Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2011 - 75

CoNCLUSioN
Just like working with knots in rope, making splices and knots in wire
rope takes practice and testing. When you learn how to properly tie the
knots and understand how they will behave in use, they will come in handy.
While it may seem very unorthodox to tie knots in wire rope, this practice
has a long history. As with any type of rigging, never put something into
practice until you are proficient at it and you are certain that you are using
the proper tool/technique for the job. v
Delbert L. Hall is a professor at East Tennessee State University,
and	is	president	of	D2	Flying	Effects,	LLC.	He	has	been	rigging	
performer	flying	effects	for	over	twenty-nine	years.	Delbert	is	an	
ETCP certified rigger and an ETCP recognized trainer who regularly
presents workshops on various aspects of rigging. He is very active
with USITT's Technical Production commission and has published
the results of many of his destructive tests on theatrical hardware
on the website LoadLab (delberthall.com/loadlab/). Delbert is also
the creator of RigCalc, a calculator app for solving numerous
rigging	problems	(www.d2flying.com/RigCalc.html).
Steven Santos is the founder, executive director and head rigger
for Simply Circus. He has worked on rigging projects for television
shows, the circus and theater productions. Steven is passionate
about raising the bar in the world of rigging. He regularly teaches
aerial rigging classes and has written many articles on rigging
topics, including the Aerial Arts FAQ, the Aerial Fabrics FAQ, the

Guide to Inspecting Climbing Ropes in School Gyms,
the Guide to Inspecting & Maintaining Unsealed
Ball-Bearing Swivels and the Hair Hang FAQ. Steven
is currently writing a college level textbook on
circus and aerial rigging.

reFereNCeS
Budworth, G. and Dalton, J. 2003. The Book of Knots. New York: Barnes
and Noble.
Certex, USA, Inc. 1993. Some Things Every User Should Know About
Use and Care of Wire Rope and Wire Rope Slings. Accessed online
at http://www.certex.com/products/saftey/Use_and_Care.pdf.
Department of the Army. 1995. Field	Manual	No.	5-125	-	Rigging	
Techniques, Procedures, and Applications. Accessed online at
http://www.petrospec-technologies.com/herkommer/knots/FM5-125.pdf.
Occupational Health & Safety Administration. Regulation (Standards
-	29	CFR). Accessed online at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/
owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANdArdS&p_id=10686.
Sayenga, Donald. Modern History of Wire Rope. Accessed online at
http://www.atlantic-cable.com/Article/Wirerope/Sayenga/wirerope4.htm.

Toss, B. 1998. The Complete Rigger's Apprentice. Camden, Maine:
International Marine.
Workers Compensation Board of British Columbia. 1998. A Manual on
Splicing. Accessed online at http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/
health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/splicing.pdf.

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http://www.certex.com/products/saftey/Use_and_Care.pdf http://www.petrospec-technologies.com/herkommer/knots/FM5-125.pdf http://www.delberthall.com/loadlab/ http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/ http://www.d2flying.com/RigCalc.html http://www.atlantic-cable.com/Article/Wirerope/Sayenga/wirerope4.htm http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2011