Whipping - Lashing 'n getting Knotted?

Joe's posting may sound like a trip down memory lane but it is still VERY relevant in today's theatre world.

I find it amazing that with all the advancements made by modern technology, the most cost effective, safest (?) and most efficient method of flying scenery, props, the house rag or even Peter Pan is still the centuries old use of good old fashioned hemp rope and counter weights. I realise that there are electrically driven winches available, but they are usually too fast/slow or noisy for theatre application and usually also well out of budgetary range for most comeatre (a lovely "Gaafa-nism") groups. Yes, there are speed variable motors available, but these are even pricier than the set-speed types. One company that I know of tried electrics for their horizontal house rag for a while and gave it up because it was temperamental and only functioned when it wanted to (Admittedly this was probably due to it not being used to open the rag every time and people pulling the curtain open/closed by hand).

Heck, even The Maj still uses hemp ropes for it's fly cues and I  would think that if there was a better alternative they could/would be using it.

To be honest the only venues/companies I have seen using electric winches are the modern, Government funded PAC ones, and even there they only seem to be used to lower/raise the overhead rig for the hanging of lights/audio or scrims/blacks.  I have yet to see them used for "flying" as we know it. (Oops! I tell a lie... Cirque Du Soleil springs to mind... but even they rely on manually hauled ropes for their "flyers" safety lines.)

Perhaps this is a prime example of "If it ain't broke - Don't fix it"

"Be nice to your Tech's - or they'll turn out the lights and go home!"