First it is a half version of the "weberchristmas" spiral tree. I give the idea credits to him. This is how I made my 1/2 version.
My base is 6 foot and it is 16 feet high. It will be 16 channel one color (multi). It will have 16 strands of 100 Walmart mini's. I cut eight 2x4's 30" long with a 22.5 degree angle to make the octagon. The 30" cuts are measured 30" on the outside (not on the inside) to make the base right at 6 foot. I used a nail gun and toe-nailed the octagon together. I then used 2x4's to sturdy up the base as you can see in the pictures. I placed the 2x4's so the center of the board was centered over the cuts. This way I could shoot a couple of nails on each side of the cut spaces in the octagon. If I had it to do again I would have used 1x4's to sturdy up the base. I used a metal threaded plate in the center and used PVC 1.5 inch SCH 40. I have it guyed wired at 8 foot using 4 wires. Then at the top I have 16 white braided nylon ropes. It is 8 ropes and each one goes up and down. I used 12 turnbuckles from Lowes @ $1.18 each to tighten up the 4 wires in the center and one on each 8 ropes from the top. I made it like this so I could turn it on its side and wrap the lights around it. This way the highest part to reach is only 6 foot high. With the tree guyed in the center and then with the ropes on the top I put it on its side. I stuck a 1/2 metal conduit pipe down into the top and braced it on a sawhorse. It sagged a TINY bit while on its side. But it will not effect putting the lights on at all. I did not wrap the lights as I plan to do that EARLY November (or sooner).
Help here... His picture diagram looks like 1.5 turns. Watching the videos it looks like 1.75 to 2 times around. At the Norman Oklahoma mini it was said it was 2.5 or 3. Anyone know? Can you help here Mr. Weber?
The Weber tree info said he used metal wire and nylon tie wraps to hold the lights on. He said they slid down in the winter weather. I used the braided nylon rope because I am going to use large safety pins to hold the lights to the rope and won't have to worry about them slipping down. I got the safety pins at Dollar General for $1.75 a package of 55. They seem to be large and stout and I think they will hold the wires in place around the spiral tree just fine. I put a couple of pins on the ropes. I tugged pretty hard and the stayed closed. I simply picked up one side of the octagon and stood the tree on its side.
After I finished the tree as you see in the pictures, I loosened the turnbuckles and took the tree apart. I tied the two 8 foot masts and all the ropes in place. Put it in my shed on its side against the wall. It does not take up much space. Only about 1 foot by 6 foot floor space along the wall. It took about 20-30 minutes to break it down. I am guessing it will take about 45 minutes to have it back up and ready to put the lights on.
Weber is where I got the idea from. I am just sharing me half version construction.
Again the best part of this tree is I can put the lights on it while it is on its side. Just a 6 foot reach!
Oh yea... eight 30 inch sides and needing 16 even spaces = one eyelet every 15 inches right? NOPE! Looked good on paper but I forgot about the angles. Not being a whiz at geometry, I did figure out the eyelets need to be placed every 14 3/16th inches apart. I measured in 5 inches from each joint (left of the seam) for my mark (can't use the corners as that is where the two boards meet) and then 14 3/16th to the right of that eyelet. I did this all the way around 5" to the left of the seam "screwed in an eyelet" and then measured 14 3/16ths to the right for my mark for the other eyelet. When I was done I measured the spacing and all eyelets measured 14 3/16 from center to center of each eyelet. The 2x4 is on its side making the octagon and we know it really measures 1 1/2". I split it and the eyelets are 3/4 centered on the 2x4's.
It cost about $75 to build it. The rope was the most expensive part at about $25 for 3 packages of 100 foot. Everything was bought at Lowes except the lights and safety pins.
Ron