Flex Strip Mega Tree

[NavyGator]

With Rick asking questions about the Smart Strings being used on arches and taybrynn's use of flex strips inside clear tubing, what do you guys think of using taybrynn's idea with flex strips for a mega tree. I was just wondering how good of an idea this might be since the nodes on the flex strip are fairly directional when compared to the smart string.

Rich

[chrisatpsu]

it would be good for two dimensional trees, like up against a house.

i wouldn't use them for standard trees, as i think it's too straight and perfect for my tastes, and it being unidirectional, and flapping in the wind. and the leds are close to each other, so i'd have to turn off some nodes , or else have almost solid straight lines (if i was in the vieweing angles of the strips, while the wind was blowing just right for me to see them...

[mykroft]

Too bad there isnt something like the dryer vent hose that I have seen some use on arches for defusers that is only about 1" in diameter to do the same thing

Myk

it would be good for two dimensional trees, like up against a house.

i wouldn't use them for standard trees, as i think it's too straight and perfect for my tastes, and it being unidirectional, and flapping in the wind. and the leds are close to each other, so i'd have to turn off some nodes , or else have almost solid straight lines (if i was in the vieweing angles of the strips, while the wind was blowing just right for me to see them...

[therealbigjim]

The 2d tree is what the super star software is used for with LOR. I recall someone using a flex strip in an arch in the plastic tube and the strip was facing downward. I could not tell from the video it looked very bright.

[sielbear]

I can't tell if this has a touch of frosting to it or not...

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Would be somewhat pricy to do a whole tree, but it might work.  I'm considering using vinyl tubing, putting the stranded lights inside the tubing - either cutting the tubing in half and drilling holes or just putting the lights inside the tube for some added weather protection.  Still looking for a frosted or white vinyl tubing, similar to a dryer vent...

This looks similar, but I've not spent much time finding a price...
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produced by petroextrusion.com

[rrowan]

Wonder if using sandpaper on the tubing or a very light coat of white paint would do it (both?)

Rick R.

[sielbear]

Sandpaper isn't a bad idea actually...  That should add some diffusion.  I like the idea of the tubing as 1.) there is NO stress EVER on the smart string nodes, 2.) The nodes can be protected from weather very effectively, 3.) Setup and teardown should be pretty fast, and 4.) the strands are visible from 360 degrees. 

Now, how to sand that much tubing and not destroy your hands...  I'm thinking you could take a 10' section of gas pipe and run down the middle of the tubing.  Clamp the gas pipe to a wood fence and against a work surface.  Then use a sanding / gridning wheel on a drill and go down the length of the tube?  Rotate and repeat, rotate and repeat...  You could actually do away with the fence idea if you clamped the gas pipe TIGHTLY to the work surface.  That would allow you to get more than 180 degrees of area with your sanding wheel?

[chrisatpsu]

Just hold the tubing up to a try grinding wheel?

Or get that frosted fake snow paint they use on store Windows?

[scharbon]

 for that frosted look I was thinking of this transparent white speciality paint they have at Home Depot

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This link is for a 6 pack at $22.  All the home depots in my area carry them in stock in single cans for less than $4.  I don't know how it would hold up on plastic, but at $4 a can, you can afford to respray each year.

Steve

[Rogelio]

at work we use something called interduct which would be perfect if it didnt only come in orange
vacuum cleaner hose like this may work...
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Roy

[pk]

I have seen taybrynn's arches in person and they do look good.  He showed me their construction and I stayed to watch them in his show. 

Is there some chemical that could be used to frost clear tubing? 

[therealbigjim]

There are some paint thinners and chemical cleaners that will frost clear plastic. (Like the clear lenses on the instrument cluster of my '68 mustang.)

[thestig]

There are some paint thinners and chemical cleaners that will frost clear plastic. (Like the clear lenses on the instrument cluster of my '68 mustang.)

That sucks! I can definitely say that I have made my share of those kind of mistakes 

[denverstone]

I actually have (maybe had..... might have thrown it out) almost clear flexible tubing that is used for wire loom in the aerospace industry ( I used to work at a wire and cable company).... if I can find it Ill take a picture and post some information about it...... it might work..... it is about 1" to 1.25" diameter I believe and is ribbed like a dryer hose kind of....

[Nightowlz1966]

To frost your clear tubing trying spraying it with carb cleaner from the auto parts store, if that doesnt work you could try wiping it down with fingernail polish