5 Truss clamps needed asap (for next week) 15KG strength per clamps preferred.

[norty303]

It is 15kg Safe Working Load (SWL) which for fixings used where life could be endangered, it is a ratio of 1:10, hence 150kg.

If it really is 15kg breaking load, then you shouldn't hang anything over 1.5kg from it.

Personally, I wouldn't use those Manfrotto Super clamps for lighting/laser applications as they don't wrap over the bar, and therefore are unsecure if the grip loosens.
As I mentioned earlier, it's about using the 'right tool for the job' and those aren't it (in my opinion). In fact, the lack of a published SWL figure may be very telling as far as intended use is concerned. They seem to be much more targetted at the film/photography market where you need a wide range of options for fixing kit to booms, rather than sturdy static load bearing.

That's not to say that they won't do the job (people on the forum are clearly using them) but I wouldn't feel at all confident with the flat bit of the clamp being the bit that holds it on the truss.

The clamps I thought we were talking about are these...
http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk...howprod_T58400

[astatic]

Your link looks like those are meant for a truss Norty, i agree.
With these you will work "safe".
To be sure and don't have to argue about it anymore i've send an e-mail to Manfrotto to ask them, i also think the super clamps are not meant for a truss.

[masterpj]

Hahaha your right! My apologies.
Thanks man.
So you had to perfect me, and below you would blame me for giving me for giving you wrong info!

Well if it was helping me out, thanks I guess.
No sorry for the misunderstanding, like you made to other Bart?

Mend was still wrong

Hahaha your right! My apologies.
Thanks man.
So you had to perfect me, and below you would blame me for giving me for giving you wrong info!

Well if it was helping me out, thanks I guess.
No sorry for the misunderstanding, like you made to other Bart?
But personally I'd apreciate advice more that is actually accurate.
See it like you see it, if only the cheapest advice is reliable for you then i'm sorry i advised you to buy expensive clamps, next time i will also do some searches to find a cheaper link.
If i'd listened to the advice you were giving me I'd be overspending on safety that doesn't make the difference in this case.
What is overspending in safety PJ, like i said you could also do search and find a cheaper webshop.
Of course the clamp and projector won't come down in normal situations, i was talking about the situation when disaster strikes, some extra safety could safe the audience and also could safe you.

Overspending on safety is not that bad when done a little, but really overspending on safety is not really a good business model (and from my perspective your overdoing it by massive amounts).

I gave you my opinion and i explained why i choose these instead of others, and yes i still think that these clamps are not made for a kvant which weights 13kg, i think the safety margin is to narrow (when disaster stikes)
And like i said too Norty, maybe i overreact a little with the safety, i don't think that's a bad thing lately when i see the newspapers where 2 or 3 stages came down because of wind.

That would be the truss in indianapolis I believe
Which has nothing to do with the clamps but with the truss itself.
That was also outdoors with heavy amounts of wind and not indoors.
When disaster strikes? What disaster? When your equipment is withing the margin there is are no disaster strikes unless you have someone unscrew your truss, which again: has nothing to do with your clamps.

But I also didn't say I got the manfrotto clamps, they are good but I bought different ones.

[astatic]

I got an answer from Manfrotto who send my question to one of there distributors in the Netherlands.
The manfrotto superclamp are not made for usage in a Truss.
I don't know who highly recommend these clamps Pj, better warn them before accidents happen!

[-bart-]

There are clamps that are *better* designed for truss. (Because the topic starter specificaly asked for trussclamps, there are better choices than a superclamp)

Superclamps are spec'ed clamp range - max. (round tube) 55.0 mm.
If manfrotto claims that truss is not made of round tubes <55mm, that's pretty peculiar.

I used to work at the NFTA where safety is of great concern. Superclamps are the defacto standard in cinematography for all kinds of mounting challenges. And believe me, these clamps are misused by the students on a daily basis. I never heard of a single failure.

[astatic]

Hi Bart, Manfrotto told me that these are not meant for hang lights/lasers in a truss.
We could argue about it but it won't change anything about there response, when the arbo or insurance checks and see someone is using them he could get into trouble.
I understand, it's strange like you explain with tubes and the 55mm range of the clamp.
But when using the superclamp in a truss the clamp will be wide open and will not enclose the tube completely like "truss clamps", i think that will be the problem and that's why i had my thoughts the first way with them.
But like it's always, most of the time we will get away with it, i'm not getting a speeding ticket for every time i don't follow the max speed allowed, my only thoughts are:"why take the risk if there are alternatives for it?"

[-bart-]

Depends on the situation,

If your rider dictates: at least XX meter of free prolyte 30 truss or equivalent, at XX height, rigged conform 8020.XX, etc Then by all means: use trigger clamps.

But if you regularly end up doing jobs in places where you meet all kinds of girders, balconies, meshes and grids, you'll be safer off with 2 superclamps per projector.

[mccarrot]

I think there are more very expensive lasers rigged with superclamps, than all of us together would ever rig. So I think they have proven to be good.

The clamp astetic advised are nice in a perfect world where you always have horizontal trus. Unfortunatly I dont live in a perfect world so I use superclamps. I used them on ring truss, vertical trus diagonal trus etc. Everyting works:



About securing, doesnt the law tells you need to secure the equipment? Doesnt a 2nd clamp count for for security for the first clamp?

[astatic]

Mccarot, it doesn't matter how many rigged them with the superclamps, there not meant for a truss and that's what should count for the arbo/insurance in your case.
But if someone wants to use the superclamps, be my quest it's not my responsibility.

The question of the topic starter was 5 truss clamps, so my advice is about truss clamps.

Securing is with a steal, the stupid part is that when the toggle fails the steal won't safe anything.

[norty303]

What do you mean 'the steel won't save anything'?
It should be appropriately rated for the fixture so that it does save it. Again, they are rated by SWL so it should be no problem getting the correct one.