DiyLightAnimation
Fun => The Porch => Topic started by: trekster on May 31, 2010,
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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.
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/Full%20View%201.JPG)
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/Base%201.JPG)
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/Center%20Support.JPG)
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/Close-up%20Base.JPG)
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/Tree%20Top%202.JPG)
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/De-installed%20view.JPG)
(http://www.trekster.mypldi.net/Spiral%20Tree/Measurements.jpg)
Ron
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I Like it GREAT JOB and thank you for sharing.
JEFF
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Wow Trekster - Nice work! <res.
-Paul
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when can we see it in action. I've been thinking of changing my Mega Tree (32 channels 10,000 lights) to free up some channels.
Bryan
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I have to agree, looks good and some excellent ideas using rope vice wire to secure the strings on the way up.
Perhaps cable clamps would make the guy wires more secure than the turns.
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Very Nice setup. Thanks for sharing it.
RJ
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I like it!
The semi-permanent spirit level attachment is a nice touch too :D
John
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This is spreadsheet that another PC member and myself put together to figure out the string length along with other information required for different sizes of spiral trees.
Finding an equation to calculate a spiral on a conical helix is not as simple as I first figured, but eventually did get one that was confirmed by college professor of mine. It should be good...LOL As a CYA , use it as a rough estimate as it has not been 100% proven yet. Give yourself a extra foot of lights or so for installation. Start your lights from the top down so any extra is at the bottom of the tree.
http://www.lightsonsixth.com/stuff/spiraltreespreadsheet-97.xls (http://www.lightsonsixth.com/stuff/spiraltreespreadsheet-97.xls)
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Thank you chrisl1976. Looks like I will be using 1.5 turns. That is a very useful tool for someone making a spiral tree. Again thanks.
Ron
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This is spreadsheet that another PC member and myself put together to figure out the string length along with other information required for different sizes of spiral trees.
Finding an equation to calculate a spiral on a conical helix is not as simple as I first figured, but eventually did get one that was confirmed by college professor of mine. It should be good...LOL As a CYA , use it as a rough estimate as it has not been 100% proven yet. Give yourself a extra foot of lights or so for installation. Start your lights from the top down so any extra is at the bottom of the tree.
Excellent Excel work and thank you <res.
Bet that took a little time to set up, but I am glad you did
Tim
;D
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Hi Trekster, can you tell me what the top cap where the rope is connected to on the pole is called as well as the metal ring you have in between the two couplings.
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Trekster,
VERY impressive! Wouldn't have seen this without sebjsan's "bump".
Richard (from SoCal) :)
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I just bought the parts yesterday. Hoping to build two trees this weekend :)
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Sebjsan,
I just bought the parts yesterday. Hoping to build two trees this weekend :)
So, what were those metal parts called, or when did you find them?
Richard (from SoCal) :)
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I have everything else bought except the two items.
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That's awesome. I plan to go with your design, if you don't mind, and build a couple. Thank you very much for the details.
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Hi Trekster, can you tell me what the top cap where the rope is connected to on the pole is called as well as the metal ring you have in between the two couplings.
The top looks like a reducing coupling or a cleanout valve.... Take a look at them in the PVC isle with a piece of 1.5" PVC and you should be able to figure it out if you don't hear back from Trekster. While your there show someone that looks like they are not fresh out of college the picture of that metal ring....Looks like some sort of flange, but can't tell for sure. A plumbing or electrical might look at that and know exactly what it is .
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the plastic piece looks like a bushing with eyelets added on... the metal ring looks like a tv antenna guy wire ring.
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Here is a link to some spiral trees I found last year, He did it with 1 1/2 turns http://vimeo.com/34318892
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those spiral trees look nice.
i HOPE that vertical strings of smart strings will come close to the effect. i expect the answer will be 'no'.
i suspect that the unevenness of pixels... the variable distances between strands... the sag in the strings... the higher density at top with lower density below... will all make smart strings be a distant second to a well-constructed spiral tree.
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He built the tree pretty much like trekster, but used spikes and anchored them to the ground. I like Treksers base idea instead of ground anchors. As far as spirals I asked smeighan on another post if we will be able to do spirals without hanging the strings in a spiral pattern and he said that we should be able to hang them vertical and still get spirals. Like the video I posted, I don't know?
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He built the tree pretty much like trekster, but used spikes and anchored them to the ground. I like Treksers base idea instead of ground anchors. As far as spirals I asked smeighan on another post if we will be able to do spirals without hanging the strings in a spiral pattern and he said that we should be able to hang them vertical and still get spirals. Like the video I posted, I don't know?
nutcracker will provide support for spirals and a host of other effects.
my lament was regarding elements outside of nutcracker's control... i fear that despite the flexibility and mathematical formulas to describe pixel color definitions, the physical part of the tree will limit how it compares. But nutcracker will also offer 100 times more effects that a true spiral tree could never attempt.
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in RJ's demo videos, he did spiral effect using smart strings. it looks believable enough to me.
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He built the tree pretty much like trekster, but used spikes and anchored them to the ground. I like Treksers base idea instead of ground anchors. As far as spirals I asked smeighan on another post if we will be able to do spirals without hanging the strings in a spiral pattern and he said that we should be able to hang them vertical and still get spirals. Like the video I posted, I don't know?
nutcracker will provide support for spirals and a host of other effects.
my lament was regarding elements outside of nutcracker's control... i fear that despite the flexibility and mathematical formulas to describe pixel color definitions, the physical part of the tree will limit how it compares. But nutcracker will also offer 100 times more effects that a true spiral tree could never attempt.
You know someone could build a spiral tree out of rgb strings, i have thought of a way to get the data captured into a target model. Do note that many of these spiral trees have 64 strings, and since they wrap around the tree, you need more pixels. This is the reason they look cool, they just have more pixels.
Steve why not get (4) 16 port hubs and build a tree with 64x128 pixels? That tree would look cool! 8192 pixels = 24,576 channels.
let me know if u need to sequence it....
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The first time I put my SSCs together with 128-pixel strings, I attempted to burn-in 10 strings at once. Only 2 strings lasted 10-hours working properly. the other 8 had one or more pixels change color -- with everything after them. it seemed to be too much of a cooincidence. i tried another 10 strings and had similar success (failure?)
I brought my string counts to 85 and had no problem.
2 reasons for 85 pixels -- take 2 128-pixel strings and split them evenly into 3 and you have 85 in each.
the other reason... 4096 channels/hub... 3 channels/pixel... 16 strings/hub = 85 pixels.
with 4 hubs and 64 strings I will max out the channel count.
If I went 128 pixels... only 10 strings per hub and 40 strings altogether.
if you want to go "massive" you will need to go multi-EtD... and/or USB dongle.
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Sorry I have been busy. So busy I don't have time for my hobby with the lights right now. I bought a bakery on 4-2-12 and now I work 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. I sold my Academy ticket and if things don't change I will have to skip the light show this year. The metal ring was a TV antenna guy ring. Good looking spirals in the video.
Gotta go as I am up to my butt in dough.
Ron
www.Johnniesbakery.com
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Sorry I have been busy. So busy I don't have time for my hobby with the lights right now. I bought a bakery on 4-2-12 and now I work 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. I sold my Academy ticket and if things don't change I will have to skip the light show this year. The metal ring was a TV antenna guy ring. Good looking spirals in the video.
Gotta go as I am up to my butt in dough.
Ron
www.Johnniesbakery.com
Best of luck in your new venture, hope you end up making a lot of dough <la..
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Sorry I have been busy. So busy I don't have time for my hobby with the lights right now. I bought a bakery on 4-2-12 and now I work 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. I sold my Academy ticket and if things don't change I will have to skip the light show this year. The metal ring was a TV antenna guy ring. Good looking spirals in the video.
Gotta go as I am up to my butt in dough.
Ron
www.Johnniesbakery.com
Best wishes...Hope your business pans out.
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Wow those cakes and cookies, etc LOOK AWESOME
Not sure if its good or bad that you leave too far away for me to walk in and get some LOL
Good luck and I hope it works out for you
Rick R.
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yeah, i'd ask id you ship...
can you imagine if this guy does a coop, and can include bakery orders? :o
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We now know where we can get our Christmas cookies to leave for Santa...
Best of luck Trekster
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We now know where we can get our Christmas cookies to leave for Santa...
Best of luck Trekster
Hey Christmas cookie coop yummmmmmm ;D