Canopy hanging rack - portable and cheap

[councilman24 36]

I need to construct for the symposium a rack for presenters to use to hang canopies from for inspection/repair. I was going to use electrical conduit until I realized there weren't Tee's available. May still us it with holes drilled in a 2x4 for the base on each side. Anybody have a better idea? I'd use pvc water pipe but it's not stiff enough. Pipe is pretty heavy. Wood is too rough. 1 1/2 inch pvc drain pipe will work but pretty bulky. Got the spring clamps.

Just trolling for ideas I haven't thought about. I wasn't inspired at Lowe's last night. Transportation not a problem. I'll build it there. Tools will include hand tools and probably drill. Cheap is nice.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[teason 0]

I use PVC pipe at my DZ and we hang tandems from it. here is a diagram, It consists of 3 10' peices with the conectors screw in place (four screws each, top bottom and sides)
The hooks are simple screw in hooks, make sure you predrill. You can find clamps that have holes in the handles, makes sure the holes fit the hooks.
As for the rope, drill two holes, each about three feet from the end of the tube. put the rope through and tie a knot. This should spread the weight out better.
Let me know how it works.

Tim

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

[AggieDave 6]

Use 2 sections of PVC water pipe and put them together with a coupler, that'll help with the stiffnes. Also, if you have more then 1 or two hanging points, that'll help with keeping everything nice and straight. You can use 550 chord to hang it, take and attatch two lines of 550 to the coupler, run them up to a point on the ceiling, through pullies or a grommet back down to the pipe, have two pullies or gromments or eye hooks about a 1/3 of the way in from each end, run through those and back up through another central point and down to the floor, tie it off at the desired height.


Another option since you're in a comfrence center/hotel, hang the damn thing from the ceiling using some clamps tied to suspension line. Tie the suspension line around the sound tile frames.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[councilman24 36]

Okay, I probably need a floor standing model. Hanging from the ceiling may or may not be an option.

Thanks though.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[mar_tin 0]

You ought to be able to rent some pipe and base from a local lighting and/or staging rental outfit. Most places will let you paint their pipe too...
In New York a simple goalpost would run you about $40 for a week, not including delivery. Bases tend to be 35-50lbs and the pipe is 1-1/2" diameter. You can request short lengths threaded on both ends and couple them if you need the pipe to fit in your car. You can tee using their h'ware, and then just swathe it in fabric to reduce any chance of tearing your canopy on a sharp edge. There's all sorts of clamps, tail-downs, and/or sidearms you could use for points to hang the canopies from.

At the end of the day, it all goes back to their shop...

[BIGUN 1,049]

We ran a wood dowel thru the pvc pipe to give it some strength.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Cloggy 1]

KeeClamp is a nice system for quickly throwing things like frames or railings togehter: http://www.keeklamp.com/us/catalog.html
Not particularly cheap though...

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

We ran a wood dowel thru the pvc pipe to give it some strength.

I built one for Irvin to hang 370's on and thats what I did. PVC with dowel inside. It was 25 feet long and saging was not a problem.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[riggerrob 558]

I was just planning to clamp a canopy to a couple of those 6 foot by 6 foot office dividers.
Since I only need to work on the bottom skin - attaching suspension lines - I have no need to access the top skin.

[councilman24 36]

Not sure I have office dividers Rob. I'll have something worked out before the seminars start. Some of the other presenter might want to use it too. When are arriving? Call me when you get there and we'll see what I've got.

Later

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[mxk 1]

Bringing up an old thread to see if anyone has some new ideas on this topic. I'd like to build a free-standing canopy rack for use at home, ideally one that's not too difficult to assemble and disassemble for storage. I thought about attaching it to the ceiling, but there is just no good place for me to do that, so it has to stand on the floor.

Right now, I'm thinking of building a frame that's about 10 ft tall and then attaching a pulley system and a horizontal bar with clamps inside of that frame. PVC pipes with dowels may work, but the question is how easy the assembly would be. If you have any other ideas, please let me know.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

Hi mxk,

Quote

PVC pipes with dowels may work

If I were doing it ( and I am not ) I would consider 3" ABS pipe. And you can get fittings that allow you to screw the various pieces together, think of how a cleanout works.

Jerry Baumchen

[councilman24 36]

I have a heavy duty shower curtain rod. Actually it's an industrial u track with travelling eyes. It was used for thr strip vinyl curtains that you see on freezer doors at commercial warehouses but this was around a cage washer. Suspended from the suspended ceiling frame with small spring clamp attached. This lets me spread or collapse the canopy like a shower curtain so I don't need full width, even though I have enougk track. All you need on any ceiling.are a couple.of screw hooks into joists. Then hange the pulleys and bar when needed. I have one in the living room over the basement stairs for hanging rounds. Hook painted to match ceiling.and you never see it. We ended up with on made out of black pipe at the symposium.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[mxk 1]

I found two stand solutions that may be just what I need:

Odyssey Projection Screen Frame ($190, assembly video)
Odyssey Portable Truss System ($120, assembly video)

Would you be concerned about the canopy getting snagged on anything, like the tripod stand or height adjustment knobs, with this design? I'm thinking that I can even skip the pulley system and rails; just attach the clamps with 550 cord to the top bar and they will still be able to move side to side.

[councilman24 36]

Yes I would be concerned about it getting snagged. There may be folded metal edges or ends that are sharp or at a point. The screws the wing nuts go on may be sharp. In addition the clamps wouldn't slide with the trusses or the assembly screws getting in the way. 8' isn't very wide, even if you could slide it.

In addition I think these would fall over. Normally you stretch the lines out to the side by putting the rig on a stand, chair or the floor. While you don't pull it tight I think the weight of the lines etc would pull them over. That could be solved with weights on the tripods but if it needs to be portable I think you'd be better off putting something together from PVC pipe. Make some of the parts nest and leave particular junctions unglued. Sometimes low tech is better than high tech. Which includes a chair or step ladder instead of a pulley system, at least for a portable system.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Pipes-Fittings-PVC-Pipe-Fittings/2%22/N-5yc1vZbuf5Z1z0x2di Three and four packs of three way and four way junctions available.

My track is like this product but mine was industrial remodel salvage (free)
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/applications/workshops-paint-booths/recmar-3118-heavy-duty-ceiling-mount-track.html

Still not particularly expensive.

Here is maybe a better option like what you posted. Different use and couldn't find load capability. 20' wide also available.
http://www.backdropoutlet.com/HEAVY-DUTY-BACKGROUND-STAND/productinfo/EX121/

This may be the best deal. You can use the light stands for inspection!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STUDIO-LIGHTING-PHOTOGRAPHY-STUDIO-3-backdrops-2-stands-PHOTO-LIGHT-KIT-/231626447575?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35ee031ad7

Now stop talking about it and do it.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[hackish 8]

There are gymnastic type bar assemblies that are plenty strong. I believe parallel bars are about 12' long. Not sure about horizontal bars. You could rent something like that. I have seen indoor soccer net frames used for this as well.

-Michael

[mxk 1]

I've looked at gymnastic horizontal bars and soccer goals/rebounders. They all have various downsides (weight, price, size, etc.). The solution I'm now leaning toward is a pair of autopoles (something like this or this, but I'm still looking). They are quick to set up, create a very stable frame that will not fall over, and take up much less room on the floor than the tripods. Putting a horizontal bar between them should be simple.

[councilman24 36]

Those won't work in a tall hanger and under a suspended ceiling you may not get enough tension.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[hackish 8]

mxk

I've looked at gymnastic horizontal bars and soccer goals/rebounders. They all have various downsides (weight, price, size, etc.). The solution I'm now leaning toward is a pair of autopoles (something like this or this, but I'm still looking). They are quick to set up, create a very stable frame that will not fall over, and take up much less room on the floor than the tripods. Putting a horizontal bar between them should be simple.

I think the problem is that there are very few ceilings you can use those things on. Hanging ceiling is a no. Gyproc is likely to be damaged. concrete in a bunker/parking garage... OK. Ultimately you're not going to get small, light, stable and cheap so pick 2.

-Michael

[kingbunky 3]

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[phoenixlpr 0]

kingbunky

i saw this one in z-hills last spring. don't know who belongs to it, or any details. i looks collapsible with the removable pins. helmet rack is a nice addition.

That seems to be a gear hanging rack, not a canopy hanging rack....

[kingbunky 3]

yeah, didn't read the title. my bad

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[mxk 1]

councilman24

Those won't work in a tall hanger and under a suspended ceiling you may not get enough tension.

True, but I was only looking for something that would work in my house. I ended up going with the 3rd Hand poles. You just need to put them under a stud and the entire setup is extremely stable and compact. Photos attached. Takes about 5-10 minutes to assemble once you know where to put the poles and everything fits into the bag in the last photo when disassembled. Can't say it was very cheap (a bit over $200 with the clamps), but I'm happy with the result.