Line Control/Retractable Posts

Hey- This may have been brought up before, not sure.... Does anyone use those line posts to help with line control? You know like the ones at the movies with the rope or straps to keep the line going a certain way and organized?

Many times I'm by myself and have no time to organize the line and lately it seems when I look up the line is just one big mess!

I have a couple HUGE gigs coming up and I think these line posts may help but not sure if I should spend the money or just make some. Has anyone bought any or made homemade ones? The cheapest I found is $39 for each retractable strap post (used).

Thanks for any info!!

I have home made ones that I use and my "rope" is just string that I hang my sample photos from.

The posts that I have are a 2ft square of plywood, a threaded pipe flange and a short piece of pipe to fit into it... then a longer piece of pvc pipe that fits snugly over the metal pipe. On the other end of the pvc pipe is screwed a block of wood with a screw eye in it to attach the string. I don't have any close up pictures of it right now, but I can try to take some later if my description didn't make sense...

Thanks Perry! I like the idea of pics on the rope too. I was already thinking of buckets and cement but I like your idea of plywood better Last thing I need is more wieght in my set up.

yeah, it all comes apart and I made a big bag that it all fits into pretty well... I painted it brightly so that people don't trip over them

I went looking because i thought I had saved the link someone posted, but it's gone

Google stanchions

I found some portable ones:
http://www.crowdcontrolexperts.com/posts--ropes---chains-plastic-stanchions.html

Perry, when you set them up on concrete do they lay pretty flat or wobble a bit? Cause theres a screw on the bottom right?

wow these are cheap... I think I am going to get some.

http://crowdcontrolstore.com/fullsize3x39plasticstanchionswithc-hooks.aspx

the screws actually go through the top for the threaded pipe flange, just make sure the screws are short enough that they don't break through the back of the plywood... it only wobbles as much as the concrete is uneven. I'll take some pictures today and post them.

SuzySparkles wrote:wow these are cheap... I think I am going to get some.

http://crowdcontrolstore.com/fullsize3x39plasticstanchionswithc-hooks.aspx

Hey those ARE cheap. I like that you have a few color choices too. Thanks for the link !

Ok, here's some pictures.... the really cheap ones that I found online, I worried about them being too light and blowing away or getting bumped or destroyed (I'm not easy on my stuff)... these are heavy enough, but not terrible to carry around to events and extremely durable. I've used them for over a year now, so the pics may look a little "abused." They've stood up to nasty weather and kids hanging on them repeatedly... and the pair of them cost less than $50 in materials.

This is the bag I made from an old bedspread for the stuff.


This is the threaded flange on the base.


This is the short pipe screwed into the flange.


This is the taller pvc pipe fitting over the metal pipe.


This is the screw eye and wood in the other end.


and finally, the whole thing put together.

I found this also if anyone is interested... http://www.crowdcontrolexperts.com/t-46133-tru.html

I like your home made one. I am having my dad look into this

Thanks for the extra pics and info!

Make sure your insurance covers you. They are notorious for being at neck height (the straps- on kids and also are light enough to be pulled over by small people or knocked over by big.

I do a lot of stuff at big events and people are always tripping over/ leaning on things like that. Best is the huge metal 'fence' type barriers but we are never going to be able to add them to our kit!

Cat x

mine is only 3 ft tall and the string generally hangs a lot lower since I put my pictures on it... I use cheap yarn as the string and it stretches like crazy too.

Welp, inspired by Perry I got all the stuff! My husband and I felt like McGyver in Home Depot searching for all the parts lol....they are going to be slightly different then yours... we just got different screw thingys and top caps for the PVC pipe and such. I'll tell ya, its way cheaper making three of these posts then buying just one on line. I'll just slap on some paint to make them look nice . I'll take pics as we make them, hoping they are a success !

A fellow face painting friend of mine actually makes an entire cue line out of PVC instead of just a few stanchions. Looks kinda like the ones formed by handrails at amusement parks.

my dad made me some out of pvc the other day, they look really sharp!!! They have some weird shower thingy on the bottom of them... I will show pictures when I get them over here

cool, I'd like to see pics of yours...I'll post mine when they are done too. Probably next week I'll have them ready.

glad I could be an inspiration

I used stretchy yarn like Perry and attached it to the wire garden flag holders about two or three foot tall and taped 8.5x11" laminated photos of my work as flags that flutter to grab attention to the line, sorta like the ones shown on the canopy of my booth.

And, since the photos are laminated, they are easy to write on and erase when neccessary ; )
Susan

I love how you have your pictures lined up like that! what a great idea! how do attach them so people don't remove them? Or do you have them bring you the pic they want then put it back after?

Mine have two holes punched in the top through the laminating and I just string the pictures on there as I'm setting it all up. They can't take the pictures off without cutting the yarn.

They are on there with clear package tape and no one has gotten them off. I've wrestled them off for other display boards which is why I didn't want to punch holes in them. It's kinda nice to see the different face designs as they move along the line ; )

Yes, that exactly... here is part of a testimonial I have on my website about the pictures along the line:

"The set up was just wonderful. The rope-line that indicated where the kids should stand to wait was very helpful in keeping excited little people in line. The fact that it had photos of various suggestions attached to it was brillant! Looking at the pictures helped the kids pass the time in line and it helped them narrow down their choices. I was amazed to find that they had reached a solid decision before it was actually their turn to be painted!"