# What is it? - Old JR Clancy Equipment



## MaxS (Jun 1, 2011)

I was reorganizing the shop the other day, and came across these guys buried in a corner behind lumber storage. Any idea what they are? They're labeled JR Clancy, and appear to be from a production of "Harvey" in 1969. I haven't the slightest:



[Post moved here from another location. Students-only for one week please. Extra credit for citing CB links.]


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## MarshallPope (Jun 1, 2011)

Ooh, I know, I know! I don't want to answer this quickly after the posting, though...


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## gafftapegreenia (Jun 1, 2011)

Aw they can't be THAT old, the have philips head fasteners!!!


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## derekleffew (Jun 1, 2011)

Another question: When was the last time you used, or saw these used (for their intended purpose, not for changing gels)?

Me, 1981, I think.

(Everyone is welcome to answer this part.)


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## MarshallPope (Jun 1, 2011)

I was planning on using a few of them in a show I have coming up in a couple of months at my church, but the box full of the hardware has disappeared as of last week, along with all of our spare clamps and a couple of side booms. I need to embark on a scavenger hunt soon.


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## gafftapegreenia (Jun 1, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Another question: When was the last time you used, or saw these used (for their intended purpose, not for changing gels)?
> 
> Me, 1981, I think.
> 
> (Everyone is welcome to answer this part.)



Never. Not once. 

When extended, they're great for breasting back cable swags.


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## dramatech (Jun 1, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Another question: When was the last time you used, or saw these used (for their intended purpose, not for changing gels)?
> 
> Me, 1981, I think.
> 
> (Everyone is welcome to answer this part.)



Last year, after I explained to some of our younger techs what they are and their purpose. At the last minute, we couldn't find, nor did we have time to assemble one of the more modern ones. There was one of these guys standing against the wall, and it got pressed into service.

Tom Johnson


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## sarahsliefie (Jun 1, 2011)

I used a set of those just last year. We had a tall and thin set piece that was moved around and used both sides. These made great movable supports to the back wall. The set piece was not stable enough to have people on it with out support. I had not used them in years but they proved useful once again.


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## mstaylor (Jun 1, 2011)

Probably ten/fifteen years.


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## Scarrgo (Jun 1, 2011)

It has been at least 15 or more years since I have seen them used...

Sean....


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## rochem (Jun 1, 2011)

Used one of these last season for a small backing flat, mainly because it was there - and I kinda wanted to be able to say that I had used one.


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## venuetech (Jun 1, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Another question: When was the last time you used, or saw these used (for their intended purpose, not for changing gels)?
> 
> Me, 1981, I think.
> 
> (Everyone is welcome to answer this part.)



We used them all the time in high school and we used them with the old style xxxxx xxxxx (with little damage to the floor)


yet a third question may be: How do you use an old style xxxxx xxxxx without excessive damage to the floor.


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## techieman33 (Jun 1, 2011)

2004, my semester of high school. We were just in there recently doing a ballet and I was sad to see they were all gone. I was told they were thrown away because the current tech teacher said there was no use for them and they just wasted space.


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## shiben (Jun 1, 2011)

venuetech said:


> We used them all the time in high school and we used them with the old style xxxxx xxxxx (with little damage to the floor)
> 
> 
> yet a third question may be: How do you use an old style xxxxx xxxxx without excessive damage to the floor.


 
Looks like an old school stage screw, or a brace cleat (see the stage brace link) I would imagine that the original question's gear is Stage Braces


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## ScottT (Jun 1, 2011)

MaxS said:


> Extra credit for citing CB links.


 
See this post by Van from 2009.
It's used to hold Broadway flats in a vertical position I think. As for when I've used them: never. (Except to "focus" an instrument once )


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## kiwitechgirl (Jun 1, 2011)

Haven't used them in the last five years, but a venue I worked at in England had a big stock of them and we used them regularly. I also remember being slightly scared when working with the Bolshoi - and instead of hooking them into the correct hardware, they'd just hook them into a loop of sash cord and twist it until the sash was tight, then attach it to the deck....just a little bit dodgy....


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## BrianWolfe (Jun 2, 2011)

Last time I used it for what it is designed for...1980. Often used for pulling back masking legs or grab/nudge anything out of reach when I am too lazy to grab a genie or ladder.


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## Technicalmancolton (Jul 28, 2011)

We were cleaning out the shop at The Permian Playhouse of Odessa , a comunity theater were I doing lighting designs for alot shows. We found these and I was going to ask the same question, What Are They? They look like some sort of support beam.


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## Noramac (Nov 6, 2011)

I think I know this one. These are called stage braces, and they are used as quick jacks for flats. They have become antique now, and are used for breasting battens and cables and such.


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## Robert (Nov 7, 2011)

Last time I used one? 1977. Last time I saw one for sale. At our local supply house last week. Brand new. They told me they would make a deal on the pair for me. These were converted to be held down by saddle bags though. I still have some cleats and lashing cleats, but no stage braces.


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## ship (Nov 9, 2011)

Robert said:


> Last time I used one? 1977. Last time I saw one for sale. At our local supply house last week. Brand new. They told me they would make a deal on the pair for me. These were converted to be held down by saddle bags though. I still have some cleats and lashing cleats, but no stage braces.



Got some stage screws of both style, hanging irons and all assorted even lash line cletes and one c.1911 oak 16' stage brace that is frequently used be it from my tape wall - 14' high in grabbing tape, to at times in the shop just focusing fixtures. Frequently use it in my work area in bracing cable out of the way when hoisting up a large mirror ball or other item hung. Ibid on the concept of the weighted plate they were attached to later - though in my case it was 1.5" thick plywood plate, drywall screw with washer attached and weighted down by stage weights. Bottom of this sub-plate as it were was rubber or vinyl coated in often floor runner so as to grip the stage once weighted. 


Above 1911 theater when I got there letf had a wall of stage braces from 18" thru like 20'. It was very impressive. A shame in all of them gone - stolen or possibly trashed in taking up too much space, other than the one I traded for. As with much of their old gear and parts. (Though in recently seeing the place, I think that the old TD just forgot where he squarrelled away the antique lights.) Rigging cabinet stocked - emptied and gone etc. though. Lort type place with hired stage hands on each show. Few if any formal employees on stage supervising.

None the less, stage brace and not metioned yet is the concept of gel changing or removing while hung. While at that past theater, I remember often using a stage brace to remove gel from overhead fixtures in quick time. Can't remember if I was good enough to also re-gel with stage brace or if possible but possible in concept. (Probably not but think we tried it a lot.) Stage brace was a good while hung gel, as a removing tool for what's still in the air and very useful for that if not it's origional purpose. Stage jacks I prefered later of course and at least 12 years since I used any such thing.


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## JBrennan (Nov 9, 2011)

Used our set last year to brace a wall unit with two working doors that flew in.

Both had an attached metal plate on the stage deck in. We would fly the wall in, secure the stage brace to the back, put a stage weight on the plate, and scoot off stage. This kept the flat from rocking either forward or back as the doors opened and closed, one of which was a double swing diner door. Worked like a charm.

When it was time to fly the wall out, we locked the doors and reversed.

Just goes to show you sometimes high tech isn't always the way to go I guess.


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## ship (Nov 11, 2011)

P.S. Have a 1911 stage screw at work to explain why in the museum collection I have a Major 18" spoked base under an 8' display of an Olivalitte rosette mount light on it. Yes, I at least have it safety cabled to the ceiling by way of fixture added safety cable ring added to the fixture, but in general a spoked 18" base wouldn't support a boom short of attachment from falling over. This is long before the 40# boom base concept, they used to be 1" NPT from what I see for short booms and stage screwed to the stage floor. 

Seperate but as shown above, the stage screw was also used to attach boom bases to the deck.


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