The rigging System

1. The rigging System How to use it safely and properly

2. Terminology • Batten – the pipe above the stage from which the scenery or lights are hung • Arbor - the counterweight that balances the batten • Flying – the act of bring the batten in or out of the playing space • Line – the rope/wire that runs through the system • In-balance – when the arbor and the batten are properly and equally weighted. If you release the line, nothing moves. • Pipe-heavy – when the system is unbalanced with more weight on the batten than the arbor. If you release the line, the batten will come crashing down • Arbor-heavy – when the system is unbalanced with more weight on the arbor than the batten. If you release the line, the batten will fly up and the weights come crashing down.

3. Rules • Do NOT overload arbor or batten. When adding or removing lights, this means bringing it in and out and reweighting as you go. • Do NOT put any part of your body under the weights. • Do NOT use without permission. • ALWAYS Call out “pipe Coming in!” or “Pipe Coming out!” so people around you and on the stage know to look out for it. • NEVER unlock or start to lower a batten when someone is under it or potentially will be under it. • At times, the rigging may have to be slightly out of weight. In this case, ALWAYS make sure that the arbor side is the heavier, and ALWAYS try to get it as close to possible to being in-balance. • If you can’t see the pipe, have someone act as a spotter, NEVER bring a pipe in without someone closely watching it.

4. Weighing the Arbor • Weights come in 10 lb. or 20 lb. metal bricks. • An ellipsoidal light weighs approximately 14 lbs. • A Fresnel weighs approximately 13 lbs. • If you are taking lights off a pipe, take the light first, then pull the pipe out and re-weight. Take them off in ones or twos.