Get out the inspection mirror and flash light.

The following is hopefully a useful

guide to a service call in general. Much of it has already been covered in other
parts of the forum, this is the details otherwise. Long winded but in following
what to look for and watch for does not in servicing the equipment does not take
long. Print it up, then print up a poster size type of sheet with what basic
principals you are looking for. Remember that you are looking for problems
before they fail as the goal in a good service call. Cleaning and prepping a fixture
is one thing, do a real service call or inspection such as the rest of the world in
theory is doing yearly and its a by far different thing.
First the simple - what is easy to notice without much work for the good service
call. Look at the fixture, its cord and plug and note anything that stands out.
Shake the plug, do you hear its terminals loose within it? Does it work?
1)Look at the plug's strain relief, has it failed to keep the fiberglass or cord's
sleeving in the strain relief? Look for suspicious stuff about the plug and the wire
coming out of it. Look at the pins and general condition of the plug. If stage pin,
are the slots in the pins parallel, with any plug - did someone over spray the pins
with paint, are they arched? All would need repair than. You can service a plug
but thats a different discussion.
2) Open up a sampling of the plugs of given lot numbers and ensure that screws
are tight (1/4 turn past finger tight or the specified torque of the plug) and
conductors are not warn or breaking away at both the strain relief and terminal.
If you don't have a way of knowing when a fixture was wired, or it would be
difficult, error on the side of opening up all plugs when possible during a good
inspection.
3a) Make sure that those installing the conductor into the terminal knew what
they were doing in the proper amount of wire stripped and inside the terminal.
You would not believe how many wires have the insulator also inside the terminal
in now making good tension to the insulation of the plug but not so good tension
on the conductors. Much less loose terminals, or over-stripped jacket removed
from the conducts and thus rats nest of wire within a plug. On a 15amp plug you
should see 1/4" between outer jacket of cable and the plugs face, on a 20amp
up to " but no more. Did they get all strands of wire into the terminal or most
with a few haphazardly flinging about inside the plug? (it happens.)
3b) What do the crimps or ferrules look like if stage pin plug? Did someone use
the wrong crimp tool or a pair of pliers to smash down on a crimp that later will
let the wire pull loose? Is the wire even correct in AWG for the ferrule or terminal
in use? Hmm, double up a 16ga wire and it equals three sizes smaller in number
or three sizes bigger in dia. In other words, two 16ga wires equal 13AWG. Heat
wire dont fold as neatly as copper thus you might in folding it to fit within a 1210ga terminal or 12ga ferrule fold it and its now fine. On the other hand, a 16ga
wire stuck into a 12ga or 12-10ga opening is about useless. More often than not,
even when using a 12ga ferrule, the screw will still cut into the conductor and not
support all strands equally. If you find un-safe crimps or ferrules in use, and the
conductors are damaged it might be worth your tugging effort in replacing them

should they fail. Most stage pin plugs use a #8-32 screw. As long as you get a
ring terminal with a #8 stud, there is a variety of ring terminal if not flag terminal
sizes based upon the wire not only what comes with the plug. A 14-16ga ring
terminal will than fit the conductors properly as opposed to a wire thats the
wrong size in the wrong hole. On a ferrule, use say a 16ga insulated ferrule, and
sleeve the normal 12ga ferrule over it. You than get twice as much tin over the
wire and much less chance the screw will simply cut thru the ferrule. Were your
plugs even installed with the proper crimp or ferrule hardware, or were
conductors just shoved into holes or wrapped around terminals? Tinned wire can
be ok at times, but other than that, thats why you are inspecting. Dont accept
crap wiring.
4) Look at the strain relief. Was it too tight in damaging the insulation around the
conductors? Has time and wear at this flex point damaged the insulation or
conductors in this area? Was too much wire stripped and the strain relief is now
bearing down directly onto conductors as opposed to the sleeving or outer
jacket? Was it too loose in causing problems with conductors breaking or pulling
loose of terminals? Look at how much effect clamping pressure of the strain relief
has had on the outer jacket and or conductors. Do they have the happy medium
or one extreme of no tension or another of too much pressure and insulation
squeezed dangerously out of the way?
5) Look at the cord. What kind of condition is it in? Are there little snags to its
fiberglass that might expand with usage that you can glue back down in
preventing fraying? Plyobond and other multi-surface adhesives work well in
preventing a small nick in the fiberglass from opening up further. Beyond this,
are there large holes in the sleeving necessitating replacement of the conductor
protection? Fiberglass sleeving is cheap, replace it when it cant be glued tight.
Anything larger or similar in size to a 1/4" hole needs replacement or cutting the
whip down in length. Examine the conductors themselves at such holes. If SF-2
with a fiberglass braid over it, it might be frayed some but safe, on the other
hand it can also hide a scratch that exposes conductors under the silicone
insulation. If other than fiberglass braided conductors under a fiberglass outer
sleeve, examine them also for what condition they are in. On the cord often nonbraided heat wire will last longer, in the fixture and near heat source, the
fiberglass braided heat wire will often be superior in heat reflection. Balance your
usage of a heat wire by whats provided verses what you find most easy to use.
You are not allowed to have a splice within a whip. Any fixtures having splices
within the whip need replacement. High Temperature Fiberglass Electrical tape
can at times work wonders for quick repairs to whips or work well in strain reliefs,
but should only be used if absolutely necessary to do a repair to conductors as a
temporary fix. Electrical tape is not rated for high temperature use nor advised
for use on a fixture either conductor or sleeve to it. In most cases the Size #0
sleeve is the proper one to be using. Is the sleeving in place too big, or plastic?
If other than fiberglass sleeved cord, you have some that are heat rated and
some that are not. In the good stuff - at least VDE thats somewhat heat rated I
think to 150c, or better stuff that will have a 200 or 250c rating to it stamped on

the cable, have a look at its jacket and condition of the cable in general. At the
moment Im having some suppliers confirm that their heat wire such as Tempflex
or Rockbestos is water, oil (fog fluid) and UV rated for exterior use. Often you will
find that heat wire cables - in a rubber/silicone sleeve especially Euro VDE types
will break down due to oil. Damage to the outer sleeved cable than should be
examined for cuts and punctures as above and replaced as above. Heat in the
cord touching a fixture and other water, oil, and UV can break down a cable in
making it unsafe. UV, oil and water can also break down a fiberglass outer
sleeve.
Thermoplastic SJT wire is especially bad where oil from fog gets concerned.
Amazing how a little DF-50 fluid will break down a SJT cable. Much less, even if
90c instead of 75c, it does not like to touch a hot lighting fixture without serious
danger from now exposed conductors now touching the fixture. Stage and Studio
much less movie lights dont use such cable - probably not in the UL listing for
application - its just the cheap DJ club lights and PAR cans used for rock shows
that use the wire. Checking with your local building authority on the NEC use of
such fixtures when powered by such cords might be a good idea. Even if a
factory aluminum PAR can, you might not be able to use the normal cord feeding
it on stage if they put any thought into the code. So as with other major or minor
projects you might need to replace all fixture cords of one type or another. If I
touch a fixture, its really rare I will re-install a SJT cable on it unless really low
wattage thus heat.
Not all brands of heat fixture cable (having inner conductors and outer jacket as
one assembly) is created equal. All will work to replace fiberglass sleeved
conductors as long as you can attach them within the fixture. While Euro cable Tempflex and Pro Cable amongst others might be rated for 200C also, but its
insulation is poured around the conductors. Often a cut or nick in the outer jacket
than once flexed will go all the way down to the conductor. This as opposed to a
more SJ seeming American type of cable such as Rockbestos that has a separate
outer jacket with filler material surrounding the inner conductors. Rockbestos for
heat wire cables is by far superior. Altman and electrical suppliers can get it.
General distributors for gear more sell the Euro cable heat wire I less recommend
for use even if cheap and rated for the same temperature.
There is 250c wire, 150c wire and 200c wire. 150c wire for other than use as a
ground is not recommended in line other than PAR fixtures just as a 90c SJ or SJT
cable often wont be of much use. Be cautious about fixtures wired by way of
extension cords, often they are going to need a lot of work. For the most part,
stick to the 200c rated conductors, be it SF-2 silicone fiberglass sleeved or not,
or a 200c rated three conductor cable. 250c Cable while rated for a higher
temperature also most often has less flexibility to its conductors and individual
strands of wire. In other words, while you can stick it in an oven and it wont
melt down, day to day use and flexing on the other hand might break down the
conductors. Inside a fixture - especially a Mole Light or Audience Blinder type
fixture and other fixtures of very high temperature, you cant do better, but as a
fixture whip you can. 250c wire is most often Teflon instead of silicone and when

available as a cable it will have a sort of varnished fiberglass sleeving over the
cable. Good stuff for permanent install, just dont bend it with constant use.
Do not be overly concerned if your heat wire seems less in AWG rating than that
of a normal extension cord. What are these 2,000w Fresnels doing using 14/3
wire on them? Heat wire by its nature will be a little less effected by heat in
amperage rating due to its higher working temperature. If thats what the
manufacturer specifies to use, its use is correct. On the other hand, some
lighting fixtures such as the 575w version of the ETC fixture came with 18ga
wire. Once they came out with the 750w version, the 18ga wire was insufficient
for the wattage. You must in using a ETC fixture at 750w be using the proper
conductor size. While for all other intensive purposes the fixture is one in the
same and on the really old versions you can get rid of the alignment nubs
specific to the 575 fixture in installing a 750 cap on it, you must change the
conductors. Some heat wire you can use for over its thought to be expected
amperage, others you dont want to be using. Read and follow the fixture
instruction manual and guides on them.
Have I mentioned the use of an exploded pictorial of each fixture you are to work
on in being useful? Go to the website and pull up the assembly drawings. This
will both save time should you have to pull a fixture apart in re-assembly, and
help you to know when someone did a other than factory improvement to it.
You should have a three ring binder in the service area of the instruction manual
and exploded pictorial on all fixtures in use.

6) Have a look at where the cord now enters the lighting fixture. Thats another
flex point that often will wear out both for outer jacket/sleeve and inner
conductors. Beyond that what type of strain relief is in use? Is it a two screw
strain relief that often cuts into the conductors, a nylon strain relief that becomes
brittle and has too small of a cross section in rubber water tight strain relief to
take heat well without becoming brittle or a metal one thats more substantial in
taking heat better but can still slip or allow the cable to slide free. A Heyco nylon
strain relief often will need to be replaced. A two screw strain relief if cutting into
the conductors or sleeving might require you to replace the whip. Fiberglass heat
tape will be a good abrasion and flex resistant fix to such strain reliefs. Otherwise
properly sized nylon tubing while its hot will often last well in a fixture in limiting
the flex and clamping pressure. On a nylon strain relief you will often find that if
the nylon shrunk, became brittle and cut or moved, the little nylon fingers than
clamp directly onto the cable and it than is dangerous. The tape will also help in
this area.
7) The strain relief itself, is it loose? Especially with plastic strain reliefs, they
come loose. A loose strain relief than will allow conductors to twist, move and
pull free. Thats a bad thing, the conductors should not move about within the
fixture other than where needed while focusing the lamp. Get the strain relief
tight by hook or by crook (rivet or other method), and when exposed, add high
temperature Thread Locker to it to keep it there.

8) Follow the wire from strain relief to lamp base within the fixture. Where
exposed such as in a lamp cap, have a good look at it to ensure the conductors
dont stretch or overly touch anything such as screws or anything else that can
cause bad cooling around it or pull tighter as the fixture gets adjusted. Its
common conductors will pull some with use, make sure that you both have slack,
yet they dont touch what they should not in having too much slack. If you cant
get exposed wire in direct sight, use the flash light and mirror as necessary.
Inspect every inch of the wire. This especially near the lamp base as its the
most concentrated source of heat and often where the wire will start to fail. Often
in a fixture you will see fiberglass sleeving called spaghetti tubing over the
conductors. Thats a good thing both to protect from wear on things it might rub
up against, and shield some against the heat. If nothing else, where cord enters
lamp base, a sleeved wire should it fail than has the extra layer of protection.
Thats also the general concept of fiberglass outer sleeved silicone wire as
fixture whip. Should you be replacing whips or doing work in them, sleeving the
conductors if not the high temperature tape is often useful.
9) Some fixtures such as a PAR can will often have a splice inside the lamp cap
that goes from heat wire off the lamp base, to what ever type of cord is used.
Other stage and studio cans will just use longer leads in a fiberglass sleeve - a
better idea. Other fixtures will have auxiliary gutters mounted to the fixture that
are slightly cooler to house things like switches, circuit breakers or fuses, if not
just patch the wires.
Often the splice will be fine, other times it can use improvement to it - even if
factory. Just opened up a Altman CDM outdoor par today. It had 200c wire coming
off the lamp base, 250c cord off the fixture, and 90c household grade wire nuts
binding the conductors. The fixture itself in only being 150w arc source can get
hot still in it being an arc source, but the wiring cavity where the wire nuts were
in use were separated from the heat both by way of reflector and secondary
plate covering this cavity. I was less concerned about heat - though questioning
the use of vinyl wire nuts, and more worried about the wire nut coming loose as
often wire nuts will due to vibration or just use.
Do not allow standard wire nuts even in such a fixture. Nylon, Vinyl and PVC all
have the same safe operating temperature so dont be fooled by nylon splices
either in being better. Primary difference is the other two melt in exposing the
conductor, nylon just becomes brittle and as a secondary thing needs to break
away before it also exposes conductors. My choice in this instance where heat is
less a factor will have been to use something nylon.
Specifically I will have used nylon cap splices that are like a wire nut, but you use
a crimp tool to crimp the thing into place so it wont come loose in exposing the
conductors or letting them pull free. Otherwise there is lots of high temperature
wire nut solutions that either can be hi-temp tapped so they cant pull loose, or
have internal set screws over high temperature plastic outer coverings. Depends
upon the application.

While a splice within a fixture is preferable to within the cord, it short of having it
s own area is often dangerous. Look at rock and roll par cans. There is a good
reason why the spin the bottle hole is often capped off or there is a knob to do so
now. Most of it comes from the splice method and cable. In the past this was
made especially hard since often you needed the same PAR can to run ACL in
series, Ray Light with wire leads feeding it, and PAR Can lamp with its Mogul
Extended End Prong base. MOEP or GX-16d. Given you had to switch, easy to
remove methods from spade terminals to using the wire nuts has been done in
the past. Now I high temperature splice and high temperature water proof heat
shrink tubing over the crimp terminal if not replace the whip. Ensure that
especially if SJT cable or lower rated cable, that the fixture whip is not touching
the lamp or metal components within the fixture. Air is the key.
If you have a splice within the fixture, note the conductors going into it to see if
exposed conductors are falling out of the splice or if it all looks neat and trim
with the insulation stopping shortly before the crimp or turned area but defiantly
not exposed. Are conductors able to pull out of the splice, are there strands of
wire not quite going all the way in, is the fiberglass sleeving becoming loose?
Lots of other details you will note up to and including a strand of wire melting
thru the wire nut. Do not use vinyl wire nuts within fixtures -replace them if you
see them or they will work loose and allow a short. No matter the conductors,
dont use something that can come loose. Another type of splice is the push in
terminator/tap splice. Such things work well with solid wire, but its foot grip
otherwise will cut thru stranded wire. If you have stranded wire going into a push
in to grip type of fitting such as used on some stereo equipment speakers,
replace it as its not dependable. Where possible cable tie in a par can where
there is a lot of cooling vents, or use fiberglass E-tape to band the wire together.
This will take up most of the strain relief from the splice, make for a neat splice
and prevent the conductors from moving where they need to be spliced. Keep
the tape/cable tie away from the splice so you can see into the splice. Otherwise
when you hide the splice by way of tape, it makes those later seeing it suspicious
as to what shotty work you are trying to cover up such as too much stripped
insulation off conductors exposed.
Another type of splice would be the butt splice. High temperature butt splices as
long as covered in at least three layers of high temperature tape, or in the case
of a par can - high temperature heat shrink thats water resistant is an option.
Always use the correct splicing tools and give a good tug on your wires after
splicing them to ensure you have a good splice.

10) Check the ground. Ground conductors can be using lower temperature wire
in that they dont touch the heat source directly, and one would prefer to note a
melted ground as a warning sign for the rest of the fixture, than have something
else fail in melt down. They often will also be a lower gauge of wire in some
belief that the current flow temporally in overload thru them will be sufficiently

able. Thats a factory consideration. When replacing a ground wire, use the same
gauge of wire as the conductors.
A melted ground wire, or exposed crimp to it is not a bad thing in all cases. You
dont want such a thing where it can touch terminals, but the idea of a ground is
that a hot will touch it or the frame first anyway so why insulate it? Architectural
lighting fixtures often wont use a insulated ground wire. Insulate where possible
but dont be overly interested in over insulation of it as opposed to a conductor.
Check its crimp terminal. If its all burned up, use a high temperature crimp
terminal instead. In general, use high temperature crimps and splices anywhere
inside the lamp base area. Replace where oxidized and corroded - you want a
good ground path.
11) Check the mounting of the ground. That wire should not be able to move
about or twist because this also means a less than safe connection. On a PAR
can, that riveted ground will often work its way loose. Same story on a real
fixture. The ground will often come loose no matter if rivited or screwed. You
cannot use Lock Tight or Thread Locker on conducting screws thus it wont work
here - it needs to be all mechanical. In the same respect you also should not be
using nylock nuts. Think about nylon verses heat - a nylock nut inside a lighting
fixture often wont hold tight in the long run. If necessary you can re-pound a
rivet back to tight as a temporary fix, but otherwise need to replace it or better
yet go with a screw.
Always a lock washer. But instead of the spring lock washer types, use a internal
or external lock washer for better gripping of the conductor. You can use lock
washers with rivets. This especially if what you are grounding to is painted. Paint
dont conduct well thus some form of displacement of material lock washer
between crimp terminal and paint surface can be useful in it both preventing the
terminal from moving about and in digging into bare metal.
A good lock washer and nut will work at times better than a nylock nut. Try to
avoid washers where your ring termials are concerned. They just act as a pivot
easing surface in further loosening up the joint. A external tooth lock washer will
both function as a washer and prevent it from coming loose. Beyond this, a
toplock nut will both take the heat in mechanically being hard to loosen and add
to the resistance of the nut coming loose.
12) Look at the lamp base where the wire goes into it. Is the wire showing heat
damage? Are the screws if used to mount wire to lamp base loose? Do they have
a lock washer? Are lock washer and screw brass or bronze? A belleville or cone
washer will otherwise be acceptable as long as the same metal. Steel tends to
corrode and stainless has at times problems with touching other metals such as
brass and bronze in otherwise causing corrosion problems. Zinc plated steel once
in a lamp base will corrode very easily - avoid its use. On a lamp base, a
brass/bronze and perhaps only as one of the two in nickel plating will suffice. Are
the crimp terminals showing heat problems such as corroding? Replace in that
case with high temperature terminals and insulate them as needed with high

temp. tape and tubing. Nothing other than the ring should be esposed. If Fresnel
or Medium Pre-focus (P-28s) base, there should be an insulator between lamp
base and its mount. Is it in good condition or all brittle and burned up? Have the
conductors failed in getting too hot? Exposed corroded conductors coming off the
lamp base? This can be because of loose screws or other arching sources, or just
heat in general. Cut and replace as needed. Use spaghetti tubing and a small
amount of tape as necessary.
13) Look at the lamp base mounts. Are they tight? As above in using lock
washers and if needed high temperature Thread Locker will also help. Most
important is the metal type. Again brass and bronze in taking heat well,
otherwise stainless steel in also taking heat well if not better - just not
conducting as well. Even on a PAR can lamp base, how about that screw holding
the plates together in its being tight? Should your wire feed into a hole in the
base mounting plate, what kind of condition is it in and is that hole a sharp edge?
Tape, a silicone panel washer or something to make it work better? On other
lamp bases such as mogul screw or medium pre-focus internally, be it rivet or
screw are they tight? Some are designed to have a bit of movement, study the
type of lamp base for whats best but dont accept loose where not appropriate.
14) Remove the lamp and inspect its contacts. Are they factory or arched and
corroded? Are they nickel plated as per new or for the most part clean but
blue/black? What the lamp when its taken out as need be with a pry bar says
about itself, it also says about the lamp base in contact with it. Gold plating is
great, but also melts down. Otherwise nickel plating is normal. Examine any
center point contact plates also. While a screw base to a A-lamp/household lamp
might be nice and neat, often that center contact - that should be the hot will get
really funky. Is it a smooth surface without bumps and divots from welding?
Especially bad will be RSC (R-7s) lamp base types that have a sort of cone
contact on each end of the lamp. They just dont conduct well in tension and
surface area to conduct with. Surface area - clean surface area is the key to
conduction. Blackened and arched lamps in base will have less path of least
resistance to conduct with meaning lots of heat and extra heat at those points
that conduct better. You can clean lamp base contacts but thats a separate
discussion.
Re-install if in good shape the lamp. On a PAR, can you physically lift the lamp by
its base, or does it just fall out? Other lamps and bases will have similar
relationships from bi-pin to RSC. If that lamp easily gets removed, one bounce
while installing or transporting it will also allow the lamp to become disengaged
from the base. Such loose contact will also be a source for extra heat as the
current tries to flow but has less than optimum tension. Take the lamp back out.
15) look at the lamp in general. Some types will have porcelain around the pinch
area. Some will even have a layer of silica sand between pinch and porcelain.
That silica sand with a crack allowing it to run right out of the lamp base than is a
bad thing. In other lamps, perhaps if the two part porcelain is loose such as in a

5Kw DPY or larger lamp, perhaps more support such as a stainless steel hose
clamp will be necessary to keep the two piece lamp base together.
Look at the lamp itself. See any white finger prints or buldges? Much less look at
the lamp filament and its supports. Lamps are another discussion as to what
you in inspection can live with or need to note in replacing. Clean the lamp with
de-natured alcohol and a lint free cloth after looking at it. Such alcohol will also
let you examine the filament of a outside frost lamp such as in the case of a FCM
cyc light double ended RSC lamp. As long as you are able to look thru the
frosting to the glass, you might as well look at the filament.
16) While the pins of the lamp, and the lamp in the base tension is important to
note, during a real inspection you need to pull out the flashlight and inspection
mirror. You are examining the fixture, so why stop when its something you cant
easily see? Granted a G-4 up thru G-9.5 base such as a FLK/FEL will use will be
hard to see the sockets, but give it a shot. Some types of base are servicable
(again as a separate discussion) others once they show wear such as blackening.
Lack of tension and pitting need replacement. Also throw out the lamp unless it
can be saved with work. Some older versions of Fresnel lamp bases allowed the
center contact to un-screw some. Should it not provide correct tension, you could
screw out a little more to some extent in making it a tighter fit within the socket.
Most modern bases wont do this. A edison lamp base on the other hand has a
center contact that if not providing sufficient contact can be bent outbound to
provide more spring to the contact point. Have a look for arching or discoloring at
a specific place on the lamp base - this will tell you where the lamp to base
either makes its only contact or no contact. Where possible to service you lamp
bases it can be done, otherwise at very least a cleaning with perhaps a thinned
out cue tip and some carburetor cleaner will work wonders in removing carbon
build up and oxidation. Important to note is that once you have a buffed and
serviced surface, or at least one thats chemically clean, you need to coat the
now bare metal or it will oxidize worse than if you had not touched it. There is
various de-oxidants and coatings on the market discussed elsewhere also.
17) Electrically now your fixture should be in safe condition. There are potential
other notes I forget in general or that the manufacturer might state. Specific
fixtures also have certain details about them. Mark your fixture in some way with
the date and your name. Perhaps grease pencil or marker inside the lamp cap or
something. Thats a good tracking and quality control type of thing.
18) Fixture itself. Follow the manufacturers instructions for how to clean the lens
and reflector much less bench focus it. There will be differences in style
dependant upon the brand and type. Such things also have already been
discussed.
19) Blow air into and all around your fixture with the lamp removed before you
clean reflector/lens. Clean the fixture with Windex or other non-residue
chemicals. Otherwise give it a second alcohol cleaning to remove the residue.
Note that fresh rags are a good thing. Look for rust. Replacement of bolts,
tapping and oiling with a oil rated for the temperature if not tightening them and

using thread locker will be needed now. Paint as needed the fixture now that its
disassembled for the most part. Be careful with some of the screws that are
stuck. For many of them they will break or strip before coming loose. In cases like
that, you have to replace them to the best extent possible. From gel frame clip
that comes loose or un-welded to lamp base knob that does not screw in easily,
now is the time to check each part and fix them.
20) Have a look at other pivot and working parts such as the yoke mount. Are it
s screws/rivets tight or loose? Is the locking dog or clutch in good shape and not
broken or loose? Replace especially the yoke mounts now as opposed to later.
Most will use 5/16" grade 2 screws. These often rust with heat and moisture.
Better ones are availiable. The area of the yoke is often what needs replacement.
Your fixture should not slip out of its focus even when locked into position
without dogging down. If it slips, there is a cause. Can be as simple as turning
the carriage bolt on the clutch mechanism 90 degrees or it could be something
stripped, broken or loose. Have a look at the non-clutch side of the fixture. Is it
stripped? If all such as on a par can that side is attached to is a aluminum plate,
its easy to strip this out. Perhaps a longer screw with side lock nut to prevent it
from coming loose - but not so tight it gets in the way might be of value. Such a
nut might also be of use on the knob side of the yoke. Remember the falling
follow spot issue. If you cant remove the screw, it wont fall. Often on a PAR
can, the screw will come with a nut on the inside of the can. Often given this a
nylon locking nylock nut. Great idea in preventing the screw from coming loose,
bad idea on the nut type, much less given you cant see the nylon not failing
how do you know its still there? On a PAR can, what if you were to feed the
screw from the inside of the fixture and put the nut - even if nylock now that its
less in the path of the light, on the outside of the fixture? At that point a missing
nut hopefully is noted.
21) Have a look at the lens train or focus operation. Does its rails or slot need
teflon oil, white lithium grease or spray on graphite after removing any rust? How
does the lens train move about? Is it easy and smooth, or do you have to kick it
to get moving? First sand the lens train with say 100 up to 600 grit paper, than
as needed add the spray on graphite coating and wipe off the extra. You will be
surprised as to how well it works than.
22) Check to ensure your lenses are clean and not chipped in any way that will
effect the output. Are they green or blue? Are they the same type of lens as the
other fixtures, much less in the correct mounting holes? Clean the lenses say in a
dish washer amongst other debated solutions. Also make sure that the proper
lenses are both in the proper order in the lens train as there can be more than
one size in one lens train. Much less at times lenses while for the same fixture
can have been upgraded to a wider but thinner lens. Make sure that if you are
buying new lenses that you state how old your equipment is.
23) You have drawings, look for the missing parts from a cone washer replaced
by a lock washer to a fiber washer not used at all. Check the condition of the
parts on the fixture. Look also hard for loose and missing fasteners if not cracks

in the frame. A crack in the gel frame casting can be a bad thing. A crack
elsewhere might be acceptable.
24) Should this fixture have an iris, what kind of shape is it in? Perhaps crocus
cloth and graphite will help it, or do some of its leafs need replacement? There
are only a few different types of iris leafs and they are interchangeable for the
most part other than if one of the three. A Lycian M2 follow spot leaf is the same
leaf as used on a Altman 3.5Q5 fixture. Ok, such a iris base fixture does not exist
but I own one. So if you have a bunch of burning up iris units, perhaps you can
buy one and change out what leafs are needed, than clean the rest. A iris
burning up in one area more than another means a badly centered lamp but its
too late now.
25) Same with the shutters, as long as they are not bending inward, you can to
some extent sand with very fine sand paper, if not even grind a new smooth
edge on them thats just slightly shorter in re-using them as long as they are flat
and smooth. This is a very specific technique I will infrequently use but for the
most part replacement shutters are not that expensive. As with the iris, what is
most important is a smooth flat edge to the surface. If it has even a ding in that
edge, thats where heat will concentrate in making that shutter fail. Should be a
given that if you have to have a shutter in more than say 40% from one side,
that perhaps you should re-focus the instrument, but what ever the case, look for
heat damage because not everyone thinks. Some you can save and graphite,
others you need to replace. Each brand has a different means of getting at the
gate/shutter assembly. Much less for instance on the Altman 360q series, its one
of three types of round washer like handle and a specific rivet. Use the wrong
rivet and you might wreck that washer.
26) Check the reflector, gate and other parts of the reflector assembly for rust in
mounting or plate or rust on screws. Should the fixture get wet, that rust will
seep onto surfaces and destroy them further. These after the lamp base and wire
will be next to get hottest. If you blow out your fixture and get a shower of
micron sized silver confetti, you know that you have a dichroic coating on the
reflector thats peeled up. As said, follow directions in cleaning reflector and
lenses. Use the wrong cleaning method even on a Alzak aluminum reflector and
you can destroy it. On a 5 or 10 degree Lekos plastic lens, that glass cleaner
might just scratch it worse than just using alcohol on it to wipe off the dust. On
the other hand for say the inside of a scoop, perhaps a fresh coat of high-heat
reflective or white paint will do it wonders when not so nice in finish.
27) Fixture for the most part is done in a thorough inspection. You dont have to
field strip the fixture, but checking as much as possible even with ones fingers
to verify tension is of use. Observe everything, than re-assemble, turn it on and
bench focus. Remember that hot patching is a bad thing. Install a in-line switch
instead when protected by a GFCI outlet. Different methods for the bench focus
and another debate.
28) Check the safety cable. There should be no rust, much less that snap hook
needs to snap shut. If it does not perhaps a bit of oil will make it do so, but dont

spend too much time in making it snap. Cut up and replace safety cables that
dont snap closed. Replace snap hooks also that dont close properly or that
have broken teeth to them. There is a debate further in if its permissible to bend
a safety cables loop to fit thru a " hole in the fixture. Such a bend than
becomes a weak point in the wire rope, but given the distance of fall, its
probably not un-safe enough. Judge for yourself and look for broken strands or
seriously damaged bends or wire rope in general.
29) The clamp is often neglected. Why do factory send a -13 grade 2 screw
thats only 3/4" long with the fixture? Hmm, loose 1/8" worth of lock washer, and
another 1/8" worth of yoke and thats only " worth of thread within the CClamp. Not enough nor a strong enough screw in my opinion. Even if 7/8" or 1", it
s still not long enough. Most C-Clamps will accept up to a 2" long screw, use it.
Where possible, replace all C-Clamp bolts with at least a 1-1/2" long screw of
Grade 5. No the grade 2 wont break, but as you move up in grade you also
move up in rust resistance.
Oil your screws and clamp. Oil without mechanical locking help might make
something come loose easier but in this case you are using a lock washer so its
not coming loose. While it is acceptable to use both lock washer and washer on a
clamp, the lock washer is what is most important in preventing the bolt from
coming loose.
Than again, you need a certain amount of movement without it coming loose.
Add a fiber or nylon washer between yoke and the standoff T-nut part of the
clamp. Such a free bearing surface will allow you to tighten the clamp, yet also
allow the clamp to pivot some without anything coming loose. As with most
screws, 1/4 turn past finger tight is proper tension with a 6" C-wrench. You dont
need a 10" or larger wrench to tighten a screw. If it comes loose with use retighten it or look at the user if more than just a little loose.

The pan-lock set screw on the other hand is of a different material. It needs oil or
its going to rust. Use or or it will rust in place. Gorillas will over tighten and
deform the standoff or even break it. Make them extract this screw - it will be a
learning experience in something that often cannot be removed. Can be but not
always. If you oil and use this screw, it will be by far easier to extract than
something that is not used much and rusts into place. Should your standoff get
divots in it that allow the fixture to slip some, grind away what you can so its
flat again and where possible spin the standoff away from that area. Otherwise
you might be able to get replacement parts. Much less if you have built some
side arms, you will have extra parts.
The pipe clamping square head set screw needs to function properly. It often will
get dings, need to be removed for the 4" version to be installed so it will clamp
to smaller pipes or walls or other wee bit of problems. Never remove this screw
without examining the screw. Might be bent and not working properly but look at
the tip of the bolt first. When that gorilla with the 10" wrench dogs down the

clamp to the pipe, they will deform the tip of the bolt. When you try to remove it
from the clamp, the bolt often is harder than the cast iron of the clamp and its
removal will destroy the threads of the clamp. Thats unsafe. Should you have a
damaged tip, re-tap, or cut its tip off than re-tap. Then extract it. Should it be a
bent bolt, cut it off at the bend and remove what you can near where it exits the
clamp. Attempting to remove a bent screw from the clamp otherwise will also
strip out the clamp. Replace with the same brand of set screw.
In assuming a C-Clamp, the technology of the casting has improved much over
past years. They still are not perfect. If your clamp no matter if bent steel, cast
iron or stamped or cast aluminum shows any sign of bending, replace the clamp.
Do not allow in service a bent clamp. While more frequent that it will bend
instead of break, you still dont want to continue using it or it potentially will
break.
Be watchful of stock looking cast C-Clamps that have a sort of pint/varnish
coating on them. They do not come from any manufacturer and instead from
china. Such clamps that have this seeming varnish coating are using much
cheaper metal in the casting and need that extra coating to prevent the rust.
Such clamps with the cheaper metal will break and strip 10x faster than anything
a name brand even 40 years ago was making. Its also something that should it
get hit might fail instantly at any point. Have a look at the clamp for hair line
cracks, but with these cheap C-clamps you might never see the hair line clamp.
Do not use some off shore other than name brand clamp. No name on the clamp,
varnish like coating to it, toss it in the trash.
Such clamps came on the market say 10 or 15 years ago and only lasted a few
years by way of the theater supply market looking for a cheap alternative. I
doubt they are still available, but thousands have been sold over the years. Be
watchful of such things.
30) CE verses UL fixtures. Be mindful of the world economy. At one point we had
a delivery of a hundred or more S-4 PAR fixtures come in on a rush order. They
were all metric we found out later. Over 1,400 S-4 PAR fixtures in stock, and
other than some sold off and replaced over the years, the metric S-4 PAR still
shows up in the inventory at a constant basis. Substitute a M -4 for a 10-32 screw
and you have serious problems. Take the clamp off and try to install it on another
fixture and you now have a standard " screw fitting into a metric clamp. Rock
and roll aluminum PAR cans and their clamps are phenomenal in having any
number of three - yes three types of hardware in them. Metric, Standard and old
English Standard. Think back to the history of China and the orient. If industry
was set up during the turn of the century, they in being backwards but catching
up might still be using some say antiquated " but 12 instead of 13 threads per
inch screws. Think about the possibilities of such hardware getting into your own
inventory. While you can for the most part if you know your fasteners tell the
difference often between a metric and standard piece of hardware - for instance
the black oxide type fasteners when metric will have a sort of gloss coating to
them, once you get something that is imperial but the wrong thread in being

very close into your system you are screwed. Or for us the shop manager that
made the choice to not instantly toss out all that hardware screwed us. A bolt
might be a bolt in saving money, but once its mixed in with other bolts you are
screwed. Many metric fasteners will be very close in threading to that of a
standard thread. Just a wee bit loose or tighter than normal. Be very careful
these days and get your theater to purchase screw thread plates to test them
with.
Beyond this, should you get a fixture that is metric, take a engraving tool and
write metric across its body so those looking to “fix” it dont
make it worse. Be very careful about the hardware that is on the clamp or
fixture. Very easy to screw up and ruin your world.
A simple, thirty step process anyone can do in his/her own theatre.