Securing Pipe to Channel Iron Grid
- Thread starterFooter
- Start date
Rig everything "motor up"?
http://www.sapsis-rigging.com/Merch...&Product_Code=06-09-20-0023&Category_Code=321
http://www.sapsis-rigging.com/Merch...&Product_Code=06-09-20-0023&Category_Code=321
RickR
Well-Known Member
How about a cheeseborough on a bar with 2 J bolts? Similar to mounting a block.
Or even a bent strap (half a pipe clamp) and J bolts if you don't mind a bit of pipe spin. That keeps the pipe flat on the deck.
Or even a bent strap (half a pipe clamp) and J bolts if you don't mind a bit of pipe spin. That keeps the pipe flat on the deck.
Last theater I worked at I cut 4x4's down to 2' pieces, and then nailed 2x4's to the top with a groove cut in the middle that pipes could rest in. I made about 2 dozen of those. Then I cut a bunch of 1.5" pipes down to 24" pieces and would lay one piece of pipe between the grooves of two of the wooden grid stands.
Side view of one stand:
----\O/---- 2x4 layer, nailed to 4x4 with groove cut at center for pipe to lay in.
====== 4x4 layer, laid down on grid
Not sure if this is heavy duty enough for your application but I found it pretty effective for making points on our grid for things like scenery, effects speakers, and mirror balls.
Side view of one stand:
----\O/---- 2x4 layer, nailed to 4x4 with groove cut at center for pipe to lay in.
====== 4x4 layer, laid down on grid
Not sure if this is heavy duty enough for your application but I found it pretty effective for making points on our grid for things like scenery, effects speakers, and mirror balls.
I wish I did. This is one of those things that has plagued my thoughts for years.
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Ya, we're talking a 1 ton point here... you have to have the pipe tight to the grid to make this work.
I saw the sapsis contraption when I was looking... how would you like to have to move that thing around on a grid???
@RickR I was thinking along the same lines as the J-Bolt think. I currently have some of those and knobs in my mcmaster basket. Trying to decide what to use to capture the top. Kind of amazed lightsource does not make this. Your not looking for it to take any weight, just keep things from rolling around. Also trying to make it slick enough that you still save time doing the pipe thing vs steel baskets on the wells.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Spreading a one ton point load over enough area is critical, maybe some of reason SR rig is so large. At 75 PSF, not unusual, that's over 13 SF. There may be other designs but I'm not comfortable with a 2' pipe without a lot more information. And my guess is Footer has this, but for the wider audience, be careful.
When I worked in the same house for a long period of time, we welded ~6" pieces of angle iron perpendicular to either end of a pipe at a distance that would allow the angle to easily drop between grid slats, but also prevent excessive side to side movement. Obviously it's important to ensure that the pipe is actually lying on the grid slats, and not the angle iron. May not work for all situations, but it worked very well for us.
I have a 1100# concentrated load allowed on each channel iron of my grid. Last summer we doubled the steel that runs SL/SR from the wells that supports the channel iron to 2'6" centers. Plenty of room to do this. If you have one of the newer more typical steel grate grids your SOL on this. One more reason I don't like that style of grid.
@rochem, I thought about the angle iron as well. Was considering doing that or some type of square. Did you have any issue spreading the basket when putting the pipe through? That is my only real issue there.
Not really. It was years ago, but I believe the angle was fairly small - something like 1/8" thick 1"x1" angle, cut to 6" long or so? So it wasn't very large. I would usually just lift the pipe and rotate it 90° (so the angle iron was running vertically), and it would easily fit through the basket, then rotate the pipe back to normal and lay it in place.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
That spacing we would do it. Very short span. 5-6' is more typical and working on one now that's nearly 11'. Kind of like a trampoline.
I dislike bar grate grids and catwalks. And generally more expensive than channels, so not hard to sell.
What Rigger?
I'm so fly....I Neverland.
Some creation containing pieces of unistut beam clamps, muffler u bolts and/or j bolts is percolating in my head but I don't have an exact solution yet.
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at the theater I work in we use 3" x 3" square tube 3/16 wall (I think) about 8 foot long. we simply pull up the point with a span set attached and slide the square tube through and set it down. between the length and the square shape it doesn't go anywhere. same thing should work for you just make sure that the tubing is perpendicular to the channel for best weight distribution.
AlexDonkle
Active Member
Really? I'd heard bar grating being cheaper was one of the main reasons it's become more common than channels in recent theatres? (No field welding, and lighter weight). As pointed out in this post though, channels definitely have some clear advantages, just didn't think price was one of them.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
It may vary regionally but the cost of fabrication of bar grate seems to surpass the savings in tonnage.
As an aside, bar grate catwalks are the worse, what doesn't fall thru them (a tiny screw when changing an outlet) seems to get stuck just so and needs to be carefully manipulated to retrieve (like a c wrench on a lanyard or a stage pin plug). Also it's super painful to kneel on.
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BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
When faced we with bar grate catwalks , I try to get plywood laid over it for the reasons noted. Sometimes carpet.
