[SML] Ceiling Fans on Battens

[Stephen Rees]

Regarding Fans on Battens.  I won't address the effect desired here as I
have no experience moving that much air via a downdraft fan. I do think
blowing debris into an audience is ill-conceived at best. But that's for
someone else to comment/decide on.

However, I did once need to have 4, operable 5-blade, 50" fans on a single
batten moving fairly slowly. The ultimate effect was visibly moving fan
blade shadows on the deck and performers. Off the shelf residential fans
could not be slowed enough without overheating and were not cost effective.
The "fans" were constructed from small variable speed split-phase motors
that turned between 3 to 10 RPM if I recall correctly.  Blades were 1/8"
luaun. The first time out, the single batten on which they were installed
oscillated quite badly. The solution was the installation of
counterweighted horizontal bridles fixed on EACH end of the batten running
offstage approximately 30 degrees upstage and downstage with wire rope run
through single sheaves attached to the building structure. The bridles had
enough line to allow the batten to be raised out of sightlines and lowered
to trim as needed. These bridles stabilised the batten sufficiently to stop
all oscillations.  The variable speed motors allowed the fans to run at
different speeds as desired by the director.

HTH,
Steve

Stephen E. Rees, Treasurer - Revitalize Dunkirk
Professor Emeritus of Theatre
CCE-CC Master Gardener Volunteer
716.366.0505 Home
716.680.1565 Mobile



On Tue, Feb 9, 2021 at 2:49 PM Thomas (Tom) Marhenke via Stagecraft <
stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:

> Hey All,
>
> Working on a show and the designer would like to mount 2 ceiling fans,
> each, onto 3 battens.  He wants 96" industrial fans.  I am concerned about
> the battens moving with the fans and the down pipe on the fan causing
> issues.  The battens have to move in and out.  Thoughts?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom
>
> --
> Tom Marhenke
> Technical Director, Theatre
> Hamilton College
> 198 College Hill Road
> Clinton, NY 13323
> 315-859-4869
> Tmarhenk at hamilton.edu
> ____________________________________________________________
> For list information see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
> Stagecraft mailing list
> Stagecraft at theatrical.net
> http://theatrical.net/mailman/listinfo/stagecraft_theatrical.net
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://theatrical.net/pipermail/stagecraft_theatrical.net/attachments/20210210/eb89aa45/attachment.html>