Large crossbar / stands / background support

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kartracer

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I need a large crossbar (approx 4m) and stands higher than the usual 2.7m to support some lights/equipment for a project. Found this (which has 4m stands) and seems like a good deal, unless anyone knows of a better alternative. Its for a project on a wooden dance floor, so only other thing I am concerned about is for the tripods not to mark the floor.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walimex-190...5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352549196&sr=1-5

particularly sturdy Background System for cloth and paper backgrounds
five pluggable crossbars for a width of 190cm to 465cm, extra thick tubes provide high stability
two air-cushioned tripods, max. height for each 400cm, can be used as normal lamp tripod thanks to changeable spigots
incl. convenient carrying bag
includes: 1x walimex XXL Background System, consisting of 2 tripods and 5 plug-in crossbars, incl. convenient carrying bag
 
What do you intend to support on this set-up as you'll need to check the maximum load capacity, which I suspect with a sectioned support would be quite low - the tech spec on the Amazon list is a bit of a mess, but would suggest only 5kg!

Got any stage equipment hire companies near to you, as this is more likely to be their sort of thing. Personally I'd be more worried about the effects of gravity than it marking the floor - that's easy to stop by getting some cheap rubber matting. Also factor in some safety bonds for anything you intend to hang above people...

Paul
 
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/eng/product/calumet_13_5_4_1m_light_stand/mf6060 These light stands are good, though the set you've linked looks good, think I might have worked with one of those before actually - not the best, but they're fine.

Cut a hole slit in one side of a tennis ball, and pop it over the end of tripod legs, if you're worried about marking the floor (though I'd imagine you'll be alright tbh). Much sandbaggage needed on big tall stands like this, you'll want a good amount of weight on the bottom of each stand that's got a light on.

And yes, safety bonds.

Why do you need the crossbeam - for a background? or to hang something else? Please, please say you're not planning to hang lights midway across it?
 
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... I am intended to use the crossbar for lights, but only a couple of strobes, and LED lights (nothing heavy). I'll tape/tie them anyway.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
you want something like this really... http://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_sls300.htm
Click to expand...

Having in the past done several lighting rigs, IMO that solution is just to unwieldy - tube diameters are usually 50mm so a ‘Superclamp’ will just do the job, but I've never felt comfortable using them at that diameter and prefer to use adapted trussing 'G' clamps. Also most ladder trussing is over 200mm wide unless you're going for steel rather than alloy. Of the steel trussing available my vote would go to Ultimax TrussLite which is both economical(ish) small and very tough and using a 25mm box section is easy to clamp to and nearly half the width of most alloy truss sections. Also it doesn’t require tools to mount the sections to each other.

I’ve used this stuff on Autopoles in the past with no issues up to 4 meters and 20kg of lights – but again that is spread out across the truss & I wouldn't go beyond this without going to a tri/quad truss design or using a centre stay or primary safety rigging – 10 times the weight for one hour with no deformation is a good test if you don’t know the quality of your trussing/mounts/stands (another use for that copious number of sandbags prior to use!:D Secondary safety bonding is an absolute must – again Ultimax supply certified ones and the ‘G’ clamps which you could use these with suitable nuts & lock washers to replace the wing-nut (but these will be the weak point being made of brass).

Really it all depends on how often this is going to occur and how much you want to invest.

Paul
 
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