Rigging for a hoist

ok. So now I'm going to drop some crazy knowledge for ya. (ok, more like a crazy conceptual idea from a madman)

-Set up your mirror ball motor on the electric, with the mirror ball hanging down to the trim hight you want. You can use wire rope (safeties) to extend it down.
-Then take a piece of tie line, and tie a loop around the wire rope for the mirror ball, just above the attachment ring on the MB. This should be large enough to not bind as the wire rope twists, but small enough that it doesn't drop down to contact the MB itself. (If you are making your own wire rope sling, run the lower end through a fender washer before terminating that end. This will act as a guard to prevent the tie line from dropping to low and fouling.)
-Take the tie line onstage through a small pulley at the end of the electric.
- when not needed, put tension on the tie line and pull the MB towards the wings, and with any luck up and out of view.
- when released, the tie line will allow the MB to hang normally and with any luck and lots of swear words, rotate as Normal.

Might be worth a shot. The higher you can get that pulley, the better it would be.

Ethan
If that doesn't work (or if you don't have power for a mirror ball motor), just manually lower it in. Hang the Mirror ball on a small but appropriately rated cable/rope with approved connections, run the cable/rope off stage through a series of appropriately sized/rated pullies which are rigged with appropriate material. Tie it off in the wings and lower it down into position at the correct time. You won't get a dazzling spin without a motor to rotate it, but you will still get some movement as it'll sway a bit. You've got to be really smooth or it'll move in ways you don't want.
 
If it helps, this is for the final scene in Footloose. If we do end up lowering it, once it is down, it would stay down for the rest of the performance.

Thank you for all of the responses. I think the real solution is to have the county raise the roof 20 feet and install a fly system. Or have my tech theater kids do it themselves. :eek:
 
If it helps, this is for the final scene in Footloose. If we do end up lowering it, once it is down, it would stay down for the rest of the performance.

Thank you for all of the responses. I think the real solution is to have the county raise the roof 20 feet and install a fly system. Or have my tech theater kids do it themselves. :eek:
@dpak When you're raising your grid & roof, aim for 2 1/2 times the height of your unmasked proscenium opening.
Have your fly pipes fly out to 2 1/2 times the height of your unmasked prosc' + whatever rigging is required above that.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Yes! Minimum 2.5X proscenium height and while your're at it, widen the stage house to 3.5X proscenium width (half on each side!) and 2.5X acting area depth! :)
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Or be like My Faire City and build a round PAC/convention center. Every stage is trapezoidal. Counterweight systems are double purchase so marrying linesets is common. The greatest thinking of 1965-ish opening in 1969.

Oh, and don't build a loading dock, plan on every truck using the basement and pit lifts, freight elevators, and a truck elevator (38' overall length), but make sure only the pit lift accesses the concert hall...

So yeah, I'm with Carter. Let's burn some money!
 
I have a hoist that I would like to hang from one of the pipes. It will lower and raise a disco ball. The total weight is about 25 pounds (20 for the hoist, 5 for the ball). The brackets that came with the hoist will not fit over the pipe. Would something like the piece below be strong enough to hold? I would use two of them, and also have two safety cables wrapped around the hoist (there are places they can go without getting in the way of the machinery).

View attachment 22633
If your using a cheep harbor freight or northern tool type cable hoist the brackets are sized to work with unistrut. Just get a hunk of unistrut add 2 standard lighting pipe clamps, slide the unistrut thru the provided hangers the put the lighting pipe clamps on the unistrut. They will also be the stops to keep the winch from sliding on the unistrut. You will need heaveyer than normal safety cables as these winches are nothing close to being lightweight.
 
I had the pleasure of working in a plant with a stage 3.5X proscenium width (about half on each side!) and 2.5X acting area depth. No flies tho - outdoor theatre. Everything on 4x8 dollies and multiples of them. Musical comedies. Fun.
Your new name: "Dances With Set Wagons". 😄
 

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