No matter where you are using lighting in the entertainment industry, you need to be able to hang your fixtures. Knowing industry standards will save you much headache down the line when trying to use standard clamps to attach those fixtures.Photo by Choo Chin Nian CC by SA-2.0Schedules: Put your calendar down. In pipe speak; schedule refers to the wall thickness of the pipe. The standard pipe to hang lights would be schedule 40 steel plumbing pipe. If you want an extra heavy-duty pipe, you can go on up to a schedule 80 pipe. In most cases thinner thickness will be just fine to hold up to all of your lighting needs. It is not necessary to go for the biggest pipe possible if a thinner one will work.C-Clamp on the left for steel pipes, couplers on the right for aluminum pipes Steel or Aluminum: These pipes can be purchased in either steel or aluminum. Steel is most commonly used in install applications, while aluminum is used is touring or temporary applications. The standard c-clamp is commonly used on steel pipes, but can easily damage aluminum. Aluminum piping requires a coupler style clamp that will encircle the entire pipe, diminishing the chance for damage to the pipe itself.Outer Dimensions: All of these pipes come in many different diameters. This is where things can go terribly wrong. Most lighting companies make clamps to fit on 1 1/2in pipe, actual diameter 1.90in. If 2 in., actual diameter is 2.375 in, pipe is installed, specialty clamps will need to be ordered for all fixtures. This is a very important detail to remember for sanities sake or you might end up with some heavy clamp shaped paperweights.StageSpot has just about everything you can hang from your pipe. Give us a call and we’d love to help find the right rigging or lighting solution to complement your pipe.
Photo by Choo Chin Nian CC by SA-2.0Schedules: Put your calendar down. In pipe speak; schedule refers to the wall thickness of the pipe. The standard pipe to hang lights would be schedule 40 steel plumbing pipe. If you want an extra heavy-duty pipe, you can go on up to a schedule 80 pipe. In most cases thinner thickness will be just fine to hold up to all of your lighting needs. It is not necessary to go for the biggest pipe possible if a thinner one will work.
Outer Dimensions: All of these pipes come in many different diameters. This is where things can go terribly wrong. Most lighting companies make clamps to fit on 1 1/2in pipe, actual diameter 1.90in. If 2 in., actual diameter is 2.375 in, pipe is installed, specialty clamps will need to be ordered for all fixtures. This is a very important detail to remember for sanities sake or you might end up with some heavy clamp shaped paperweights.StageSpot has just about everything you can hang from your pipe. Give us a call and we’d love to help find the right rigging or lighting solution to complement your pipe. 
