Call for Artists, Making Money at Juried Art Fairs, Craft Shows and Festivals
Thinking about weights
As I get ready for spring (because I need to remember that winter in Illinois will end!) I am considering more upgrades for my booth. I have put out a request for used weights to replace my lovely concrete filled PVC which I strap to my booth poles at the bottom and then tie to top to keep them stable.
I have roughly 40 pounds on each leg, and no complaints about their effectiveness, they are just ugly.
Ultimately the budget will win and I may decide to go another year with PVC. I've considered creative duct tape to decorate them (have you seen the prom dresses that get made out of duct tape every year?), and I've considered laying them down and strapping them to my sta-bars to reduce their visibility. Any opinions or other suggestions?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jim Parker on -
We made slipcovers for our concrete weights when we still used them. Heavy-duty duck canvas, black; a long tube, open at the bottom, with a slit in the top for the eyebolt. They were quite effective, especially when paired with black web straps. They kind of disappeared. Slipcovers are cheap to make, if you have a sewing machine and a little patience.
I would think that duct tape would tend to peel and curl when it loses its grip. Not pretty. Laying them down and strapping to sta-bars is a very effective way of using them. Use non-stretchy tie-downs, though. Web straps, or rope.
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Permalink Reply by Lori Biwer-Stewart on -
I've been doing the same lately. Summer here in Iowa will be here in no time. I have the black EZup bags that are filled with sand. They weigh about 40 lbs. each. The bags are semi waterproof, so when we get rain they weigh a bit more. They've worked well for me. I've been wanting to add some more weight under the bags, but I'm not sure what to use yet.
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Permalink Reply by Amy Ikenn on -
If I do upgrade it will be to the Eaton weights. http://canopyweights.com/. I've done a few days of research and they are the only ones that seem to be less visible (my real goal) and worth the money.
Jim - Slipcovers might be a nice alternative. I have light green fabric covering my walls - if I can find something that works with that in a heavy duty material I can bring out my sewing machine.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Parker on
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I had steel weights fabricated a few years ago. They are 2.5" square by 30" tall, with a loop welded to the top. Painted black, they can be hung behind the walls on black webbing. The walls can be zipped up around them, they don't impinge on the neighbor's space if tents are tight, and they don't roll around in the trailer.
Last year I built a rack for them on the side wall of the trailer. They slip into slots and a bar holds them tight to the wall. They weigh 70 pounds apiece.
To get that kind of weight with the Eaton weights, you'd need 5 each per leg. That's a fairly high stack, and much more obvious. 15 pounds per leg is not real useful, although the design is good. And the cost to do four per leg is a whopping $640. Four steel bars will run between $50 and $75 each, depending on the cost of steel, and how much you can sweet-talk your welder buddy.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth Finkenbiner on -
Jim - do you remember approximately how much it cost to have these weights fabricated?
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Permalink Reply by Chris Pawlik on
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here is the link to the site http://www.canopyweights.com/
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Permalink Reply by Jim Parker on
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They were $75 each. I painted 'em myself, but you could probably get them powder coated if you wanted something real permanent. Steel bar stock is generally sold by weight.
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Permalink Reply by Connie Mettler on -
I know Jim Eaton who developed the Eaton weights. He has traveled and done shows for maybe 30 years. He and his wife travel together in one extended van, with two bodies of work. He designed these weights so they would be unobtrusive and fit into small corners. Jim is a very pragmatic guy--see a problem, fix it as simply as possible.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Pawlik on
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I purchased four matching open weave curtains, I thread a small bungee cord through the top where the curtain rod would go and fasten it to the top of the leg just under the edge of the top. Then about halfway down I use another bungee to tie the curtain to the leg. I pull the curtain up so it overlaps the bungee and brings the bottom of the curtain off the ground. This dresses up the corner support and covers the weight at the same time.
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Permalink Reply by Amy Ikenn on
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Chris, that sounds like the type of look I'm looking for! I need to see what I can find like that.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Pawlik on
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I found them at Wal-Mart.
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