[GaryFx]

We're trying to find the best places for the eye-hooks for the cables holding our drop ceiling adapter, Chief CMS440, for our BenQ W1070.

The joists run parallel to the screen, and so will the adapter. Our ideal position for the adapter is a few inches from one joist, making it about a foot from the next joist. The instructions call for a fifteen degree angle from the vertical for the cables holding the adapter. That's easy to do with eye hooks under the near joist, but for the far joist it will be more like 60 or 75 degrees.

I've already gotten advice in another thread for the screen, suggesting mounting 1x3s perpendicular to the joists. It turns out we don't need to worry about that for the screen, but now that I think about it, that just seems to add another point of failure.

So it seems our options are:

1. Mount the eye-hooks in the bottom of the joist anyway, and don't worry about the angle.
2. Mount the eye-hooks in the side of the joist, or possibly replace the screw-in eye-hooks with eye-bolts.
3. Go with the 1x3 perpendicular to the joists, held in by a couple of long wood screws, and then use eye-bolts.

#3 seems to be the recommended approach, but is it necessary? It's a lot more work, and it can fail at the screws holding the 1x3 up, the eye-bolts holding the cable, or just the wood breaking. I may be worrying too much, since each cable really just needs to support a few pounds, but then wouldn't the eye-hooks in the bottom or side of the joists be good enough?


Many thanks.

 

[Rottsevens]

We're trying to find the best places for the eye-hooks for the cables holding our drop ceiling adapter, Chief CMS440, for our BenQ W1070.

The joists run parallel to the screen, and so will the adapter. Our ideal position for the adapter is a few inches from one joist, making it about a foot from the next joist. The instructions call for a fifteen degree angle from the vertical for the cables holding the adapter. That's easy to do with eye hooks under the near joist, but for the far joist it will be more like 60 or 75 degrees.

I've already gotten advice in another thread for the screen, suggesting mounting 1x3s perpendicular to the joists. It turns out we don't need to worry about that for the screen, but now that I think about it, that just seems to add another point of failure.

So it seems our options are:

1. Mount the eye-hooks in the bottom of the joist anyway, and don't worry about the angle.
2. Mount the eye-hooks in the side of the joist, or possibly replace the screw-in eye-hooks with eye-bolts.
3. Go with the 1x3 perpendicular to the joists, held in by a couple of long wood screws, and then use eye-bolts.

#3 seems to be the recommended approach, but is it necessary? It's a lot more work, and it can fail at the screws holding the 1x3 up, the eye-bolts holding the cable, or just the wood breaking. I may be worrying too much, since each cable really just needs to support a few pounds, but then wouldn't the eye-hooks in the bottom or side of the joists be good enough?


Many thanks.

Could you nail/screw 2x4s inbetween the joists (or use 2x4 instead of 1x3 underneath the joists)? Wouldn't this give you the strength you are looking for?

 

[weaselfest]

You're worrying too much.
Look, you're not putting that much weight on the assembly and ceiling grid is capable of doing all the work, if assembled properly. The cables are there as much for a safety as anything, in case of some catastrophic event compromising the ceiling grid. You are fine running the cables vertically, or install another piece of wood between joists. Any single cable is capable of holding the entire affair from hitting the ground, and the likelihood of one of those eye bolts breaking or cables breaking under normal forces is unlikely. If you worried about it, the chassis of the projector would likely fail before the mounting cables if someone were to try and hang off it.

 

[GaryFx]

You're worrying too much.
Look, you're not putting that much weight on the assembly and ceiling grid is capable of doing all the work, if assembled properly. The cables are there as much for a safety as anything, in case of some catastrophic event compromising the ceiling grid. You are fine running the cables vertically, or install another piece of wood between joists. Any single cable is capable of holding the entire affair from hitting the ground, and the likelihood of one of those eye bolts breaking or cables breaking under normal forces is unlikely. If you worried about it, the chassis of the projector would likely fail before the mounting cables if someone were to try and hang off it.

Thanks, I think it's the reassurance that I wanted.

There's only about three inches of clearance between the bottom of the joists and the top of the rails. Putting a cross piece between the joists seems like too much unnecessary work. We'll probably just go with the eyehooks in the side of the joists.

 

[scotter]

Thanks, I think it's the reassurance that I wanted.

There's only about three inches of clearance between the bottom of the joists and the top of the rails. Putting a cross piece between the joists seems like too much unnecessary work. We'll probably just go with the eyehooks in the side of the joists.

I agree with the sentiment to not over think it too much. For drop ceiling trays, the cabling ties to the building structure are more or less for seismic stability/safety. A well secured drop ceiling can hold a lot of weight on its own.