Looking for advise on how to safely hang wood laser box to truss

[michelrietveld]

Hi,

my first rgb is still in a wood box because i am saving money for a nice alu case and wood is more easy to adjust to my needs.

With the upcoming LEM i would like to find the right accessoires to put it in place by adding truss connectors.
For the Dutch folks here, i looked at :
http://www.bax-shop.nl/haken-safetys...producten.html

The thing is that my wood box has a removable top so i do not want to hang the weight entirely to the top since it is possible that the connectors keeping the cover in place don't support the weight for the entire box.

So i have a few possibilities.
Put some kind of bar around it and connect the bar to the truss connectors.
Use cables around it and attach hooks to it, would have to use something to keep the cables in place also.
Use something to put onto the side panels.

Just think of it as a wood rectangular box with a removable top cover.
The top is put in placed with some clips and is not able to be used to hang the entire weight on to.

Michel

[hobbybob]

Why not make aluminium angle on the sides and then connect a hanging bar to it (an upside down U) and then connect with screws.Basically just like Johan did with my case (Mr. Willing groupbuy that just finished).You could also use ally angle (hoeklijn in dutch) pointing down, drill holes on all corners. And stick threaded rod (draadeinden) through it, one rod in the front and one in the back, so it's basically a carriage where your hole projector sits on top. Than you have 4 very strong connection points to make a bar to hang it from (or use 3 rods and connect the hanging bar (upside down letter U) to the middle rod.

[norty303]

I would recommend using something the projectors sits on/in. This way you don't need to certify the case structurally. Imagine if you hang the box, and then the bottom falls out of it onto someone.
On a DIY pro audio forum I use we have regular questions from people wanting to make their own line array, and we always steer them away because manufacturers have to spend a lot of money on designing and certifying their rigging systems. It is simply not practical for a DIYer to do the same thing.

If you do go the route of adding a bracket, make sure you also add a secondary fixing point (like an anchoring eyelet) that you can attach a secondary safety fixing to. Its no use having a safety cable wrapped around the hanging bracket if the bottom falls out, but if the eyelet is attached to the base then everything stays much safer.

[LaNeK779]

ratchet tie downs have never failed me (an example herehttp://cgi.ebay.com/3-NEW-2-X-20-RAT...item4cf818b94d)

wrap 2-3 of these around like the ribbon of a gift wrap, tie them down and your case will be ready to take to the sky

[Stoney3K]

I'm a fan of the U-shaped flat bar which has a 10mm hole drilled in the top center. The far ends (the legs of the 'U') connect to either side of your projector, and the 10mm hole can be used for a mounting device like a G clamp or a half coupler.

For more confidence, use two of these attached to either tube of a truss and don't forget your safety wire. The major advantage with a U shaped bracket is that you can aim your projector in any direction you want just like with a PAR can. When you use ratchet clamps or tie-down steels, you're restricted to mounting the projector flat underneath or on top of the truss.

[michelrietveld]

ratchet tie downs have never failed me (an example herehttp://cgi.ebay.com/3-NEW-2-X-20-RAT...item4cf818b94d)

wrap 2-3 of these around like the ribbon of a gift wrap, tie them down and your case will be ready to take to the sky

sounds like a quick and easy way to strap it to a truss. will see if i can get my hands on these locally until i create a more solid frame, thx for the tip !

[hobbybob]

I'm a fan of the U-shaped flat bar which has a 10mm hole drilled in the top center. The far ends (the legs of the 'U') connect to either side of your projector, and the 10mm hole can be used for a mounting device like a G clamp or a half coupler.

For more confidence, use two of these attached to either tube of a truss and don't forget your safety wire. The major advantage with a U shaped bracket is that you can aim your projector in any direction you want just like with a PAR can. When you use ratchet clamps or tie-down steels, you're restricted to mounting the projector flat underneath or on top of the truss.

Exactly ! I totally agree ! Huh....eh i mean you agree with me.... exactly as i said two posts before your post....
First time we agree on things i believe ;-) Don't you just love people that read the whole thread first and then react ? ;-)

[CountFunkula]

Use cables around it and attach hooks to it, would have to use something to keep the cables in place also.

Whatever you do, DON'T do that...Serious safety hazard if your laser starts swinging for any reason. The more rigid your mount, the better. However, cable safeties are ALWAYS a good idea as a backup should your primary mount (god forbid) fail.

[norty303]

ALWAYS a good idea as a backup

In this country they're a legal requirement if overhead of an accessible area (for public, crew or anyone else)