Scissor Clamps

Noah

Noah

Well-known member
I'm about to go into a shoot next week and we're shooting almost entirely in an office setting with a drop ceiling. There's going to be a lot of hand held so I figured scissor clamps would be a great thing to add to the kit to minimize the use of stands. I think 3 should be a good number. I'm told scissor clamps can only hold lightweight lights, but how lightweight? Could one hold a 1k fresnel? Could it hold a 4x4 Kino?
 
Hi Noah,

I've only used peppers with scissor clamps (for a back light). It's pretty solid, so I would think it would hold a 1K - though it would be nice if someone here had tried it before.

Regarding a 4x4 Kino. Hmm... I'd be a little nervous having something that heavy over my actors + it's expensive if it falls. Again, perhaps someone has direct experience with this.

By the way, have you seen the scissor clamps with the hook attachment? It allows you to run cable across the ceiling, really cool if you're shooting a walk and talk down a hallway.

PR
 
I have seen the ones with the hook attachments. Actually, I overlooked my equipment list and there are already 4 scissor clamps on the 1 ton truck so I'm getting them nomatter what. Now I just want to know what is safe to hang. If it was a normal set, I'd just screw the kino to the ceiling directly or with a baby plate, but this ceilings can't hold that, so i'm hoping the scissors will work. Maybe I can rig one up to hold it directly and two others on either side of it with maffers or something for extra support- may be too much effort for what we'll need. I actually am not entirely sure what we'll need until we get there, all speculation right now.
 
Hi:

Lowell makes these cool little T-bar clamps that actually fit on a drop ceiling cross bar very nicely with a 5/8" stud. They are only about $25.00 ea. I think. Be careful though, most drop ceilings are not really heavy duty, I would only put small lights up there.

For the sake of our crew and talent, use safety cables/chains although if you overweight the t-bar, the whole thing will probably come crashing down anyway.

Best,

Dan
 
Another way to rig overhead lights with drop ceiling tiles, and of course this depends on the height of the ceiling, and the height of the "Real " ceiling above the drop tiles...is to move a few tiles out of the way, and use a mafor clamp(bogen super clamp) and clamp onto a pipe or I-beam . Then attach a c-stand arm(Gobo arm) to the clamp, and attach the light to that.
This is a good way to have a secure surface to support the weight, and is great for extra low ceilings, especially if your in danger of having a light hung from the ceiling tiles , appear in the shot.
 
Fantastic. I've never really shot in a place with drop ceilings so I wasn't really sure what was above it - good to know.
 
When you wrap out of each location, you should always leave it as clean or cleaner than when you found it. The reason I bring this up, is that sometimes when moving ceiling tiles, there is alot of dust, and white particulate from the tiles themselves that will fall on the floor when you move the ceiling tiles, or replace them when finished. Handle the tiles carefully, or you can break a corner off of them when you replace or remove them...Just something to consider if you go this route...It doesn't always happen, but plan on it happening. You might want to prepare and take a broom and dust pan, or a hand held "Dustbuster" type vac with you..Another cheap way is to get one of those cheap painters drop cloths or drop plastic sheets, and lay it down before you adjust tiles, then just throw it away when finished. Your tiles, depending on their age, may not give you a problem at all ,either.
Good luck on your shoot.
 
Thanks for the tip - always good to know the bad things I may come across before I actually do come across them.
 
I can't imagine hanging a 1k fresnel or a diva light from a scissor clamp, that just seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Not only to the light, but to any poor soul unlucky enough to be under it when it gives way.

Definitely do as filmat11 suggests, find something SOLID up there to hang a mafer or a cardellini on, and hang a light from that, and then use a safety cable in addition.
 
Good advice all around.

I have perhaps a silly question for filmat11. How do you replace the ceiling tiles once you have removed them? I had this problem before, where you can push the tile up but there's nothing to hold on to when you want to pull it flush back into place.

The only solution I've found is to remove another tile and push the first one in from above. Of course you now have the same problem with tile 2.

This may have a really obvious answer, but I thought I'd ask.

PR
 
I have only once had a problem removing or replacing a tile. Simply putting pressure on one side of the tile, and lifting it into the space above, will do the trick. Just grap the edge of the tile once its lifted and place it onto the top of an ajoining tile. I usually leave a couple of inches showing, so I can grab it again when I'm done. If it's a tight fit, I try pushing the frame work of the drop ceiling grid a bit to facilitate the tile dropping into place. Its kind of like installing a storm window into a screen door... When I had real problems, I used a couple of wood screws, hand turned into the normal pattern on most ceiling tiles to act as handles, and I pulled it into place...
 
Hi Noah:

Must be an east coast/west coast thing in terminology? Out here in LA, scissor clamps are a much larger heavier combo clip that attaches by spring pressure for rigging big lights and grip gear. I have never heard of those little 2" or 3" Lowell T-bar clips referred to as "scissor clamps" but maybe they are in some places?

Kind of like beadboard holders are sometimes called beaverboard holders? I have noticed that there are sometimes regional differences in how grip and rigging gear is referred to.

Another option would be C-clamps with 5/8" spuds on them, they are very handy for hanging heavier lights but I would be looking for doors, door frames or shelves to afffix them to, obviously not drop ceilings.

Best,

Dan
 
Yeah, I guess it is an east/west coast thing. Anyway, I think I'll be okay for my smaller lights - the dedo's, inkies, tweenies with the scissor clamps attached to the drop ceiling. For anything more, I'll be looking for pipes above to rig with pipe clamps or cardelini's - whichever do the job better depending on the size of the pipe.
 
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