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[Peter Morris]

Steel vs alloy: when i refer to alloy i mean steel alloy, which has some elements added to it to make it up to 50% stronger than carbon steel, at a very high price.

For stainless steel: as far as i know all manufacturers advice against using stainless steel wires, chains and shackles for overhead use, If not forbidden by law, even if the WWL is high enough.

FWIW the UTS for steel varies from between about 400Mpa to over 2000Mpa.  Lifting equipment needs to be tough so that it can take abuse (Charpy V-notch test). The material/alloy used must not suffer from brittle fractures.  You also have to remember that the structure / building that you are connecting to is made out of structural grade mild steel. The higher grades have a yield strength of 350Mpa and a UTS of 470 – 630 Mpa. In comparison the steel used in some wire ropes may have UTS greater than 2000Mpa.

I’m don’t know what the situation in the US regarding what is approved etc. but the important thing is that it is rated.  The item in question has been tested to destruction and procedures should be in place to ensure that the manufactured items continue to meet that specification/rating.

Also FWIW in most parts of the world you can buy "rated" stainless steel lifting equipment - as an example Ketten Wälder in Germany make a range of such equipment  .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8O7SknMrIs

http://www.cromox.eu/pdf/de/cromox-2015-07-lifting.pdf

[Bob Faulkner]

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions!

I opted to purchase some shackles from McMaster-Carr.  They are 5/8" with a max rating of 6500 lbs.  At the moment, we're lifting no more than 220 lbs.  The shackles purchased are in their "lifting" shackles category.

Reading the other posts, I was expecting to see something like a manufacturers name on the shackle, i.e.  "McMaster-Carr", though, the shackles show "Chicago USA".  Also, on the shackle is the size "5/8" and the weight rating "3 1/4T" and a "B 1" underneath the weight rating.

Is the "Chicago" name acceptable?  Are these shackles from McMaster-Carr acceptable?  Am I reading too much into this...?

[Brian Adams]

I assume your shackles are made by Chicago Hardware, which is a reputable company that makes quality hardware in the US. If so, where you see "Chicago", that is the manufacturers name, and you have nothing to worry about. Chicago shackles are sold by many stage rigging vendors, and it's good stuff.

http://www.chicagohardware.com/shackles.htm

FWIW, McMaster-Carr is a vendor, not a manufacturer.

[Mark Cadwallader]

I have purchased Chicago brand shackles and forged shoulder eyebolts from Sapsis, a well-repected vendor in the entertainment rigging industry.  Good stuff.

[Tim McCulloch]

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions!

I opted to purchase some shackles from McMaster-Carr.  They are 5/8" with a max rating of 6500 lbs.  At the moment, we're lifting no more than 220 lbs.  The shackles purchased are in their "lifting" shackles category.

Reading the other posts, I was expecting to see something like a manufacturers name on the shackle, i.e.  "McMaster-Carr", though, the shackles show "Chicago USA".  Also, on the shackle is the size "5/8" and the weight rating "3 1/4T" and a "B 1" underneath the weight rating.

Is the "Chicago" name acceptable?  Are these shackles from McMaster-Carr acceptable?  Am I reading too much into this...?

Chicago Hardware shackle is a quality product.

[Bob Faulkner]

Thanks guys!!

[ProSoundWeb Community]