Some barn doors for the Studio
line have a
wire frame to them whilch is easy to
safety cable to but frequently needs improvement to the design to get the barn doors to retain position. I'll deal with that as long as it's easy to
safety cable thru the
wire. Others have a little steel loop sticking out of the
fixture that should be sufficient to
safety them. Otherwise, Yep, you got it, barn doors, top hats, even
gobo rotatators or normal gobos if the
fixture does not swivel and the
gobo is at an angle, should if at all possible be safetied. Note that you don't in a absolute sense have to use a
stock safety cable for this given the weight and you can clip to the main
safety cable in having a shorter length, but otherwise given a fact that it could easily fall, some modification to the equipment should be a good idea in making it safe.
I also caution on being similar or being the same as the photo. It's possible that a
safety cable made with copper nico sleeves that test properly with the go/no-go
gauge, even if home made but in good condition (three "good" crimps still required as a huge thing to note) will be perfectly fine. Such practice is safe when constructed properly. Be cautious about what is other than manufactured equipment, but do not go into panic mode instantly unless it shows signs of bad practice immediately. Do a test - such a Go/No-Go plate even if you don't own the tool is cheap.
Given it's assumed that the photo clearly shows a aluminum oval sleeve crimped to the
wire rope, it is evident that it is the #4 reason this
safety cable is to be removed from service. Sorry but even if your hardware store stocks them and says it's the same thing, there is a large difference between the intended use of them that is useful for reinforcing a wood
gate and what you use in
shock loading or good practice. In the past I was a fan of aluminum crimps. A past post on stagecraft by Bill Sapsis brought the
shock loading value to my attention. Since than I have not gone back.
There is however zinc plated copper nico sleeves on the market these days. Just because it's silver in color thus does not mean it's unsafe. If aluminum, and if absolutely necessary by budget to keep, use it for your barn doors. It has the same load
rating as the copper sleeve, just does not do that well in a falling condition.
Mark such cables say with a
gaff tape banner on it that says it's usefulness or problem if on a absolute budget and otherwise safe. Otherwise and in general when a
safety cable, (hint to the last two problems) if it shows a problem, don't just
throw it out, cut it up so it can't be used. Same with carabeeners - I do mean them in this instance, or any other piece of rigging up to and including a
spanset with holes. Even the
hand line for the fly
system cut up. If unsafe for you, you are still liable to an extent for something someone trash picks. This is not "Junkyard wars" in finding gear you might use to
build a contraption with. (much of it - especially the brand new tires and $180.00 bearings are pre-requested and staged even if trashed or brand new in having to be safe as a note that's important.) You in theory know what you are doing. Some totally trashed pickup truck you might follow on the street some day that's overloaded with scrap metal on the other
hand might have found your old rope and be using it up until the
point a refrigerator falls on the hood of your new car. This is a minimum type of thing. Some kid might find your old rope or gear and choose to make a
swing or climbing rope off it. Don't matter if you tossed it out or not, that kid falls, you are at fault legally and to even if innocent still in some way responsible. Cut that stuff up before disposing of it.