Stage Weights
- Thread starterchoirgirl
- Start date
thatactorguy
Active Member
icewolf08 is in SLC and could probably help you with local sources...
ANY manufacturer of stage rigging equipment WILL ship to Utah. After all, you, as the purchaser, are the one paying the freight charges. Which will, in all likelihood, be more than the cost of the materials. If these are to be used with a counterweight fly system, they need to come from the same manufacturer as the arbor, as there is no standardization.
Soxred93
Active Member
I'm wondering how much Flat-Rate shipping will cost for shipping weights...
The other way is to take one of your existing weights to a local steel fabricator. Here in PDX I use Service Steel. They can cut stage weights for you from 2-3" stock according to the specifications of the original installer. Upside of this is you save a ton on shipping. Downside is you have to settle for the cutting ability of your local steel fabricator. If they have Plasma or laser cutters < which they should > you'll get perfectly smooth, lovely weights. If they have torches you weights will be jaggedy and icky. Rememer that if you want a heavier weight you need to make sure they cut it from thicker stock as you don't want to add mass by making the weight wider or it might hang on it's neighboring arbors, and that is bad.
As a last word of caution be sure you do not overload your arbors. Your original installers should have equipped you with enough weight to load every arbor to it's maximum. I know that somehow even stage weights have an ability to walk off, but please do not exceed the OEM specifications of your rig.
PS Steel prices are fluctuating wildly but right now seems to be a good time to buy steel just don't be too shocked at the price they quote.
As a last word of caution be sure you do not overload your arbors. Your original installers should have equipped you with enough weight to load every arbor to it's maximum. I know that somehow even stage weights have an ability to walk off, but please do not exceed the OEM specifications of your rig.
PS Steel prices are fluctuating wildly but right now seems to be a good time to buy steel just don't be too shocked at the price they quote.
I would suggest giving Oasis Stage Werks a call. That is who we go through for rigging supplies. I know that they deal in rigging systems and should be able to get you weight.
That aside, hi from another SLC local! If there is ever any local help you need, don't hesitate to get in touch.
FatherMurphy
Active Member
A few thoughts - the rigging manufacturer we are dealers for only sells counterweights in 1,000 lb increments (although I think you can mix 1" and 2" weights within that, irrc), and the final cost is somewhere in the $1.50 to $2 per lb range, not counting shipping. Getting weight cut locally saves both freight and allows you to customize the amount you're buying. Many manufacturers flame cut the bricks from sheet steel, how jagged the edges are is a function of how well they dial in the torch. Cutting the bricks from bar stock and milling the notches gives a smooth finish, and water jet cutting is also an option. Bricks used to be cast iron, but cut steel is slightly denser, stronger, and easier to work with given today's manufacturing methods.
Taking a brick to the machine shop is the easiest option. If you have to measure the arbor rod diameters and center-center spacing for them to draw and build, make sure they cut things a bit bigger, so you have some clearance to work with. Weights that wedge at a diagonal inside the arbor are no fun at all.
Most new installations I've worked on have supplied somewhere between 65 and 80% of full arbor capacity as the amount of counterweight, under the assumption that since you'll almost never load everything to full, why pay for and store the extra bricks?
One thing to avoid is trying to weight the lineset with anything other than counterweight bricks. Over the years I've seen everything from sandbags to manhole covers tied to arbors to get a little more weight into the equation, but all you do is risk a tangle overhead, or damage and danger from overloading the rest of the components of a lineset.
Taking a brick to the machine shop is the easiest option. If you have to measure the arbor rod diameters and center-center spacing for them to draw and build, make sure they cut things a bit bigger, so you have some clearance to work with. Weights that wedge at a diagonal inside the arbor are no fun at all.
Most new installations I've worked on have supplied somewhere between 65 and 80% of full arbor capacity as the amount of counterweight, under the assumption that since you'll almost never load everything to full, why pay for and store the extra bricks?
One thing to avoid is trying to weight the lineset with anything other than counterweight bricks. Over the years I've seen everything from sandbags to manhole covers tied to arbors to get a little more weight into the equation, but all you do is risk a tangle overhead, or damage and danger from overloading the rest of the components of a lineset.
Thanks everyone! I guess I should've been more specific. I want a couple of weights to sit on pieces of set to balance them. We, unfortunately, have an open theater without any curtains, flys, booms, etc. at all. Everything is out in the open for the audience to see, so we have to always build freestanding scenery. I want to build u-shaped buildings that roll (3 sided exterior, then interior) and I want a couple of weights inside of them to help them be stable for the height. In the show I was in this summer, the director used some leftover stage weights, so I want to try and do the same. Does this make any sense? A big shout out thanks to my new friend from Utah!
That makes complete sense and while you could go out using the responses that I and FatherMurphy referenced you might save yourself a tone of time and money by finding a local building materials recycler ad buying some used sash weights. these tend to be 1.5 - 2" in diameter and 8 - 16" in length. They fit nicely into pockets that you can build right onto the scenery.I use them all the time when counter balancing scenic pieces as I do not have a fly system at all.
Another alternative for weights to stabilize flats and sets are barbell weights. The plastic versions don't clang. You can tie two together with a short length of rope and place it over the bottom horizontal board of a brace. The rope makes them easy to handle and move.
Joe
Joe
Tex
Active Member
I've also seen weights made from inner tube. Cut an inner tube into two or four pieces. Take one of those pieces and sandwich one end between two short pieces of 1x4 and screw them together. Fill the tube with sand and do the sandwich trick on the other end. It should weigh about 30 to 40 lbs. and is curved so it will fit over a jack.
FatherMurphy
Active Member
I'd go with sandbags of some sort for this, too. One possibility (instead of loose bags) is to build a box near the bottom of the scenery, line it with plastic, and fill that with sand, or possibly even scrap metal or junk hardware. If it was a long term show, mixing and pouring a bag or two of cement would a no-mess, no noise option, but not ideal for a short run. Some people like lead shot for this sort of thing. Simply hanging the tube-of-sand sold at a lumberyard on the set piece would be a leak waiting to happen, so the plywood box, innertube trick mentioned above, or a traditional canvas bag would be worth the effort.
For a show I did this summer we had 20' tall walls that had to role with a very small footprint. We went to a local steel supplier and picked up some steel cylinders to use as counterweight. I can't recall what we paid, but it was not too bad. I will dig up some pictures at work tomorrow.
Overall though, just call a steel yard and tell them you want something heavy and easy to lift/move and easy to store.
Overall though, just call a steel yard and tell them you want something heavy and easy to lift/move and easy to store.
epimetheus
Well-Known Member
Just being really picky here:
When filling sandbags, with sand as opposed to lead shot, you want to be sure to use "Clean Sand" or "Play Sand" which is the type used in kids sand boxes. regular Builders sand will leach dust through the weave of any sand bag material, even cordura. I've even built bags with plastic liners specifically 'cause the purchaser want to use the cheaper, dirty sand, inside of a year they were leaving a cloud of dust every time you picked one up.
BTW an upside down traffic cone makes a great funnel for filling sandbags.....
My sand bags are SealLine Baja Dry Bags. Heavy Duty Vinyl for keeping your gear dry while river rafting. They are great!
What about Concrete Blocks. I love using these just flip them upside down and they stay in place.
Weight is about 40 or 50 lbs. Cost is about $3.
What about Concrete Blocks. I love using these just flip them upside down and they stay in place.
Weight is about 40 or 50 lbs. Cost is about $3.
Similar threads
