Swing Arm/Boom for extension cord

[KaHuNaZ]

Howdy Fellaz,
Im looking for a 10' swing arm or boom for an extension cord to mount in our shop. Im looking for one similar to something you would find in a car wash.Maybe with a retractable extension cord mounted to the end. Do they make something like this?

I found a pic online of one someone had welded up. If they dont have these available I might try to make one out of strut and mount a retractable extension reel on it. Would there be any issues with fashioning one out of strut?

Thanks!

 

[larry_g]

Do a google image search on the term " festoon cord arms " and see if something doesn't show up for you. I'm assuming that you want a folding arm like on a dock light?

On edit http://www.hubbell-gleason.com/HWS/BoomsJibs.html

The above link has booms for what you are seeking. You might also look at their workstations solutions for ideas.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[matt_i]

The other alternative is to mount strut to the ceiling and put a couple of the 2 wheel trolleys in there, festoon the cable in long loops, ideally attach a long-radius saddle at each trolley for long life.

If you weld or buy one, I would make the hinge points shimmable and adjustable. If the pivots are coaxial but out of level in either of the two 90 degree planes thru it, its always going to swing to the low side whether you want that or not.

 

[sberry]

I have some power thru the floor but have a couple arms over benches and leves a raceway to drop cords down on projects.

 

[KaHuNaZ]

Those Hubbell booms look pretty nice. Good to know that this is actually made.

 

[sberry]

A piece of conduit on a hinge and a guy wire. Cant see the wire in the right pic but its there.

 

[DCarr2]

Thats awesome! I might do something similar in my shop

by the way, any sag issues?

 

[sberry]

The booms were a fast deal, I can near hang from the long one. Its got air and electric and a couple lights on it. They could be built better but were simple conduit cut in a shear for the verticals.
I had done similar stuff and it was way complicated and time consuming, by the time I got to this I was wayyyy more thrifty and didn't cope the pieces. They don't need to be super strong, not for rigging but to carry some cords when needed.
Soon maybe I get new pic but the air hose is super tailored for hangers and length, you can walk under it but drop it from one hanger and it is on the vise, drop it from a couple and it reaches out on the floor and doesn't need any moving parts, no reel on this circuit.
Its super fast and cant get any easier.

 

[sberry]

I have 3 other reels but use whips on the hoist, again tailored hangers and when a guy p-icks the hose to hook a tool it all falls ibn place and a single hanger holds a big loop to keep it all off the floor. Coming from overhead gives them a lot of "range" I can actually provide 2 air drops to any project one from either direction.
I have a couple extra fixed whips but with careful planning could cover about 4K sq ft with 2 reels if I needed to and still reach out the doors. In my case it wasn't a deal breaker to add a couple extra hoses and the plumbing was about the same.