wingnut spanner

[Andy Mel]

As one of the persons involved in the distribution of wingnutspanners (.co.uk) let me fill you in on how our particular design came about.

 

While touring rigs your typical front truss you will always need something outrigged - profiles, moles or atomics, common stuff. Everyday we would watch local crew destroy wingnuts on half couplers as they try to tighten them using AJs, leathermans or anything else they could find without having to think too hard!! Having finished a particular tour myself and the LD put our heads together and came up with what is commonly seen in most techs pockets these days!

 

We put a disclaimer on the site as to proper use - they were not meant for tightening hookclamps particularly, although for some people any hole is a goal as such, and often as not I'll encounter something tightened unnecessarily by one of my spanners, and then have to live with the derision from other members of crew!!

 

Hopefully though lives have been made far easier for those who understand..

[Leggy]

While touring rigs your typical front truss you will always need something outrigged - profiles, moles or atomics, common stuff. Everyday we would watch local crew destroy wingnuts on half couplers as they try to tighten them using AJs, leathermans or anything else they could find without having to think too hard!!

 

Exactly.

 

Anyone who thinks you can perch a fixture by tightening the wingnuts on a half coupler to finger tight only is mistaken.

This is a correct use for a wingnut spanner. Yes, you only need to nip it up a bit, not wrench the c#*p out of it, but it is necessary.

 

The companies I work with supply half couplers with wingnuts for this purpose, no full nut or jam nut involved at all. And I'm talking about decent, professional companies here.

 

And because it is a half coupler, not a hook clamp, the truss is not damaged. At all. Ever. So please do not cast any aspersions on my use of equipment.

 

Leggy.

[Tomo]

Anyone who thinks you can perch a fixture by tightening the wingnuts on a half coupler to finger tight only is mistaken.

The real nut has already been mentioned.

The wingnut on a half coupler is a locknut to stop the 'real' nut coming undone.

 

If you're rigging without that locknut, then no matter how tight you make it the half coupler is probably going to come loose over time as there is nothing to prevent vibration loosening the nut.

- And then you're back where you started with a floppy half coupler.

[Biskit]

The real nut has already been mentioned.

The wingnut on a half coupler is a locknut to stop the 'real' nut coming undone.

 

All the half-couplers we have on our gear have just a washer and a wingnut. No hex-nut then wingnut as a lock. And they came with the threads squashed at the top so it isn't as if they have been tampered with. These are branded ones (mixture of Vision and Manfrotto) from a reputable supplier. We have them on generic lanterns instead of hook-clamps to reduce the rigging drop due to tight clearances below some of our FOH bars.

 

Perhaps different types are available for different applications?

[dunk]

Back to the original post, I agree. wingnut spanners are highly useful tools. Andy, look out for my order, I shall be ordering a few over the next few days. I will never forget the face of that guy that knicked mine at glade this year. He was an ugly bastard!

 

 

Dunc

[Bryson]

Wingnut spanner? You're not trying hard enough:

 

http://isquint.net/2009/video-stagejunks-r...ate-focus-tool/

 

Obviously very Leftpond-centric, but that's pretty cool. As long as you don't overtighten!

 

In particular, that weird tiny square-head that locks the pan on US hookclamps is really fiddly with an AJ - especially an over-large or cheap AJ with slippy jaws.

[bjkered]

Wingnut spanner? You're not trying hard enough:

 

http://isquint.net/2009/video-stagejunks-r...ate-focus-tool/

 

Obviously very Leftpond-centric, but that's pretty cool. As long as you don't overtighten!

 

In particular, that weird tiny square-head that locks the pan on US hookclamps is really fiddly with an AJ - especially an over-large or cheap AJ with slippy jaws.

 

Now this I Like

 

Might get one

[antdoran]

That tool looks pretty cool! Again providing people don't use them to over tighten

 

Wingnut spanners are often useful for new Omega clamps, its annoying when you cant quite get the 'spring washer' to squash down, to allow positive locking!

[djandydee]

Thanks guys - just placed an order for 2. Have always wondered where to get one. Now I can get the brackets off my robe 700s which seem to go on by hand but are still doing that new thing and being really tight.