' Olio without center pickup lines. It sounds like that could be a problem as it would cause the fabric to roll unevenly over the lines. When it comes down the uneven ripples of being pulled tightly over a rope would show. Again making sure you have enough fabric on the pipe to keep tension on the drop when the pipe is down seems critical.

 

[Footer]

Its those center lines that are getting you combined with the PVC pipe. Biggest Olio I have done is about 30' and it was with an 8" aluminum pipe that had 0 flex. Those center lines should not be there. Also, if all of your lines are forming a basket that is your other issue. I don't think you have this thing rigged on the end control lines correctly. With a real olio the pipe spin is controlled by the two lift lines. The line is actually tied into the pipe. The issue you have is the pipe is not spining correctly and collecting the drop. Also, the pipe is not controlled on the decent. Take a look in your backstage handbook on proper olio rigging. You might still have to do those center points, though it is highly unadvised. The rope should spin the pipe which will let out the drop, not the other way around.

I don't know if you are going be able to rescue this thing with your current setup. You might try putting some steel/aluminum inside that pipe to take some flex out of it. I have seen some pretty cool engineered trusses go into PVC pipe to make is stiff enough to do this. That pipe can not flex at all to do this right.

 

[gafftaper]

My twenty foot drop was three 10' sections of 4" PVC. Connected together with a large wooden spline through the center to stiffen it. IT BARELY works and there is a lot of flex. You really need metal to make a large olio work.

Here's a pretty good description of how to do an Olio. As Footer Said the backstage handbook has a great drawing. Also I posted a sketch of on on CB several years back in this thread.

 

[kicknargel]

I have made a large (50') olio work with the help of center lines. What you're missing is that the outer two lines should be rigged in traditional olio fashion, with the rope spooling onto the pipe in the opposite direction of the goods as the pipe comes down. The center lines can be baskets as you describe. Now the only problem is the visual of the exposed center lines.