# Little Giant Cage?



## TheaterEd (Jan 31, 2014)

Has anyone gotten to try out the Little Giant Cage?

I happened upon this thanks to a different link about cardboard set pieces. http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/better-ladders-safer-work.html
I bought a little giant back in 04 for my mom's house and I loved working with that thing, but this almost seems to good to be true, so I'm wondering if anyone has gotten to try one out?

The trim level for my lights is right around 18' so if the blog is right it could be perfect for me.

I guess I'm just wondering what are other people's thoughts on this one?


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## len (Jan 31, 2014)

I have 2 of their ladders. Solid and stable. I'd consider this if I were in the market for another.


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## TDN (Feb 1, 2014)

Since they won't sell Tallescopes in the US (basically an unpowered Genie), this really does look like the next best thing. I'm hoping I can get one at the end of this year, as my electrics trims are also right about 18 feet.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Feb 1, 2014)

Its too bad that litigation and government regulation made tallescopes not available.


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## gafftaper (Feb 1, 2014)

They had them at LDI. I think we wrote about them here somewhere. The big one is pretty heavy, but one person can fully set it up with a little BF&I (Brute Force and Ignorance). Once up it's an excellent looking product. Stable, Tall, able to reach lights on stage in most theaters. The one negative I see is that once it's up, you have to drag it around and it's pretty big to do that. There's no quick and easy way to wheel it from one fixture to the next. I've used the regular little giant for focusing and it was hard enough to drag around... this would be even heavier. 

While I like the idea, I'm a bigger fan of just buying a rolling scaffold. Safe, stable, reasonably priced, and very easy to move around.


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## StradivariusBone (Feb 3, 2014)

If we didn't have an AWP it'd be worth the cost, but it's hard to justify spending that kind of bread on a ladder when we've got 2 12' and the Genie already. That being said, I kinda wish we could justify it.


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## Tex (Feb 9, 2014)

StradivariusBone said:


> If we didn't have an AWP it'd be worth the cost, but it's hard to justify spending that kind of bread on a ladder when we've got 2 12' and the Genie already. That being said, I kinda wish we could justify it.


I have a man lift and a rolling scaffold, but I still want one! I think I have a problem...


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## gafftaper (Mar 1, 2014)

Tex said:


> I have a man lift and a rolling scaffold, but I still want one! I think I have a problem...



The first step to getting better is recognizing that you have a problem.


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## Tex (Mar 2, 2014)

gafftaper said:


> The first step to getting better is recognizing that you have a problem.


Hi. I'm Tex, and I'm a tech theatre ho...


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## Jay Ashworth (Mar 2, 2014)

Just contemplate having to pay for it out of pocket.  (Grainger has the 14' for slightly over 2 grand)


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## zmb (Mar 3, 2014)

Tex can be the designated ladder/lift/scaffold reviewer for ControlBooth.


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## sk8rsdad (Mar 3, 2014)

What does @Tex think of the Genie GR-20 Runabout? We're thinking of getting one to replace our pneumatic AWP.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 3, 2014)

sk8rsdad said:


> What does @Tex think of the Genie GR-20 Runabout? We're thinking of getting one to replace our pneumatic AWP.


I won't comment on the functional virtues of the runabout nor that it's cost is three times or more than an AWP 20, but do consider the weight. The AWP 20S by specs is 677 to 749 pounds depending on it's power option, and the Runabout is 2451. (so they're both close to $10/pound  ) That makes the Runabout over it's foot print about 210 PSF, and code requires stages to be designed for 125 PSF. More important is the concentrated load at each tire. I doubt you'd get failure because of the design factors built into these things but you're over what is required. More important, if the floor is built up on sleepers, you could easily punch through many stage floors I've seen at least to the slab. This is a significant load and a significant concentrated load. Just be sure your floor system can take this.


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## sk8rsdad (Mar 3, 2014)

Point loading is not an issue. We're sprung floor on slab and routinely operate 4400lb scissor lifts.


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## Tex (Mar 3, 2014)

zmb said:


> Tex can be the designated ladder/lift/scaffold reviewer for ControlBooth.




sk8rsdad said:


> What does @Tex think of the Genie GR-20 Runabout? We're thinking of getting one to replace our pneumatic AWP.


I can review the JLG 41AM or BilJax rolling scaffold, but that's about it. Here goes: I like 'em both, but 20' is about as high as I want to go. I went to 40' in the gym once and almost soiled myself. There goes my dream of arena rigging...


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## techieman33 (Mar 3, 2014)

Tex said:


> I can review the JLG 41AM or BilJax rolling scaffold, but that's about it. Here goes: I like 'em both, but 20' is about as high as I want to go. I went to 40' in the gym once and almost soiled myself. There goes my dream of arena rigging...



It's very different being on solid steel then up that high in one of those. I have no problems on steel, but don't like going even 25' up in our lift because of the wobble.


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## StradivariusBone (Mar 4, 2014)

techieman33 said:


> I have no problems on steel, but don't like going even 25' up in our lift because of the wobble.



The first time I went up in an AWP to work on a light on an electric, the wobble plus the slowly swinging electric truss definitely made me stop to consider which way was up for a moment or two.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 4, 2014)

I didn't use to let the wobble bother me. Of course it didn't bother me to ride an arbor down from the loading bridge with half my weight. Today - the tall AWPs are a real test and I'd prefer to never even get in a basket. It's kind of like you know better when you get older.


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## sk8rsdad (Mar 4, 2014)

There is a difference between unsteady and unsafe, but my brain doesn't want to accept it. Some days I can hop in a basket and work with no issues. Other days it takes a lot of willpower to get my knuckles to let go of the guardrail; no rhyme or reason to it.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 4, 2014)

I should be better since I did a zip line at Philmont this past summer. Jumping off (well - OK - I kind of sat on the edge and scoutched my butt off) a 35' high platform with just the harness. Not my thing. I do know better.


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## StradivariusBone (Mar 4, 2014)

Having fallen off a 10' foot ladder, through a ceiling tile grid and walking away unscathed, I have a certain respect for work at height. At the time (being the 17-year-old, know-it-all, cable-monkey that I was), I didn't think much of it and brushed off the large bruise in my thigh from where I connected with the ladder support (thus destroying the metal strap and most of the ladder). I think it might have saved my leg.

It was a few years later when I learned of the OSHA 6' rule that I realized how lucky I was and how severe an accident it could have been. The incongruity between my reaction and the rest of the office I worked for made sense after I picked up that little fact. I no longer take working aloft lightly.

I don't know if I'd do a zip line though...


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## TheaterEd (Mar 4, 2014)

As a climber, I do pretty well with heights as long as I know I'm safe. Still though, every so often when I'm up in a lift and the lift sways one way while the electric sways the other, I mentally freak out for a second. Same with ladders.


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## zmb (Mar 4, 2014)

TheaterEd said:


> As a climber, I do pretty well with heights as long as I know I'm safe. Still though, every so often when I'm up in a lift and the lift sways one way while the electric sways the other, I mentally freak out for a second. Same with ladders.


Same here. One can't argue with the stability of a chunk of Earth.


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## TheaterEd (Mar 6, 2014)

Found some room in the budget. If I can get the LED top lights at the right price, this may be a possibility!


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## FatherMurphy (Mar 6, 2014)

I've learned over the years that there's no reason to be afraid of heights. Depths, however, do command a certain amount of respect.


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## Tex (Mar 6, 2014)

FatherMurphy said:


> I've learned over the years that there's no reason to be afraid of heights. Depths, however, do command a certain amount of respect.


Agreed. It's not the falling I fear; it's the landing. 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk


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## techieman33 (Mar 7, 2014)

Tex said:


> Agreed. It's not the falling I fear; it's the landing.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk



Yeah, that sudden stop at the end does it every time.


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## StradivariusBone (Mar 7, 2014)

techieman33 said:


> Yeah, that sudden stop at the end does it every time.



Well, over 6' it's usually just the one time.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 7, 2014)

StradivariusBone said:


> Well, over 6' it's usually just the one time.


I went up again....and again....
(Probably explains a lot)


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## zmb (Mar 7, 2014)

techieman33 said:


> Yeah, that sudden stop at the end does it every time.


Just remember the momentum-impulse theorem: Force * Time = Mass * Velocity
Velocity increases as you fall further, and stay in one piece, the force needs to stay below a certain threshold. By that, the duration of impact has to grow, like landing on a big block of foam.


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