Should I trust this c-clamp?
- Thread starterderekleffew
- Start date
@derekleffew Off hand, I'd say it depends upon what sort of "trust" you're looking to instill:
One place says GRAND another says COLORTRAN. If/when it drops a light and kills me, I want to make sure my beneficiaries sue the right company.
To confirm gravity is still functioning, you can probably depend upon it as a reliable indicator.
To support a luminaire over your head, maybe not so much.
Possibly I'm channeling Danly Sound's Ivan Beaver this morning.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
RichardTheSecond
Member
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
More like $10, isn't it? Or does it cost $40.00 for the shipping, handling, and labor to change. I suppose it might - but t I find the clamps on line under $10. Apollo, Doughty, The Light Source and I think there are others
EdSavoie
Well-Known Member
I mean... So long as you attach your safety cable, I'd personally use the clamp if I had to.
@TheaterEd Awh c'mon Teach', credit where credit is due. I MAY trust your clamp to support my wet winter jacket while I'm working. Everything (and everybody) has its / their purpose in life, sometimes you need to be a little more creative to find it.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
techieman33
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't worry to much about the different brands of components. Those T-handles and similar/same ones from altman have been put on a lot of clamps over the years. We have them on a lot of our clamps, and at least one other theater in our area has done it as well. Makes for an easy no tools required lighting focus. And there's not much worry some some 300lb gorilla will break the bolt.
Les
Well-Known Member
The pan screw has absolutely zero influence on that clamp's ability to support a load. You could leave it out entirely, except your fixture will be swinging about in the breeze.
That said, the clamp is ancient and the casting looks a bit off-kilter. I'd be wary of that. I have several set aside that are a bit more "open" than others, almost as if the spine has been bent back a ways. Not sure if it hardened that way or if it was a learned behavior... But I don't use them for that reason.
I think it fine for use. Would probably give a bath in oil and re-tap/die, but it's a clamp. Why are you climbing it is more a concern not mentioned but might be the overall safety question. Certainly trust it more in thinking a boom than TheaterEd's G-Clamp which is mostly useless in my view for a clamp normally.
MessageBox
Member
First and foremost you need to always use safety cables/chains regardless of the device being hung. Typically, one safety cable for Lekos, Fresnels and Par cans. Incandescent instruments are no issue for these clamps. The iron clamps are designed for these types of instruments. The new steel/aluminum clamps don't work as well as the classic clamps in most cases. I've been using these types of clamps for years and I've never had an instrument fall. However, I've had colleagues that have and that's the result of not tightening the clamp or not paying attention to the clamps hanging angle. That's the reason for the safety cable/chain. It's also crucial to check your work before you fly the equipment. If you're doing it from a lift or ladder check it twice.
LED low weight fixtures I use steel/aluminum clamps along with safety cables/chains. They're much lighter and the new steel/aluminum mounting clamps work far better. If you're using moving head fixtures use a bar type clamp instead of a hanger to the truss. Hang moving head fixtures using trusses. Again always use safety cables/chains. If you hang moving head fixtures on single bar lifts the momentum, linear and angular, has loading the single bar lifts aren't designed to handle. They're designed for dead hanging weight without movement, other than the initial focusing instrument movement. If you do hang moving from a single bar I suspect your performers will be worrier when the see it moving. I've see this a couple of times over the years and I'm amazed anyone would take this risk. I guess they're the same teams that decide to try to fly Marry Poppins without the use of a flying rig, another topic.
It's all in the details, common sense, paying attention to physics and common sense. If you slept through physics and don't apply common sense at least make sure you use safety cables/chains and don't overload the lift mechanism.
That clamp will work just fine. Apologies for the length.
LED low weight fixtures I use steel/aluminum clamps along with safety cables/chains. They're much lighter and the new steel/aluminum mounting clamps work far better. If you're using moving head fixtures use a bar type clamp instead of a hanger to the truss. Hang moving head fixtures using trusses. Again always use safety cables/chains. If you hang moving head fixtures on single bar lifts the momentum, linear and angular, has loading the single bar lifts aren't designed to handle. They're designed for dead hanging weight without movement, other than the initial focusing instrument movement. If you do hang moving from a single bar I suspect your performers will be worrier when the see it moving. I've see this a couple of times over the years and I'm amazed anyone would take this risk. I guess they're the same teams that decide to try to fly Marry Poppins without the use of a flying rig, another topic.
It's all in the details, common sense, paying attention to physics and common sense. If you slept through physics and don't apply common sense at least make sure you use safety cables/chains and don't overload the lift mechanism.
That clamp will work just fine. Apologies for the length.
It'sa clamp, from what I can see it does not look distorted or abused, the colortran pan knob is a transplant . The only trouble with that is that you are more likely to get your finger caught or crunched due to close proximity to the yoke. Colortran clamps are slightly taller and have a longer pan shaft . Leaving room for fingers when using the pan.
So yes you can trust it to hold lighting fixtures along with a safety . Inspecting it and others when you have access. if you are buying clamps for new fixtures get rated equipment.
If it said Kliegl on the side it would be very likely to smash, crunch fingers. I would immediately dispose of any and all Kliegl clamps.
So yes you can trust it to hold lighting fixtures along with a safety . Inspecting it and others when you have access. if you are buying clamps for new fixtures get rated equipment.
If it said Kliegl on the side it would be very likely to smash, crunch fingers. I would immediately dispose of any and all Kliegl clamps.
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klane2
Member
I have some Grand clamps in my theatre, though they have the original set screw. I use them to hang conventional fixtures and they have been fine for years.
