Copy
Issue #36: September 30, 2018
 
View this email in your browser

“What is the one tool that you cannot do without?”

 
 
When I was recently asked this, I thought it was a great question. Certainly, every rigger might answer this question differently, but for me the answer is clear – wire rope. Here is why.
 
My primary job as an aerial rigger is to safely hang stuff (typically aerial apparatus, but maybe a pulley or something else) from a beam of some sort. Depending on what constitutes “the beam” and other factors, I might choose a beam clamp, a round sling, a mega clamp, a climbing runner or some other piece of hardware to make my attachment to the beam. However, one of the most versatile materials I have is 1/8 dia. 7x19 galvanized aircraft cable (GAC).
 
Wire rope comes on lots of different sizes, but 1/8” dia. GAC is my favorite. It is very flexible and is thin enough to get into small cracks. I can make the wire rope into a loop of any length desired. It is also very strong - a single loop of 1/8 GAC has a breaking strength of 4,000 pounds. And if I need more strength, I can just make a loop coil with multiple wraps. Each new wrap increases its strength by an additional 4,000 pounds. This means that I can make a loop of any size and almost any strength required for the job.  Plus, unlike fiber rope, it is not susceptible to abrasion, so it takes the abuse of being wrapped around a beam with sharp corners.
 
As I said earlier, wire rope is a versatile material. I can tie it to a beam using a circus hitch or choke it around a beam to prevent it from sliding. I can use it in a cable glider (aka VERlock) and quickly and easily adjust the length. I can quickly make an eye that with 100% efficiency with a swaging sleeve, or with 70-90% efficiency using a Flemish eye (no tools or hardware required). It also makes a great line for running over pulleys.
 
I use other sizes and constructions of wire rope for different purposes. I like to use ¼” 7x19 GAC, with 7,000-pound breaking strength, to make stingers (a single length of wire rope with an eye on each end) when an apparatus needs to be a specific distance about the floor. 19x7 and XTL4 are great wire ropes for situations where rotation of the a 7x19 might be a problem.
 
Wire rope is also very affordable and available at most hardware and big box stores.
 
The biggest down-side of wire rope is that it is difficult to grip with your hands – which is where a large diameter fiber rope is what you want. Still, wire rope is my “go-to” solution for many problems.
 
Professional grade swaging tools (Nicopress or Locoloc) can be a bit expensive, but you can purchase an inexpensive swaging tool for 1/16” through 5/52” diameter wire ropes for about $35 at most big box store. The biggest problem with these tools is that they do not come with a Go/No-go gauge, which you must have. The good news is that you can get a great Go/No-go gauge from ZFX Flying (zfxflying.com) for about $25. If fact, this Go/No-go gauge is another of my favorite tools.  
Some of my other favorite tools include: shackles, pear rings, polyester round slings and fiber rope.
 
So, if you want to be a rigger, these are some things tools that you might want to start purchasing or getting more familiar with using.
 
Happy rigging.
 
-Delbert
 
Need to learn rigging math? Check-out my book. You can purchase it from Amazon.com.
 
You might also be interested in the latest book that Brian Sickels and I have written. Available at Amazon.com.
 

Delbert L. Hall, PhD

ETCP Certified Rigger - Theatre
ETCP Recognized Trainer
Member of IATSE Local 699
ACE Safety Consultant
Flying Director - D2 Flying Effects


 
Copyright © 2018 Delbert L. Hall, LLC, All rights reserved.


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp