netHEADS 011

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Welcome to netHEADS!
The Occasional When-we-feel-like-it
Email Newsletter from Sapsis Rigging, Inc.
011 July 2003
webHEADS can also be viewed in all of it's full-color HTML glory at:
http://sapsis-rigging.com/HEADS.htmlContents:
Memo from Uncle Bill: ABTT
OSHA Wants YOU
New Products
Baby News
Online Hoist Quotes
Links We Love: Desk Vacations
SRI Customer of the Intentionally Vague Time Period
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Memo from Uncle Bill: ABTT
Back in mid June I had the opportunity to go to London for the ABTT conference. Not that I needed an excuse or anything. I enjoy London a lot. I'm not saying it's better than New York City. Oh no. I can find other ways to get people mad at me.

But London is a lot fun and so is this conference. The ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) have been putting on this trade show for 25 years now and they do an excellent job. Lots of good folks and very cool gear. This year the show attracted over 100 vendors and more than 2,300 people.

The show is held in the Royal Horticultural Halls at Westminster College on Vincent Square. If you are familiar with shows in the States, the first thing you notice when you walk into one of these halls is their size. They're small. And crammed into them, cheek by jowl, are the vendor stands. Yes, there's room to move about, but not much. Contrary to what you might think, however, the closeness is not a problem. I think it's more of an asset. There's an energy level in the room not always found in some of the larger shows. And having neighbors that close brings out the cheerfulness in everyone. It's kind of like waiting in a New York City doorway with a handful of strangers for the thunderstorm to pass.

This is, as their program says, the only dedicated platform for all aspects of theatre technology in the U. K. Roger Fox has been the show director since show # 1. This is definitely his baby and he thoroughly enjoys showing her off. I met more people and shook so many hands that I began to think I was running for office somewhere. But he has a right to be proud. Even the awards banquet was fun. (Don't worry Roger. I won't tell them about the wine incident) He did receive an ABTT Fellowship at the dinner and, judging by the applause it was well deserved.

I must admit I signed up for the banquet with more than a bit of trepidation. You don't go to banquets in the states for the food, right? Well, here I am sitting down at a banquet in London; a place not known for it's culinary prowess, waiting for the first course to come out. It turned out that the food was way more than just edible. It was good. Even the speeches were worth a listen.

The night was not without it's problems however. True to form, there were issues with the sound system. What is it with theatre folk and banquets? When was the last time you went to a conference dinner where they didn't have some problems with the lighting or sound or the projector? There are probably elebenty-seven technicians in the audience and things still don't work out right. Go figure.

And speaking of food. Siobhan from Rope Assemblies Ltd turned me on to a great little lunch place out back of the Halls. I don't know the name but it's the place with the blue awning on Horse Ferry Street. The best homemade
bread and sandwiches I've had in a very long time. It had beer too. Forget about the fish and chips places for lunch. If you're in the neighborhood it's worth searching for.

There was, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of good gear here. Triple E LTD had a new motorized drive unit for manual counterweight sets. This is one of those devices that, after looking at it you say to yourself, "Of course. Why didn't I think of that." It received the Stage Engineering-Rigging Product of the Year. David, it looks like you have a winner on your hands.

The Product of the Year-Widget class prize went to Hall Stages LTD for their Holdon clamp. Clever little device that help you stretch your soft goods without tools and without damaging the fabric. Very cool indeed. The Product of the Year-Lighting award went to ADB TTV Technologies for their WARP range of Luminaries. Being a rigger I can tell you that the fixtures look nice and when you turn one on light comes out the front of it. After that you're on your own.

And the Product of the Year-Sound award was given to Orbital Sound for their 56000 Radio Microphone System. They got the award because the microphone works really well or because the name had more numbers in it than any of the others.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Peter Kemp and the Technician of the Year was Fraser Hall. Now, I don't know either of these two gentlemen but the standing ovations they both received were very impressive. I only get that kind of applause for leaving a room.

The Americans were represented on the show floor by City Theatrical. Gary Fails and Alan Crawshaw were busy showing off all the cool lighting hardware that they've come to be so well known for both in the UK and around the world. And there were a number of familiar names with unfamiliar faces. James Thomas Engineering, Fourth Phase, VPLS, and High Ends Systems all have British or European offices and all were represented here. They all said to say hello.

But ya know. It's true that the exhibits were good and the gear fun to play with, but that's not what really makes this show work for me. It's the people. There is a sense of community here that feels…….right. This is family and if your in the theatre business you're part of the family. Everybody is just so damned friendly here. Now it may be because the quarters are so close and you don't want to do anything to start a row, but it also may be that's just the way these folks are. I came over here with my daughter a few years ago and when we walked into the hall several people said hello to me like I was one of their own. And they greeted her the same way. Granted, she was 15 at the time and a bit more impressionable than she is now, but the look she gave me was worth its weight in gold. Later on she told me she felt like she was back home. When I arrived this year I was welcomed that way again. It's a great feeling when you are a few thousand miles from home.

So next year, come mid-June. C'mon over and join me for a pint or two.

Visit The Association of British Theatre Technicians for more information.
http://www.abtt.org.uk/

For more, visit the Uncle Bill Archives and catch up on those veritable
pearls o' wisdom from our favorite rigging master.
http://sapsis-rigging.com/UB.ArticleIndex.html

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OSHA wants your opinion on fall protection
OSHA is reopening the rulemaking record on proposed revisions to Walking and Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems) to gather data and information about advances in technology, changed work-practices, and updated consensus standards that have been issued since the proposals were first published (ten or more years ago). The announcement of the reopening of this rulemaking, which is Docket S-029, and a review of the rulemaking record is printed in the section of the Federal Register available at
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/02may20030800/edocket.access.gpo.gov /2003/pdf/03-10617.pdf.
Comments are requested by 31 July 2003. Details of how to submit comments are included in the Federal Register's announcement, but the information there about electronic submissions is partially incorrect. Links at http://ecomments.osha.gov for Docket S-029 will take you to pages where you are invited to answer specific questions posed by OSHA about the rulemaking, but there is also a place for you to offer your own comments as
you wish. The Federal Register says you can't send attachments, but, in fact, these comments must be submitted as uploaded files
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New Products
Standard Dolly
Code: 14-00-25-4001
Price: $14.00
Carpeted Dolly with 4" Casters. Frames manufactured from North Americanhardwood.

Long Rail Dolly
Code: 14-00-25-4002
Price: $45.00
Carpet Dolly with 4" Casters. Frames manufactured from North American hardwood.

Platform Dolly
Code: 14-00-25-4003
Price: $45.00
All wood dolly; frame manufactured from North American hardwood with 4" Casters.

6' Lever Dolly
Code: 14-00-25-4004
Price: $140.00
This husky lever dolly easily gets under extremely heavy loads with the 6"wide x 3" deep reverse beveled nose iron, which is bolted to the oak handle for greater strength . Semi-steel plain bearing wheels. Replacement parts available.
Width at Nose= 6"
Length Plate= 9"
Length Nose= 3"
Wheel Size= 5" x 1-1/2"To order call 800-727-7471 -- Fax: 800-292-3851

or visit our mechanically advantaged Online Catalog

Cable Hook
Code: 14-06-01-1330
Price: $9.00
• Designed to help manage and support multi-cable runs with truss systems
• Light aluminum construction
• Fits 1-1/2 to 2" truss pipe.

Boom Tie Off
Code: 14-09-00-1310
Price: $19.75
Fits 1-1/2" Pipe
Rugged 1/2" steel rod welded to both sides of cap to withstand heavy lifting

Scenery Bumper
Code: 14-09-02-1340
Price: $52.50
• 18" diameter rings attach to fixture pipes with "C" clamps
• Protects fixture from flying drops and passing scenery
• Save refocusing time
• Includes "C" clamp
• 3/16" steel construction.

To order call 800-727-7471 -- Fax: 800-292-3851 or visit our Online Catalog
http://www.sapsis-rigging.com/TermsandConditions.html

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Hoist Quotes Now Available
For 'tis the sport to have the engineer
Hoist with his own petard...
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Hamlet", Act 3 scene 4

Looking to purchase chain hoists? Visit the Sapsis Rigging Online Hoist Quote Form for easy and convenient hoist pricing. http://www.sapsis-rigging.com/HoistQuote.html
We also have a dandy form for requesting pricing on custom curtains and softgoods.
http://www.sapsis-rigging.com/CurtainOrder.html

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SRI Customer of the Month
We are pleased to present our coveted SRI Customer of the Undetermined Time
Period Award to Patrick Wallace at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, WV.
A gift certificate from the the fun folks at Ron and Joe.com
http://www.ronandjoe.com is on its way to Patrick.

**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#**#Baby News

Is baby production down?
Or are there a bunch of secret babies we haven't heard about? No new babies this issue.

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Links we Love: Desk Vacations
The Institute of Official Cheer - where old pop culture is subjected to our patented Re-Ironization Process, and converted into chipper, spiffy, feather-light postmodern commentary on commercial culture. Or, to put it another way: there’s enough here to kill two, maybe three lunch hours. http://www.lileks.com/institute/index.html

Dave Barry's Blog - Recreational productivity at its best. http://davebarry.blogspot.com/

I Should Be Worki.... http://www.ishouldbeworking.com

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