# Hydraulics at "O"



## derekleffew (Dec 8, 2008)

Other than the orchestra pit and maybe a scissor lift, how many have hydraulics in your theatres? I thought this might be interesting to some: Entertainment Engineering - Volume 5 Issue 12.


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## Footer (Dec 8, 2008)

*Re: Hydraulics at %26quot%3BO%26quot%3B*

I have a small portable lift that is made for stage use. I also have some pneumatic rams that no one has ever touched, that is about it.


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## mbenonis (Dec 8, 2008)

*Re: Hydraulics at %26quot%3BO%26quot%3B*

All of our linesets were hydraulic, before they were replaced a year and a half ago with an all-new electric system. We have something like 34 linesets.


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## Footer (Dec 8, 2008)

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mbenonis said:


> All of our linesets were hydraulic, before they were replaced a year and a half ago with an all-new electric system. We have something like 34 linesets.



Ok, you gotta explain how they did that. Ram connected to cables I assume?


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## VeeDubTDI (Dec 9, 2008)

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The only hydraulics we have are the man lift and the elevator. :neutral:


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## TheDonkey (Dec 9, 2008)

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VeeDubTDI said:


> The only hydraulics we have are the man lift and the elevator. :neutral:



What's a hydraulic?

At mai school we have manually operated flylines capable of lifting no more than 10 pounds.(Well probably more, but...)

Nearest hydraulic thing I can think of is the elevator that goes from lobby level to stage door level(half a floor)


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## sk8rsdad (Dec 9, 2008)

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We've got a pallet jack. Does that count?


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## mbenonis (Dec 9, 2008)

*Re: Hydraulics at %26quot%3BO%26quot%3B*


Footer said:


> Ok, you gotta explain how they did that. Ram connected to cables I assume?



Sounds about right. I never used the system myself, though. I do know that the linesets were divided up into groups of three, and you could only move one of the three at any time (I think we had only 1/3 the pumps). It was also a royal pain to work with, because there was like an 8:1 ratio making it nigh impossible to fly anything in to any precision. It also took forever for something to move.

In comparison, the new electric system is an absolute dream - fully automated, you can move any six linesets at once, and quiet as a mouse.


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## jwl868 (Dec 9, 2008)

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TheDonkey said:


> What's a hydraulic?



For a basic description see this:

HowStuffWorks "How Hydraulic Machines Work"

If you've watched construction equipment - backhoes for example - you've seen hydraulically powered equipment.


Joe


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## TheDonkey (Dec 9, 2008)

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jwl868 said:


> For a basic description see this:
> 
> HowStuffWorks "How Hydraulic Machines Work"
> 
> ...



/Sarcarstic question.

But yeah, school's so old we have nothing.


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## cdub260 (Dec 9, 2008)

*Re: Hydraulics at %26quot%3BO%26quot%3B*

Okay. Aside from the scissor lift and the man lift, we have a portable scissor lift for raising set pieces, two hydraulic paint bridges in our paint shop, a floor jack in the scene shop, and a class IV forklift.


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## jwl868 (Dec 9, 2008)

*Re: Hydraulics at %26quot%3BO%26quot%3B*


TheDonkey said:


> /Sarcarstic question.
> 
> But yeah, school's so old we have nothing.



D'uh. Sorry - I hadn't been paying enough attention to the content of your other posts.

Joe


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## TheDonkey (Dec 9, 2008)

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jwl868 said:


> D'uh. Sorry - I hadn't been paying enough attention to the content of your other posts.
> 
> Joe



I tend to rotate between gaming forums, where 1337-speak and immense sarcasm is accepted and encouraged, to PC forums where it's a split, and totally serious forums where I'm among the youngest and not all get my sarcasm.

Sometimes I get my identities mixed up >.<


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## lieperjp (Dec 10, 2008)

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Hm... the only thing that I can think of is the swell box on the Organ... Oh, wait... that's pneumatic. Does that count?


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## MNicolai (Dec 16, 2008)

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I know it's not hydraulic, but if anyone has worked with spiralift systems, I'd be interested in hearing their thoughts about them versus hydraulics.


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## Sean (Dec 16, 2008)

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derekleffew said:


> Other than the orchestra pit and maybe a scissor lift, how many have hydraulics in your theatres?



We have hydraulic pumps and distribution in both venues to support scenic automation. Over the years hydraulics have been used for turntables and rams. As our inventory of motors and controls have expanded, the hydraulics have been used less though.

--Sean


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## renegadeblack (Dec 16, 2008)

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Nothing other than our genie on which the hydraulics recently burst so I havnen't one and some lamps that need replacing for a show on Thursday. Yup, it sucks.

I have a question, how do you aim lights when you have an electric that comes down? Wouldn't you have to move it constantly? Maybe I'm missing something.


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## derekleffew (Dec 16, 2008)

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renegadeblack said:


> ...I have a question, how do you aim lights when you have an electric that comes down? Wouldn't you have to move it constantly? Maybe I'm missing something.


Commonly known as "bounce focus" or "yo-yo focus": Bring in the pipe, make adjustments, fly to trim, repeat until satisfied, or until you give up from frustration.

For a better and clever alternative, see http://mvhsperformingarts.com/?q=node/13, courtesy of CB Sr. Team Member Emeritus, dwt1.


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## renegadeblack (Dec 16, 2008)

*Re: Hydraulics at %26quot%3BO%26quot%3B*


derekleffew said:


> Commonly known as "bounce focus" or "yo-yo focus": Bring in the pipe, make adjustments, fly to trim, repeat until satisfied, or until you give up from frustration.
> 
> For a better and clever alternative, see http://mvhsperformingarts.com/?q=node/13, courtesy of CB Sr. Team Member Emeritus, dwt1.



I figured that much was the case for both counts, if you felt like it, you could use a sexton to measure it, but that going up and down was what was done. However, in times like now when my genie is out of order, I wonder which is better to have.


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## tweetersaway (Dec 16, 2008)

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Hydraulics? Well, we've got a weelchair lift down to the pit. Other than that, we have access to a scissor lift and a smaller genie lift, both of which I'm pretty sure use hydraulics. When we can't get a hold of the lifts, which is pretty often, we do a yo-yo focus. The more often you have to do it, the better you get at it. Go figure.


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## TheDonkey (Dec 16, 2008)

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Pshht, Genie lift.


Get some excercise, climb a ladder.


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## renegadeblack (Dec 17, 2008)

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TheDonkey said:


> Pshht, Genie lift.
> 
> 
> Get some excercise, climb a ladder.



I would if I had a ladder that would reach up that far! I'm dying here without a genie!


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