working above church pews

[fourteen/two]

Looking at a job changing out chandeliers in a vaulted ceiling
Problem is the church pews are right below the lights.
Light boxes are 22 aff.
A JLG lift to reach up and over the pews is $900 for the week
But weighs 15K pounds, and I'm uneasy driving it on the slab and the carpet
A gennie lift with a "pew spannder" is $900 for the week
weighs less but looks to be much more labor intensive moving around
A rolling scaffold would be ideal, but looks like it wouldn't fit between the pews

Anyone care to share their experiences in changing out lights in a church?

[peter d]

Have you checked to see if the pews are removable?

[chris kennedy]

Looking at a job changing out chandeliers in a vaulted ceiling
Problem is the church pews are right below the lights.
Light boxes are 22 aff.
A JLG lift to reach up and over the pews is $900 for the week
But weighs 15K pounds, and I'm uneasy driving it on the slab and the carpet
A gennie lift with a "pew spannder" is $900 for the week
weighs less but looks to be much more labor intensive moving around
A rolling scaffold would be ideal, but looks like it wouldn't fit between the pews

Anyone care to share their experiences in changing out lights in a church?

Moving a row or two is out of the question?

[480sparky]

Some churches have already purchased their own special scaffold systems to allow the maintenence crews to work in the sanctuary. Ask the church if they have such a system.

[fourteen/two]

the pews are bolted to the floor and are removable, I rather not get into removing them.
15' long and looks the the carpet was installed after the pews, so not sure what would happen to the carpet once a pew was removed

[chris kennedy]

the pews are bolted to the floor and are removable, I rather not get into removing them.
15' long and looks the the carpet was installed after the pews, so not sure what would happen to the carpet once a pew was removed

And no doubt very heavy. Ask the church staff to move them. Worth a shot.

[Mule]

If its not too high of a ceiling and fxtrs are not huge, I have turned "Folding tables" upside down and laid them on top of the pews, then put a tall 10ft step ladder on that, having some one watching the riggn below......Kinda hillbilly, but it worked for me...Obviously if it is too high or too heavy for this method....DONT DO IT.:D


OOPS I just seen the ceiling height....this aint the fix....LOL !!!

[fourteen/two]

I was having a similar idea.
Plywood, 2x4, etc over the pews for a platform
The pew is 28" to 36" tall
A 14' ladder
A 6' electrician

Could work

[peter d]

I was having a similar idea.
Plywood, 2x4, etc over the pews for a platform
The pew is 28" to 36" tall
A 14' ladder
A 6' electrician

Could work

I would have called for the lift and be working before you even start rigging up that mess. If you're worried about the lift damaging the carpet, throw down some sheets of cheap plywood.

[electricmanscott]

I am not a church going type but I thought you could just pray to make things happen??


Oh the things I have done in my foolish younger years and lived to tell. Dangling over church pews is one. :rolleyes:


I would not even consider the job unless they were willing to pay whatever it took for a proper scaffolding setup.

There are companies that do that sort of thing if you'd rather not.

Is your life really worth giving up for some stinkin' light fixtures. Mine isn't. Close but not quite.

[1793]

I am not a church going type but I thought you could just pray to make things happen??


Oh the things I have done in my foolish younger years and lived to tell. Dangling over church pews is one. :rolleyes:


I would not even consider the job unless they were willing to pay whatever it took for a proper scaffolding setup.

There are companies that do that sort of thing if you'd rather not.

Is your life really worth giving up for some stinkin' light fixtures. Mine isn't. Close but not quite.

Amen to that.

[raider1]

I would not even consider the job unless they were willing to pay whatever it took for a proper scaffolding setup.

I agree, a few years ago one of the people that I worked with went out to work in a chapel and rigged up some unsafe scaffold. Needless to say, he had the scaffold tip over while he was climbing up and landed face first on a pew, thirteen fractured teeth later he decided that wasn't the best idea.

safety first.

Chris

[mdshunk]

I do churches quite often, and there's one lift made purposely to get between the rows of pews and is light (in weight) on the floor. The Genie 1-man lift with the "Super Straddle" attachment. I've gone up to 52 feet in the air with that rig, on a wood floor with a basement below. Didn't have to unbolt one single pew. Next time you guys need to know about a weird tool, save some time and just ask me! Ha ha. :)

http://www.genieindustries.com/ss-series/ss.jpg

[1793]

I do churches quite often, and there's one lift made purposely to get between the rows of pews and is light (in weight) on the floor. The Genie 1-man lift with the "Super Straddle" attachment. I've gone up to 52 feet in the air with that rig, on a wood floor with a basement below. Didn't have to unbolt one single pew. Next time you guys need to know about a weird tool, save some time and just ask me! Ha ha. :)

http://www.genieindustries.com/ss-series/ss.jpg

Looks great. Do your Local Rental places rent these and if so about how much? How difficult is it to move?

[480sparky]

I was having a similar idea.
Plywood, 2x4, etc over the pews for a platform
The pew is 28" to 36" tall
A 14' ladder
A 6' electrician

Could work

Sounds like something The Professor would build on Gilligans' Island.

Or something you'd see in a third-world country.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/Constructionsite2.jpg

[fourteen/two]

I was just checking out that very lift. The way the guys at the rental place explained to me it was a big cumbersome, complicated jig.
But having googled a few pics of it, its looks ideal for what i need.

[mdshunk]

I was just checking out that very lift. The way the guys at the rental place explained to me it was a big cumbersome, complicated jig.
But having googled a few pics of it, its looks ideal for what i need.
No way is it cumbersome or complicated. It's a one-man affair, but it is easier to use if you have two men for the initial setup. Once you get the quick 5-minute lesson on how to set it up, it's a snap. Once it's all adjusted for the particuler pews and the straddle height is set, all you do is go up and down in it, and push it around.

For the manlift and the Super Straddle accessory, it's about 500 bucks for 2 weeks. Both places I normally rent from have them, but they normally need a head's up on when you'll need the Super Straddle accessory to maybe pull it from another store. This is stuff you'd want to pay a couple extra bucks to have delivered and picked up.

[masterinbama]

The genie one man works well, but if you have to make a lot of trips assembling and installing a ground man is a necessity. Especially when you are 6'2" and 235 like me

[mdshunk]

The genie one man works well, but if you have to make a lot of trips assembling and installing a ground man is a necessity. Especially when you are 6'2" and 235 like me
I agree, no matter what size you are. Pair of radios too. Hollering doesn't really seem like a good thing to do in a church. If you have some buckets you can hang on the outside of the basket, that helps too.

[cschmid]

Now that beats the scaffolding I was going to suggest but the rental facility in this community does not have one..I think I will suggest it to them..:D

[goldstar]

I regularly change the bulbs in my church. The ceiling is vaulted with the lowest to highest fixture being about 15' - 25'. The ones over the pews I use my bakers scaffold with either planks or plywood and a 10' ladder to change the bulbs. The ones that are 20-25' high and out in the open we have a scissor lift that was donated to the church. Our pastor is real anal about lights being out and would have the care-taker putting up an aluminum ladder almost straight up onto the vaulted ceiling. Anytime he asked me to do the work I would tell him "Father, I believe in God but if you insist in having those bulbs changed out, I will foot the ladder while you go up. You can say all the prayers you want and make all the promises you wish but if you think I'm going up there without a lift you're quite mistaken !!!"

[winnie]

Go for the upsell, rent the proper lift, and permanently install chandelier hoists. *grin*

-Jon

[electricalperson]

Go for the upsell, rent the proper lift, and permanently install chandelier hoists. *grin*

-Jon

what if the hoist fails? :D

[480sparky]

what if the hoist fails? :D

You make money on the service call to go fix it. :smile:

[DAWGS]

I used to work for a company that had a contract with the catholic diosis, so Ive worked in a few churches. We always used electric articulating boom lifts. Just set plywood down in center isle, and make sure you measure your outreach and get a large enough lift. This is the most efficient way. Spring for the money on equipment, and the install will be a snap.

[220/221]

Next time you guys need to know about a weird tool, save some time and just ask me!

Marc=weird tool :smile:

[mdshunk]

I used to work for a company that had a contract with the catholic diosis, so Ive worked in a few churches. We always used electric articulating boom lifts. That's cool, unless the church sanctuary has a wood floor with a basement below.

[LarryFine]

Next time you guys need to know about a weird tool, save some time and just ask me! Ha ha. :)Marc, have you ever heard of a "megger?" :grin: