I was able to find (8) 6 foot wire grid panels to use at an upcoming show. I was given connector pieces to connect the wire grids, side by side, plus we bought the sets of legs.
Question 1. I believe I have read that people can use zip ties or velcro to connect the grids together. Which one do you feel is best to use?
Question 2. We are displaying metal art pictures on the grids. We did not get anything to use to hang the mounted pictures. What have you found is the best to use? We will display anywhere from small metal prints up to 20" x 30".
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Replies
I use these metal grids and actually hang them from the top of my Trimline with 2 metal hose clamps and also one hose clamp at the bottom around my stabars. My work tends to be very heavy per 10ft section and this setup is the most secure method I've discovered yet. Goes pretty quickly with a cordless drill and nut driver to fit the tightening screw.
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We use the pins on the top but found we had to bungee them to top of tent too. Last yr we invested in Sta-Bars which we put 2/3 rds up and zip tie grids to them. They are now super secure.
Stability is the determining factor. Will they be free standing on the ground? Then you need the screw on connectors. If they will get support from something else, you can get away with using zip ties. Zip ties will not prevent 2 panels from pivoting. The screw on connectors take much more time to put on than zip ties. But you have to be conscious of how much these racks weigh and the potential for tipping on someone or a neighbor’s work. The standard 6 foot grid rack weighs 30 pounds.
FWIW, I found the legs unworkable. All they were was a trip factor. For me and the customers. I had to return them. They needed constant shimming, as floors are seldom level enough.
There is another connector you might not have seen. These are corner connectors that fit 2 panels together into a rigid right angle. These are very stable. They tighten using a hex key, not a screw driver.
I use grid racks myself: they hang using bungees from my canopy frame. This has the side benefit of adding weight to my canopy. Therefore I don’t really need to stabilize them together. Still, they will swing in the wind. I use binder clips from the back to attach them together: safe and easy.
If you will be using a canopy, then I would strongly suggest hanging them. I have been using them this way for 30 years. A 6 foot grid can hang top flush with your horizontal canopy bar, then stop about a foot above the ground. I have seen other people rest them on the ground (more with 7 or 8 foot long grids) but still support the weight with the canopy.
If I am using them standing on the ground, as in an indoor show, then I use the screw connectors. VERY seldom are they stable enough for use outdoors on the ground alone, unless on pavement, without attaching to some vertical support.
When I am using the grids on the ground, where they have to be self supporting, I always try to come up with a configuration that uses as many right angles as possible. The rigid right angles using the corner connectors then act to stabilize the straight wall-run of grids.