How to affix a wooden branch to the ceiling as a chandelier?

Question

I am making a chandelier that consists of a wood branch and some hanging lights. However, I'm not sure how to hang it:

• Should I have 3 parallel ropes hanging from the ceiling (2 to support the wood, 1 for the cable), or 2 ropes originating from the center, with a pulley on the ceiling. (See images).
• How do I tie the rope safely to the ceiling and to the wood? I'd love to use knots, but I'm not very confident in my knotting skills.

More information:

• The wood branch is about 15-20 kg and about 2m long.
• It is meant to be over the dinner table.
• I want to use jute rope

Hanging with 3 parallel ropes

Hanging in a triangle

How to attach the rope to the wood/ceiling

Answer 1

I have done what you are wanting to do but on a lighter scale. I used fishing line at 3 different attachment points on the ceiling, after I laid out the location of the joists in the ceiling. My branch was spread over a large area, about 2 ft wide by about 4 ft long with a lot of thin branches to work around. Yours is much simpler.

Depending on the direction you want the branch over the table, with rope you could hang it from 2 points. whether both attachment points to the ceiling are on 2 separate joists to get proper orientation or a single joist to do the same. The log is not that heavy to make an issue. I would not use the triangle method unless you take the time to get the balance just right. There will be a lot of trial and error. Using the triangle method may be problematic on getting or keeping the orientation.

The attachment to the ceiling could be either eye screws as mentioned by Isherwood, those are the strongest for the dimension of the shaft that makes the eye screw. I would use screw hooks, they are like eye screws they will not hold as much for the diameter typically but it would not take a much larger size to do the same. Each hook has the weight capacity on each package, get the one that is rated to hold all the weight you have with one, when 2 are used, will do all the better, keeping the size down to a minimum. The reason I mention eye hooks, the loop can be formed ahead of time while the eye screw needs to tied in place.

Answer 2

I'd suggest three supports as a minimum - Any less and the branch will wobble about when touched or with any sort of draught/breeze. Also consider rigging the fixtures not in a row, also to minimise swing.

20 kilograms (42 pounds) is also a lot of weight to hang up in the air from jute rope, which does deteriorate over time. I'd strongly recommend some braided steel rope/cable, perhaps with a thin sheathe of cosmetic jute weaving over the top.

Knotting your rope might work, but over time the rope will sag and thin, putting stress on the power wire.

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I'd recommend putting three stainless steel eyebolts into the top surface of the branch and three more into the ceiling. Make sure you hit something solid and load-bearing above the ceiling!

Then use a swage tool to permanently secure three braided stainless steel cables to the log eyebolts, and attach three positively-locking hooks to the other end, to clip to the ceiling eyebolts. This will allow removal of the log without cutting the wire rope.

cable eye and a swage closure.

An uncrimped swage.