Stand with Cross beam curtain rod

Tyson Persall · July 8th, 2008, 08:41 PM

I dont know what this is called - but Ive seen a kit that includes two light stands and a cross beam that connects the two together to form a curtain rod - or something you can hang lights on.

The cross beam has holes in it that fits over the pins on the top of the light stands ( or any C-Stand would work) . It spreads from 5 feet to 10 feet wide. I think the whole kit cost 150$. Forgot to get the name...

Anyway, My question is - say i have two C-stands that would work for this - Is there someone who just sells the cross beam rod that goes in between??

That would be awesome if i could buy that. Otherwise i guess i could just buy a metal pipe at home depot and rig that between two C-Stands to accomplish this - but metal rods are heavy and not as easy to rig...

Michael Chenoweth · July 8th, 2008, 10:16 PM

Tyson,

eefx.com sells a modular crossbar that works for this type of setup, but in their case it's for backdrops / greenscreens so you'll want to check to see how much weight it can hold. I've used 1/2" - 3/4" EMT conduit for this type of job as well. Again, larger instruments will need a stronger support rod, but c-stands work really well as long as you sandbag them.

cheno

Seth Bloombaum · July 9th, 2008, 12:05 AM

The inexpensive kits are meant to hold a background or roll of bg paper.

I've used the same trick as Michael - a piece of thinwall electrical conduit, just extend out the boom arms of the c-stands (the non-grip-head end) and stick the conduit over/between the two of them.

If rotation is a problem, and it will be if you're hanging lights, not a background, chuck one end in a grip head, carefully so as to not crush the conduit.

There are probably some conduit couplers at your local home depot for longer spans. This whole sort of system is probably not rated for studio lights, but lighter weights are fine.

I have some bits and pieces from Lowel to make up something similar, but more compact - two "grip - KG" heads and two "full poles - KP". The rig can run on a couple heavy duty field stands. If you're ready to use a couple c-stands you already have you wouldn't need the lowel grip heads, but they are handy to turn a light stand into a semi-c. At full extension I don't think these would support a 2k, but probably anything smaller.

Disclaimer: Overhead rigs are inherently dangerous because of the potential to come down on someone. Always use safety cables and sandbags! Rig at your own risk. DO NOT injure someone because of something you read on the internet!

Nino Giannotti · July 9th, 2008, 06:51 AM

Rather than a conduit you can use a 3/4" (ID) galvanized pipe available in sizes up to 10' long at any home improvement stores, you can use threaded unions to extend the length. It's considerably heavier and safer to use and will not be crashed by the clamping.

Mount the pipe on the C stands with two Mafers or super-clamps available form Matthews http://www.msegrip.com/ or Bogen and you can also use the same clamp with a stud to attach the light the tubing or even better use a Matthelini clamp also available from Matthews.

If weight is a concern you can use 1.5 aluminum tubing available from many industrial suppliers like McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/ search under structural framing, you'll also find all kinds of connectors that allow you to build anything you need.

Don't forget the safety cables and plenty of sandbags on the base of the C Stands .

David Beisner · July 14th, 2008, 06:47 AM

I would use 3/4" EMT myself for a good combination of strength and light weight. 3/4" EMT is quite strong (I'm in the construction industry where I did a lot of electrical work) and I've even hung off of a run myself at one point when I needed to. (I'm 6'7" and 260lbs). So yeah, it'll hold a good deal of weight without buckling.

July 8th, 2008, 08:41 PM	#1
Tyson Persall Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North Hollywood, Atlanta Posts: 437	Stand with Cross beam curtain rod - Kit. I dont know what this is called - but Ive seen a kit that includes two light stands and a cross beam that connects the two together to form a curtain rod - or something you can hang lights on. The cross beam has holes in it that fits over the pins on the top of the light stands ( or any C-Stand would work) . It spreads from 5 feet to 10 feet wide. I think the whole kit cost 150$. Forgot to get the name... Anyway, My question is - say i have two C-stands that would work for this - Is there someone who just sells the cross beam rod that goes in between?? That would be awesome if i could buy that. Otherwise i guess i could just buy a metal pipe at home depot and rig that between two C-Stands to accomplish this - but metal rods are heavy and not as easy to rig... __________________ Tyson X

July 9th, 2008, 06:51 AM	#4
Nino Giannotti Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tampa-Orlando, FL Posts: 124	Rather than a conduit you can use a 3/4" (ID) galvanized pipe available in sizes up to 10' long at any home improvement stores, you can use threaded unions to extend the length. It's considerably heavier and safer to use and will not be crashed by the clamping. Mount the pipe on the C stands with two Mafers or super-clamps available form Matthews http://www.msegrip.com/ or Bogen and you can also use the same clamp with a stud to attach the light the tubing or even better use a Matthelini clamp also available from Matthews. If weight is a concern you can use 1.5 aluminum tubing available from many industrial suppliers like McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/ search under structural framing, you'll also find all kinds of connectors that allow you to build anything you need. Don't forget the safety cables and plenty of sandbags on the base of the C Stands . Attached Images __________________ NinoMedia Productions - EFPLighting.com Advanced Lighting and Gripping Workshops

July 14th, 2008, 06:47 AM	#5
David Beisner Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dayton, TN (USA) Posts: 219	I would use 3/4" EMT myself for a good combination of strength and light weight. 3/4" EMT is quite strong (I'm in the construction industry where I did a lot of electrical work) and I've even hung off of a run myself at one point when I needed to. (I'm 6'7" and 260lbs). So yeah, it'll hold a good deal of weight without buckling. __________________ David Beisner Media Specialist, Bryan College, Dayton, TN -- www.bryan.edu

July 8th, 2008, 10:16 PM	#2
Michael Chenoweth Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sandy, Utah Posts: 128	Tyson, eefx.com sells a modular crossbar that works for this type of setup, but in their case it's for backdrops / greenscreens so you'll want to check to see how much weight it can hold. I've used 1/2" - 3/4" EMT conduit for this type of job as well. Again, larger instruments will need a stronger support rod, but c-stands work really well as long as you sandbag them. cheno

July 9th, 2008, 12:05 AM	#3
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	The inexpensive kits are meant to hold a background or roll of bg paper. I've used the same trick as Michael - a piece of thinwall electrical conduit, just extend out the boom arms of the c-stands (the non-grip-head end) and stick the conduit over/between the two of them. If rotation is a problem, and it will be if you're hanging lights, not a background, chuck one end in a grip head, carefully so as to not crush the conduit. There are probably some conduit couplers at your local home depot for longer spans. This whole sort of system is probably not rated for studio lights, but lighter weights are fine. I have some bits and pieces from Lowel to make up something similar, but more compact - two "grip - KG" heads and two "full poles - KP". The rig can run on a couple heavy duty field stands. If you're ready to use a couple c-stands you already have you wouldn't need the lowel grip heads, but they are handy to turn a light stand into a semi-c. At full extension I don't think these would support a 2k, but probably anything smaller. Disclaimer: Overhead rigs are inherently dangerous because of the potential to come down on someone. Always use safety cables and sandbags! Rig at your own risk. DO NOT injure someone because of something you read on the internet!