Wall spreaders

[Alex Wuijts]

For some of you this may be old news.

 

There's been a couple of threads here about hanging lights for 360 degree shooting or in other occasions where hanging lights overhead is the way to go, so I wanted to point the ones who don't know it yet to these very nice wall spreaders. They're a lot stronger than polecats - you have to basically hang your full weight on them to check if they are hanging tight enough (be careful though), and just as easy to use.

 

I don't know what the English term is, but you use extendable pipes that are also used in parallels. The one thing you have to be 100% sure of is the strength of the walls you use them on, in other words, use them on a bearing wall only.

 

On this site you can find some pictures: http://www.technofilms.com/wall_spreader.htm

I don't know if the ones I used are of this particular brand, but it was the only similar spreader I could find an image of.

 

Alex.

Edited July 17, 2007 by Alex Wuijts

[John Sprung]

It doesn't really have to be bearing walls -- they're not much stronger if at all in the horizontal direction, they just have a lot more vertical load on them. The code definition is that a bearing wall supports 100 pounds or more per lineal foot.

 

The important thing is to spread the load over enough studs that you don't damage the sheetrock or plaster. That's why they're called wall busters.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[robert duke]

If you know what you are doing, spread the forces using pancakes with a little duvetyn padding to diffuse the outward forces, etc you wont break walls, plaster, etc.

[Alex Wuijts]

If you know what you are doing, spread the forces using pancakes with a little duvetyn padding to diffuse the outward forces, etc you wont break walls, plaster, etc.

 

that's a great tip

[Jon Rosenbloom]

Actually, instead of pancakes, use 2"x4" lumber at 16", as 16" is the standard distance between wall studs. Also, one MUST periodically check the tightness of the speaders, since the wood expands and contracts as the temperature of the room changes.

[John Sprung]

as 16" is the standard distance between wall studs. ....

Unless you take the time to actually find where the studs are, 16" isn't enough to make sure that you're bridging across at least two of them. Go for something more like three feet.

 

 

 

-- J.S.