Can you create a sphere from scaffold?

tubularartist

tubularartist

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Lads we have been aproached by an events company to create the worlds biggest mirror ball . We have created the design with the input from the designer who we are producing the job for. Has any of you created a spherical design before so we can make sure we are on the right track?
It aint easy making a ball from straight tube but some how useing a point system of just over 160 we are pretty much there, are only concern is weight with the structure weighing just over 5 ton as this is going to be suspended 40ft off the ground for 5 hours by crane.
Not an easy project but viable we hope.:idea:

Job going up this weekend so any info or ideas appreciated.

(You dont become a scaffolder, your born one!)
 
Make sure you put the photos on, it sounds like quite a challenge.
 
there used to be radius tubing maybe rigger,garry and a few of our older chaps will have worked with it in the past.
i have seen it used to make an arch for a workshop/garage only a few weeks ago although it had been up for a right few years
 
I might be wrong as usual but did Red Viking not post pictures of a similar structure?
 
Think I would be using welded angle steel for this job in pentagons-on-hexagons pattern of 32 panels, called an icosahedron by math geeks,

The desiign of footballs in the 60's/70's

This design was chosen specifically so spectators watching black-and-white televisions could clearly see the ball, with the black accents on a white background revealing the ball's direction of spin.
 
Yes happy
used radius tube on a barrell vault job in Bradford on a printing works,inside an inverted cone on a water treatment plant again in Bradford and on the internal scaffold on the "sea towers" of the Cormorant,and shell Brent rigs at Ardyne Point

Don't think it would work to erect a ball :sad:

---------- Post added at 10:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 PM ----------
jakdan said:
not perfect but it can be done
Scaffold Ball | A half hearted half arsed Photo Blog
Click to expand...

Looks similar to a tower I stripped in Leeds next door to the Market Tavern Pub :embarrest:
 
You left a couple like that at Ardyne Point as well, how do you think I got my hands on enough gear to start on my own.
 
i thought you would have or at least known of it.
the closest i came to anything like it was for nsg an arch made out of alloy system which had special spiggots which made the system arch as opposed to going straight up.
whatever bacame of radius tubing,and does anyone still have some
 
"are only concern is weight with the structure weighing just over 5 ton"

Is that steel ,if so use aluminium :idea:
 
Aye, that and I'm still using that old bead that Rigger dropped.;)
 
Radius tube!!......the way forward for this job,otherwise you"ll end up with a very heavy multi-faced excuse for a sphere!!!!!!...............( P.S......is this a feckin wind-up ) ??
 
Happy

was a tw*t to use getting the ledgers in, the large rings were not to bad until you got to the last couple of 21's the small rings were the worst had to put them in , in one go loose sleeves and men all round to lift in si-tu

All the radius tube I ever used, was made to order ,the radius had to be bang on or they did not go in. The inverted cone was the worst, every ledger was a different measure and these were erected at 6" inch centres on the outside as purlions
 
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RMD Kwikform used to have a machine to create radius tubes for the formwork, we used to do loadsa falsework and formwork with them .

used them for shafts, tunnels, arches, tank walls etc etc
 
There are spherical vessels at Lyndsey oil refinery which were internally scaffolded 3 years ago by my then employers SGS from Hull. I would have loved to have been part of that but was too inexperienced at the time and they sent their senior black hats. One of which was a guy called mark smith " smudger" top guy n great scaff. He said the scaffold was a ball for coaters to reach every square inch on the inside. When i asked my old man later, he said he's done one for GKN back in the day but they called it a " maltese cross". I've never seen either so can't argue or comment. But try googling thise terms ?
 
It would be difficult, but almost anything is possible with Tube and Fitting.
 
Scaffolded the spheres at grangemouth with total encapsulation,trying to fill the corners in were something else as the job was done with cuplock.
It was designed for a haki roof,someone at sgb decided that since they had the plettac roof we should use that,but the plettac roof has a lower pitch and fecked a benzene vent on the top of it.
We then had to put another 4 lifts on it happy days
 
Cheers for all the idea's/advice lads, its difficult to explain the method were using other than picture the shape of a firework as its exploded, every little flare is a point so when focused on gives a circle, so if you look at this image in 3D would give the makings of a sphere.
We are creating the frame and points and then it is incased in light gage wire mesh to give the sphere its full shape, then polystyeryne tiles covered with mirror attached to the wire.
Their equipment weight is only 300kg spread over the entire sphere as ours needs a bit knocked out.
It goes up this weekend in Bury, Manchester so if you fancy a laugh come see!

(you don't become a scaffolder, your Born One)
 
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