Surface Mounting Par Cans

[AndyH]

Hello,

This might be a very rookie question, but I'm a rookie, so I'm gonna ask.

We're wanting to put some stage lighting (5 par 56 cans) in our church, just to remove some of the shadows on the stage. It is a steepled roof and there are support beams running up the ceiling to the apex of the roof.

My question is, is it OK to mount the lights directly to those beams and point them at the stage or do we have to put in some sort of pipe or truss to clamp them to?

Thanks for your help,

Andy

 

[techie7]

Are these beams wooden? If so you do not need a truss or pipe. All you do is lag bolt the par (through the yolk) to the post. Take a lag bolt (a bolt that is pointy like a screw), drill a pilot hole for it in the post. stick the bolt through the hole on the yolk where you would attach a clamp then, using a ratchet (or drill or wrench or whatever you want) screw the fixture to the post. If the beams are not wooden let me know and i will try to think of something else.

 

[Les]

You can bolt them directly to the surface as long as it is able to be securely fastened to (heat really shouldn't be a problem). A better idea might be to buy some Unistrut and paint it to match the beams you are mounting to. Lag the Unistrut to the beam and you can mount your fixtures to that, which gives much more flexibility for exact placement. You can cut the strut with a hacksaw so it can be as long or as short as you want it. For a lower profile (and as architecture allows), you could explore the option of mounting the strut to the stage-side "face" of the beam(s) so your fixtures are "yoked-out" and tucked away more. Depends on how thick those beams are though - you really don't want the lights too, too close to the ceiling.

Unistrut is really, really cheap and widely available at just about any hardware store that carries electrical and plumbing supplies (including big-box stores). The only specialized hardware you need is Unistrut nuts < boingy nut > for bolting your fixtures to the strut (they're molded to grip the Unistrut channel, which is why you need the exact part). Buy more than you'll ever need because they could be hard to find later (if a store changes brands of strut, you might have to go a-hunting because not all strut is the exact same. In fact, "Unistrut" is just one particular brand name). You can also get it in several configurations -- double-sided (not needed for your use), deep single-sided strut and shallow single-sided strut. You could probably do well with the shallow, plus it is low profile. You might also want some large heavy-duty washers. Since strut is a channel, the yokes of instruments sometimes don't play nicely.

 

[techieman33]

Yeah you'll want a washer between the unistrut and the yolk for spacing. Also don't forget the safety for the light, and you'll also want something to safety the unistrut the the beam in case the lags work themselves free.

 

[Les]

I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone safety cable to flush-mounted unistrut, or how it would be done. You could add a second boingy nut with a forged eye bolt screwed in, but it wouldn't be any more secure than the light itself. While safety-ing is always a good idea, in the field where strut is used most often (commercial electrical/HVAC installation), things are never safetied. Even the industrial distribution transformers in large warehouses are often hanging freely. It's a slippery slope indeed.
Safetying the unistrut to the beam is also iffy. I'd just make sure it's professionally installed with enough lag screws -- then it won't be any more likely to come loose than any other part of the structure.

 

[techieman33]

I'm not sure I've never seen anyone safety cable to flush-mounted unistrut, or how it would be done. You could add a second boingy nut with a forged eye bolt screwed in, but it wouldn't be any more secure than the light itself. While safety-ing is always a good idea, in the field where strut is used most often (commercial electrical/HVAC installation), things are never safetied. Even the industrial distribution transformers in large warehouses are often hanging freely. It's a slippery slope indeed.

Call it paranoia but if a fixture is hanging over a patrons head I lean towards the cautious side.

 

[Chris15]

As thought to ponder...

I have never seen a standard commercial light installed with any form of safety.
When it's a permanent installation like this, most of the risk factors that mean a safety is a really smart idea in the temporary land of entertainment just don't apply...

 

[chausman]

As thought to ponder...

I have never seen a standard commercial light installed with any form of safety.
When it's a permanent installation like this, most of the risk factors that mean a safety is a really smart idea in the temporary land of entertainment just don't apply...

IMO, the biggest reason we need safeties (other then well, safety) is that in general lightning equipment is moved around, over tightened, able to be bumped, etc. In a setting like for architectural lighting in a church, it's hardly ever moved.

That said, if someone is truly paranoid, you could probably add a forged eye bolt separately from the unistrut.


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[AndyH]

Awesome! The beams are wooden and very thick so using lag bolts wont be an issue. I didn't think of using strut for easier placement (told you I was a rookie).

I could always run my safety cable through the strut slots, no? With the struts being lagged to the beam that seems more than enough to keep things in place.

 

[Les]

It sounds like you're on the right track. If your strut has slots, I don't think there would be any problem in using that as a safety attachment point if need be. Lighting hung with clamps is always safetied for all the reasons chausman stated, in addition to the fact that the cast-iron c-clamps are not load rated and can pop apart under the right conditions. Using the correct bolts when suspending from channel will reduce the chance of a fixture falling, but if you can add an extra layer of safety, by all means do so. I do agree that as long as the strut is lagged in well, it is no more likely to fall than any other architectural part of the building. Trying to safety the entire assembly would likely cause more harm than good and create a false sense of security.

 

[headcrab]

If it is possible, I think it would be better to secure the strut to the beams by drilling a hole through the beam and using threaded rod or possibly long bolts to attach the strut.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Why not use track lighting? Altman, and others, make such products. I've been in many churches where stage lighting is used to illuminate the altar. One even had cues programmed that dimmed out everything but the lights directly on the altar for the consecration. All the world is truly a stage.

For example,Altman Architectural Quartz IQ56 Spot/Floodlight. And yes, they do have a color frame option.

Aside from buying the specific track light fixtures, adapters to use standard instruments with track are available.

 

[ruinexplorer]

I second the track lighting suggestion. You can even have track that will have separate rails so that two dimmers control the same track. I particularly liked the Lighting Services gear when I did a museum install a few years back.