types of tape to hold lights on the wall?

[john jeffreys]

We are lighting an apartment with china lamps- what kind of tape can we use that a) can hold china lamps ranging from 12"-30" off a ceiling (by the cord) and b) won't rip the paint off the wall when we remove it?

 

[Erik Bien]

I think black paper tape is usually considered the most "paint friendly" type commonly used on film sets, but it doesn't hold all that well with weight pulling against it. Gaffer's tape has much better holding power. Although most brands will release clean if pulled carefully the same day they were applied (and assuming the paint wasn't buggered to begin with), in my experience cheap tape can damage paint, especially if it's been left up a few days. One trick I find helps prevent this is to stick each strip of tape to your shirt for a moment, then rip it off and apply it to the wall or ceiling. It will still hold heavy stuff almost as well, but the fibers picked up from the fabric help prevent it from grabbing too tightly to painted surfaces.

 

[Nick Gardner]

Taping china balls to the ceiling is a bad idea. When they fall and break the bulb, the hot glass melts carpet, burns couches and burns actors. Rent a couple speed rail wall spreaders.

Nick

 

[Shervin Mandgaryan]

Autopoles are always handy.

 

[Erik Bien]

Yeah; rather than the usual dangling socket I build my china ball gags with threaded lamp pipe so they'll fit in a grip head.

 

[john jeffreys]

I am meeting with the apartment owner tonight and I'm gonna inspect the house and see what I can do; we are only shooting in there for 1 day so I think we can tape it and pull it off very carefully at the end of the day. I hope so, at least. He already has a china lamp in his living room for decoration so I'll see how that one is attached to the wall.

 

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

What kind of ceiling? If it's stamped drywall, tape wont hold well anyway, but a drywall screw and $5 drywall filler will be like you were never there.

a different type of ceiling will have different solutions.

Any recommendations for speedrail wall spreaders?

 

[Paul Ellington]

I wouldn't recommend tape... I would take a look at 3m velcro removable tape and use a lot of it. There should be a formula on their website for how much it can hold.

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=3m+velcro+tape

 

[Dave Blackham]

The tape may hold but the paint may fail. Then as has been pointed out broken bulb burt carpet and potentially burnt people. If you get a hot filament on a paper china ball Id expect it to catch fire.

A spark can advise but speed rail or autopole is a much better bet.

 

[john jeffreys]

Speedrails won't work, as we are not allowed to drill anything into any ceiling or wall There already is a hook on the ceiling, so we will use that one for our main 30" lamp, and I guess have an assistant hold the smaller 12 or 18" ones. Gosh, the pains of directing a skeleton crew.

Edit: those adhesive hooks might work too, depending on how easy they are to peel off after the shoot...

 

[Paul Ellington]

Speedrails won't work, as we are not allowed to drill anything into any ceiling or wall There already is a hook on the ceiling, so we will use that one for our main 30" lamp, and I guess have an assistant hold the smaller 12 or 18" ones. Gosh, the pains of directing a skeleton crew.

Edit: those adhesive hooks might work too, depending on how easy they are to peel off after the shoot...

If you use the 3M stuff right, it's strong enough to hold lanterns for sure. Also, they come off without taking off paint. They are designed for it.

 

[john jeffreys]

If you use the 3M stuff right, it's strong enough to hold lanterns for sure. Also, they come off without taking off paint. They are designed for it.

Looks like I'll be taking a trip to the store before Saturday's shoot. Thanks so much

 

[ericyoung]

On a shoot I worked on, Art department used loads of low tack masking tape on the delicate painted wall surface, then used good gaffer tape to actually secure stuff to a masking tape on the wall. Worked well for a wall - not sure if it'd work on a ceiling upside down so well.

 

[Nick Gardner]

Speedrails won't work, as we are not allowed to drill anything into any ceiling or wall

That's the whole point of wall sreaders - you don't screw anything into anything. They are really simple and easy too use. By far the simplest best solution -

Here, these use a section of 2x4. You could rent a couple for next to nothing. 2x4s are cheep and you cut to length.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=33155&is=REG&Q=&A=details

It really is the best thing to do. Plus once you have those up, you can rig a coupe of fresnels if you want. No compromises.

Nick

 

[john jeffreys]

That's the whole point of wall sreaders - you don't screw anything into anything. They are really simple and easy too use. By far the simplest best solution -

Here, these use a section of 2x4. You could rent a couple for next to nothing. 2x4s are cheep and you cut to length.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=33155&is=REG&Q=&A=details

It really is the best thing to do. Plus once you have those up, you can rig a coupe of fresnels if you want. No compromises.

Nick

Oh, I thought you had to drill the two ends into either side of the wall..so it just sqeuzzes in, kindof like a shower curtain rail?

 

[Justin Chin]

Yeah, if you can use a wall spreader or even a menace arm you'll be much better off. Plus, if you need to move/adjust/hang anything new off the fixture it'll be much easier.

 

[Paul Ellington]

Yeah, if you can use a wall spreader or even a menace arm you'll be much better off. Plus, if you need to move/adjust/hang anything new off the fixture it'll be much easier.

Not if he's never used one and it could be dangerous.

 

[john jeffreys]

Well guys, it came out pretty nice, if i say so myself. We gorilla taped an 18" lamp with a 250w bulb (daylight balanced) to the ceiling, put some mayonaise to remove the residue, no paint was lost.