Rigging Lights With Cable Ties...

[diw]

Hi there I am the Sales Director from Maplin Electronics.

 

I can assure you that all stores have been instructed to remove cable ties as a means of support for disco lighting effects and replace them with metal fixings (that for the most part we sell). This instruction has been passed on verbally and in writing so there can be no doubt that this is unacceptable practice.

It is true that it is the shop fitters who tend to fit disco displays in this way but ultimately responsibility has to lie with the manager and other directors within the business.

 

 

 

Dave Whittle

[Muller_Light]

Cable Ties carry no weight loading certification,

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Unless you get some to a MIL Spec.

eg. MIL spec MS3367-1-0.

 

Tensile strength 50lbs, Temp rating 185F (it's an American spec, even though the ones I have are CE marked and made in Hungary!)

 

This is a spec and not a SWL, so PROVIDING you use them WITHIN their specification (with suitable de-rating if appropriate), then they should be safe.

[SceneMaster]

Cable Ties carry no weight loading certification,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Unless you get some to a MIL Spec.

eg. MIL spec MS3367-1-0.

 

Tensile strength 50lbs, Temp rating 185F (it's an American spec, even though the ones I have are CE marked and made in Hungary!)

 

This is a spec and not a SWL, so PROVIDING you use them WITHIN their specification (with suitable de-rating if appropriate), then they should be safe.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Even thought it may have a weight rating (50lbs about 20kilos is it not?) and heat ratings. Presume these are still made out of plastic? I still wouldn’t feel safe rigging lighting with them (even if not for the sake of health and safety issues just for the sake of my equipment!!!), the only use I would put them to is for attaching heavy duty cables to trussing ect… Like sound multicore with over 24ch (which can get very heavy :)) or something like 60-120amp feeds… which would not be able to be held by standard cable ties... I still think regardless of the weight of the fixture or piece of sound equipment that it should be held up by clamps or similar metal attachment (as well as the secondary safety bond such as a chain). Cable ties don’t give flexibility in focusing fixtures as the pan of a light is limited (except if fixing a intelligent fixture base to a fixing point as this doesn’t matter so much) plus releasing the cable ties far harder than a clamp as you either have to cut them or use a screw driver. They are often not reusable and if you do reuse them for attaching fixtures you are in risk of it failing after a few uses... Buying a £3-£5 is worth buying over buying these rated ties for your fixtures as you will get much more use out of a clamp and peace of mind…

 

EW_Designer could you please post a link to a website with these ties on (preferably the manufactures)?

 

 

I think that people should just use cable ties for what there name suggests suspending/tying cables and that weight/temp ratings should just apply to securing cables! :)

[gallente]

Hey, just thought id let you know....I went into my local maplins, and....DUN DUN DUN!!!! THEYVE REPLACED THE CABLE TIES WITH G CLAMPS! I spoke to a friend who still works there, an he said the manager got a memo from his area manager telling him to change them because hes had a large amount of complaints about it. Just goes to show, the little man still has power!

[timmiddleton]

it strikes me that cable ties are called cable ties for a reason... just like you wouldn't try to fly in a bus, so you dont use a cable tie for what it's not made for.

 

its not worth the risk!

[peternewman]

Hey, just thought id let you know....I went into my local maplins, and....DUN DUN DUN!!!! THEYVE REPLACED THE CABLE TIES WITH G CLAMPS! I spoke to a friend who still works there, an he said the manager got a memo from his area manager telling him to change them because hes had a large amount of complaints about it. Just goes to show, the little man still has power!

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They've also done the same in the Watford branch, however the lights are still lacking any form of secondary suspension.

 

PN

[gallente]

yeah thats the branch I was talking about in the first place, I noticed they didnt have any safty chains or anything. But one step at a time!

[bruce]

I was in Maplin in Glasgow today. All the gear was still rigged using cable ties.

 

however, if it's any consolation, they had used lots of them ;)

[londonjim]

** laughs out loud **

 

Certainly Maplins in Bournemouth, Reading, London, Newcastle, Sheffield.....I think you get the point, still has them rigged like that.

 

Considering the 'clamps section' is right underneath you would of though its not too much trouble to rig them properly. Having said that.......if any ofyou have seen their truss.....you would notice its about 2cm wide!

 

And the branches I have visited don't use safety chains - taking a risk!

 

Its a good job Maplins don't sell Mac 2000's ;)

[Guest lightnix]

Maybe an e-mail or twenty to "diw" (see first post on this page) would be in order ;)

[Freddie]

His email's private though. If he's only made one post then he's prob not watching for PMs is he?

Then again, maybe they forward to his email (like mine seem to)

[SparkySteve]

(see first post on this page)

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tisn't the first post on my page... I must have different setting in my user control panel thingy

[Light Console]

Off the Maplin track but related,

I was at a gig recently that had a DJ to fill between bands. He came with two stands and four of those lights with lots of lenses that only flash on and off. I watched him put them up with cable ties, and leave them dangling in the wind. At a suitable point, I went past those stands and asked if he wanted some nuts and bolts for the lights. "No, buzz off, I've always done it like this for ten years, they've never fallen yet!" came his reply :P . These stands were out of the public but never the less.......

[Adrianfreston]

QUIT IT, The guy from Maplins said they would sort it out. Quite frankly we can talk about this for ever. The point has been made. leave it.

 

Adrian

[T.D.]

A little story

 

An ex-fireman working in a theatre got really pissed off with this chap that was always using cable ties for wierd and wonderful applications. So, the fireman gaffertaped the guy (with some help and a hell of a lot of roles of tape) to a fly bar and flew him up into the air (for christ sake people don't try this at home).

 

Reason

 

Firemen have to go into buildings when they catch fire. They dont apreciated someones mac 500 falling on them regardless of the fact 50x 2" wide cable ties were used.

 

Yes steel melts, but plastic melts in conditions fire men work under.

 

Moral of the story (surprisingly) is not that we shouldnt suspend things with cable ties and ratchet straps, but that when we interpret regulations and think we know better - the guys that wrote the book might have thought of something we didn't. So lets do it buy the book. Just for a change.

 

T.D.