How I built and hung my ceiling cloud (with pics)

[JLiRD808]

Finished...


Basically its just two slabs of 705 around 4'x4'x2" stacked together and wrapped in muslin. The hard/interesting part was how to hang it. I know everyone has different ceilings and systems for hanging theirs...this is just how I did it.

What was nice about my ceiling is that there's an attic above it. I knew from the beginning that we could somehow "anchor" something that would allow us to hang this. This was the contraption I came up with while walking around an Ace Hardware:



It's basically about 20" long from end to end. I wanted the cloud to hang about a foot from the ceiling so compensating for the 4" of 705 and probably about the same for the (old) ceiling, the length was just right. The end pieces are 3" washers that would support the 705 and anchor the whole thing through the ceiling. There's a carabiner in the middle that connects the two screw eyes....more about that later.





Popped four holes in the stacked 705 and anchored the screw eyes with the washer and nut.



Drilled four holes in the ceiling, sent my friend up to the attic while I pushed the four screw eyes thru them. He took the washers and nuts up with him and anchored them all in.



The carabiners were key at this point. We would have to stand on ladders while supporting the panel and "click" the carabiners to the screw eyes. It took us a few tries...thats for sure.

And voila....I really hope this doesn't come crashing down on me one day lol. It's been up a few months now and it hangs great. Most ppl don't even notice it either lol.

[erikdrink]

Nice job!

[JoaT]

Pretty extreme job on fixing the cloud to the ceiling... I also just did a cloud for my studio. It has a wooden frame and spot lights installed. Also, my ceiling is made of particle board.

I hung mine with four similar hooks than yours, except they only have a screw tip on them and they are not fixed with anything on the opposite side. My cloud weighs around 20kg, so it's 5kg load / fixture. I tested the fixtures by lifting myself up from the floor holding two ropes attached to two of the fixtures. No problem.

Yours could probably easily support a car if they are bolted through the roof.

[JLiRD808]

Originally Posted by JoaT

.. I also just did a cloud for my studio. It has a wooden frame and spot lights installed. Also, my ceiling is made of particle board...

Wait so did u have support beams going across ur ceiling or is it all really screwed into particle board?

I love the idea of putting lights in...there's a thread here where I guy mounted spotlights in the wood frame AND had a tube of LEDs (I think) on top of the cloud so there was this nice iridescent glow above it. Was that u lol? I can't find the build thread anymore...

Post some pics if u got em!!

Also, I forgot to mention...those metal eye screws/carabiner combos were roughly $4 each if i remember correctly....so about $20 in parts for mounting hardware. Getting my friend to go up into the crazy attic was probably the hardest part lol...

[JoaT]

Just screwed to the particle board. No support beams, except the ones the said particle board is attached to. My cloud hangers did not align with those beams, so it was straight to particle board only.

I try to get you some pictures. The cloud is still WIP, as I am waiting to get the fabric and fixtures for the fabric. The lights are installed, but the cable still needs to be attached to the cloud properly.

I'm also thinking of adding led rope (or christmas lights) on top of the cloud to provide indirect ambient lighting when I don't feel like having spotlights on.

[amishsixstringe]

That cloud weighs maybe 5 pounds, and he's supporting at 4 points. I don't really think it needs to go into a structural beam. Probably didn't need 3/8" diameter hardware either. Good job.

Neil

[JLiRD808]

Originally Posted by JoaT

I tested the fixtures by lifting myself up from the floor holding two ropes attached to two of the fixtures. No problem.

Lol yeah I just didn't know particle board was strong enuff to do that....NICE!!!