What to do with old gear?

StephIsabel

Member
Hi all, I've scoured the threads and can't seem to find an answer.

What are people doing with old gear nowadays? Is there a market for used 360Qs and PARs? Are they best taken to recycling for the steel?

I'd rather not recycle them if there is still a market for them :)

Thanks!
 
Our illustrious ControlBooth has a Classifieds area!

 
My shop bought a bunch of use lighting gear primarily for the pre-rig truss and soco cables - the incandescent PARs and 6-bars are of almost zero use these days. We scavenged cans and things that were in better condition that our existing inventory and then sold over 200 empty PAR 64 cans on FaceSpace as garden planters, apparently the industrial look is "in" for gardeners. We ended up taking about 150 lbs of aluminum to the metal salvers and just gave them the steel (at 50 cents/ton for steel, they don't make change small enough).

Source 4's still sell, as will some other conventional fixtures... but for the most part old inventory is ending up in a landfill after the useful parts are stripped. Control Booth long-timer @ship rebuilds, refurbishes, and restores old lights. He does lovely work but finds little demand for his efforts. You may end up donating or recycling, Steph.
 
Yep that is a challenge and a shame. Photos's of what you are scrapping, especially if "older" would be important for your re-sale value over scrap if really old. I for instance am very short on lenses in general, removing lenses for short throw fixtures is useful. I did find a theater in Central Illinois to take the lights I have - just have to get them out there in a missed chance two weeks ago and last week.

One less fixture for them for instance given I have one cracked 6x9 lens and no spares left.

New concept at a theater I'm restoring is to instead of get rid of their "historic" lights, is to change the source to a LED RGBW node, bench focused with a bracket to the filament center. Prop light RGBW color changing , same as the chandeliers controlled by ETC Element system for the prop Leko's historic to the building. Some debate with me and the Project Manager in budget for restoration of old lights - including removing the asbestos, cleaning lenses and servicing such fixtures on site - in instead magically some how and in some place, just dropping in a TMB marquee lamp system lamp into the fixture.. and done + expecting any output out of it especially with origional instead of sand blasted Leko lenses. That verses my full service call and upgrade to LED node & DMX control of it & a polycarbonate lens sand blasted which will have limited output and glow.

Rational for just dropping in a marquee light - without work on the fixture = cost. Will glow the lens even if not efficient, and preserve for the next generation a light to "find". Opposed to that... still asbestos wired fixture, dirty lens and parts of it which will rust thru before replaced or treated. The theater is already collecting up a "restored" safe museum of lights seperate, so there is no need to preserve the prop lights for historic purposes while in active use as a prop light & if functional should be restored to be functional. Indeed, a 1/4" polycarbonate replacement lens with one side sand blasted is much better in prop light than the 8" step lens Leko had in testing, as per a prop light. And the LED node is by far more efficient once bench focused - and it can be as opposed to... "Just drop in a marquee lamp" into an un-modified or cleaned fixtured. Yes Sir! Personally offended in hearing the request of my work on specifically doing this by management... but a simple comparison of either version should solve the debate.

In general, it's possible as a concept to make RGBW prop lights out of historic to the theater fixtures in a way they won't effect the stage lighting. I have calculated angles and distances from 8" to 4.1/2" Leko's on radial fixtures in mounting a node at the proper position. Can be done... Two good options - one with actual output which might find lenses useful, and the one chosen which should not effect modern stage lighting.

Don't know if it helps... but I'm out of most useful lenses, and still active in doing stuff. At times, yes, replace a prop light lens with more efficient for the purpose poly carbonite lens for the task. And if I get a freed up lens... Half the lenses at the theater I am working at were either broken or the wrong lens so far... Makes it hard to just get something up and running for prop desplay purposes. I cannot just drop a marquee lamp into a fixture hung over an audience with a broken lens on it - half the fixtures currently have. But retaining the "look" in the house of the old lights is a thing. RGBW DMX control of some say 4.1/2" to 8" Cannon Leko's from the 50's as prop lights... Interesting idea working on.

Concept, perhaps when working at a theater with some old lights.... make them prop lights if historic to the building. And scrap value of some lights is better than others, but often a lens is a lens and that's a valuable thing especially in a non-for profit world. First 4.5x6.5 Hub Leko I gave back to the theater had one broken lens. I converted it to E-26 medium screw self color changing prop light, and saved it's good lens. Don't know where I got some 4.5x9 lenses from... but given a prop light... fine for something that will some day sit on a bar as a prop even if it don't have correct lenses.
 
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There's still a market for 360q's and similar as long as the price is right. Altman still has parts for them, and if your willing to put a few bucks into them you can update the caps, reflectors, clutches, etc. Sure they're still not a source 4, but for much less than half the price you can have a pretty decent light. Used source 4's can be had, but unless your able to look them over closely in person odds are your going to end up with a lot of cracked, damaged, and broken reflectors. Add in $100 for every one of those and fixing up 360q's looks pretty appealing when your trying to stretch a budget as much as possible.

Par 64's are pretty much only good for scrap unless they're dirt cheap and come with a supply of lamps. Otherwise your better off just buying source 4 pars. And if you look around you can pick those up dirt cheap on the used market. There are a lot of companies dumping gear at fire sale prices just to try and keep the lights on right now. It's very much a buyers market if you have the cash.
 
Altman 360Q series will always be useful as with other fixtures, A Fresnel is a Fresnel, and to some extent a 6x9 lens is a 6x9 lens once matched up to be similar in height. Challenge is often finding a home for even restored viable and useful fixtures. Never sold the fixtures I restored in literally hundreds restored - but did get some tax donation credits for their restoration and giving away. (So too many restored before I ever went for donation letters..., as with personal work tools and training not claimed for taxes.) Not sure of current tax code, but a light brought to modern code and factory spec. or better standards by way of left over surplus parts re-surfaced parts or salvaged + Man/Hours in doing so was more dependable in value of the light in giving them away for free than attempting to sell them.

Liability on your work done if claiming on your taxes might be problematic if claiming work/parts for tax donation is up to factory spec. or better unless really proper work is done, and insurance is good on doing such things. Still better to donate, and the tax donation letter don't cost money - just liability... best be really sure of what you did in doing it right and properly.... That tax letter might just become a sales memo for liability.

I have lots and lots of free Altman parts other than lenses (lots of long throw lenses), a little limited on good but f usable used shutters, and a decent to good amount of "good but used" lamp sockets. Stacks of reflectors including the gate reflector, etc. (Free, you pay shipping.)

Added, some clutche cams, etc. other parts needed also. Spec's on what part numbers to replace fasteners with in doing better. Lots of lamp caps, to some extent cut off's from 16ga SF-2 heat wire. Again - again free, you pay shipping. Inquire in PM if needing something free, might just have the part.

Not as easy as above to get some parts - clutch cam's I had to start having fabricated - though might have been for ColorTran Leko's. Most recently, I had to make my own lamp cap assembly light baffles for 360/360Q fixtures. Not sure if discontinued, but budget for old lamp parts with the virus became zero... so I started making them.... lots of them. Only somewhat easy to do with an arbor punch. 360 and 360Q parts are mostly available from Altman, and hopefully given the amount of them out there.... they will still source shutters and lenses. Most other parts are mostly discontinued. Lamp sockets thru other suppliers will be available for a long time.

Once things get back to normal, for instance on the lamp cap baffle, I can have someone draft that up from work and post a DWG of that - easy to replace. Hope to help others.
 
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Ship, do you have any thoughts regarding PAR cans and the demise of the PAR lamp? I've got a place I help out with that's slowly replacing their collection with HPL lit fixtures as the lamps expire and we're unable to replace them. I looked into a guy doing drop-in replacement LED's for the 64's, but the cost was to the point that it didn't make sense. I know you're a fan of preserving and resurrecting older fixtures and I'd be interested to know your take.
 
For now most lamp/stage supply distributors have sources for most of the line of PAR lamps from 46-64. Been told by the users that the lamp quality is not as good, but mostly same in cost - might be a longer lead time in getting. Overall plan might be to use what one has, but save money to upgrade to S-4 PAR or LED PAR (Yuck!), or LED S-4 PAR etc. (Opinion).

Yes PAR 64 etc. incandescent/halogen lamps are out there. Upgrades to LED I agree are mostly a turd concept. Buying semi-dependable lamps for now (might get better buy why wait), can be a holdover. Going LED PAR, vs. LED S-4 PAR, vs. S-4 PAR...

I said "Yuck" above. This only because in my situation, such fixtures with moving lights are to be used instead of Leko's and Fresnels. CRI on such LED fixtures is getting good, and they are cost effective both in time to change gel/lamps/energy and saving on amount of fixtures needed. Realistically, I could not see a need for even a LED version of a S-4 PAR. Still see a need for a concept of a Fresnel (A Fresnel is a Fresnel and not a PARNel) and especially Leko even if LED though, but seeing new ideas often.

Random thoughts... Budget to replace, and in doing so keep the PAR Can if useful still in use. Big change and might be some tax incetives still available to either fund or help later in the LED change for PAR's. PAR 64 not dead yet, but plan to replace.
 
The quick and easy way is to donate them to your local college/HS/community theater that is still using the same type/s of fixture/s (or older).

@ship -- re: Fresnels. We've spec'd Elation's KL series of fresenels on a couple of jobs recently and have liked the results. Flicker-free (which matters for IMAG), diffused and the color isn't bad.
 
@ship let me know if you would like to see a KL. I can get a demo down to you if you like.
 
Hi all, I've scoured the threads and can't seem to find an answer.

What are people doing with old gear nowadays? Is there a market for used 360Qs and PARs? Are they best taken to recycling for the steel?

I'd rather not recycle them if there is still a market for them :)

Thanks!
I'd look for a small community or youth theatre program in your area. Donating to another 5013c is appropriate.
 
Something to think about - technology and chronology march on whilst you and I mostly stand still. The kids coming up now have probably never seen an autotransformer dimmer, have never touched lighting or sound controls not based on a computer, and phones have always been these things you can put in your pocket. Our fondness for tungsten and heat will not be carried forward for more than 1 additional generation. Antiques and curiosities... that's what they'll call us... and our lights, too!
 
Hi all, I've scoured the threads and can't seem to find an answer.

What are people doing with old gear nowadays? Is there a market for used 360Qs and PARs? Are they best taken to recycling for the steel?

I'd rather not recycle them if there is still a market for them :)

Thanks!
There are lots of high schools, churches, and community theaters out there with no budget who would love you gear.
 
My used gear is really beat up, so I usually strip it for parts and then sell the carcasses to the metal scrapper
 
Possibly the best practice and a sorry thing in doing so especially for Fresnels, but also 6x9's and PAR's.
Unless you can spend the time to bring back to factory spec. or better with re-surfaced parts or replacement parts, for what you might donate to someone.. Don't just dump it off onto someone else with less training than you for safety reasons. I infrequently train people on how to service their fixtures, but way too far in between.

I would not provide gear to others I have not fully inspected and as necessary fully restored for years of more use. Recycled dozens of strip lights - even the MR-16 version in the past year for this reason this year.

Goal to help others, but not hurt them. Good advice above in not just giving away what you would no longer safely use.

In general save and provide lenses always.

Gear say 60 years old and before should have a recycling stop to trashing. There are rare parts and fixtures that might be resale valuable, or useful to stock while fixtures see less and less examples.

Everyone should collect up at least one of each type fixture for their theater museum. It should be worked on and preserved so it doesn't rust away also.

A 6" Fresnel in design has not changed much from 1934' I think in standardized design for it. Still useful even if soneone puts a EGE in it and melts down any paint for it. Very important fixture, than the above 6x9 and PAR's to if possible fix and save for others to use. Not the cheap DJ versions or PAR 64... the Steel or even Aluminum versions. Like 30 years ago.... at Illinois State University - had these ColorTran PAR 64 fixtures which were better than any other I own or have seen. (No version in the museum.) Something like that would best not be recycled in a really good design.
 

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