Mini PVC Spiral Tree [Solved]

[wkm001]

Over the last several weeks I have spent more time and money than I would like to say, attempting to make these.

• First I tried to boil a 10' piece of 3/4" schedule 40 PVC in a 10' section of gutter with a turkey fryer. FAIL
• Second I boiled enough water to cover the PVC pipe in the gutter. Closer, but still a FAIL
• Next I attached a box fan to 15 feet of 4" galvanized dryer vent. Inserting a propane grill burner closest to the fan. Seven feet of the ten would get very pliable, which isn't enough. The end closest to the burner also scorched and expanded.

I purchased a PVC bender online that will heat 9' of PVC at a time. It heated the PVC wonderfully! So easy to shape after heating it properly and evenly.

There were several restrictions for my build. I wanted 16 mini spiral trees so the length of strip had to be limited to half a strip, about 8' 4". I also didn't want to use more than one piece of 10' PVC pipe.

 

As you can see, the jig had to go through several iterations, ending up much smaller than I originally thought.

Our first attempt was pretty sad looking. The jig was too big and we didn't let it get hot enough.

The second attempt was much better but still not what we were looking for.

Here is the final product. The top will need to continue around rather than pointing up. The pixel strip doesn't want to bend that way.

PVC pipe being heated. It came with three 3' pieces of insulation.

[Dave Batzdorf]

Neat!

[Mega Arch]

1 hour ago, wkm001 said:

.......

• First I tried to boil a 10' piece of 3/4" schedule 40 PVC in a 10' section of gutter with a turkey fryer. FAIL

...............

 

 

 

Will send money via Paypal for pictures of this attempt....................... Coke snot-rockets everywhere.

The final attempt looks great.

 

Well I'm off to go find a rag to wipe my screen off..

 

 

[EdNetman]

I'll chip in $$$ if we can get video of that!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Santas Helper]

Once the ransom of $100,000 is paid, I will figure it out and send out the video process for another $4,000 each.  

[wkm001]

10 hours ago, Mega Arch said:

 

Will send money via Paypal for pictures of this attempt....................... Coke snot-rockets everywhere.

The final attempt looks great.

 

Well I'm off to go find a rag to wipe my screen off..

 

 

I wish I had pics or video to share. I guess depending on the amount I could recreate it. :-) 

[Randy_J]

Just a quick thought. the gray please they sell in the electrical dept is ment to be heated and bent. you can also get it in 20' lengths if you are that daring or want that big. Looks nice though .  good jobviously.

 

Randy 

[Light Headed]

To bend 1" or smaller pipe get some play sand heat it up to 525 degrees on a cookie sheet. Plug one end with a cap put a piece of tape on the cap to the pipe just to make sure it doesn't come of. Poor sand in with a metal funnel it will be flexible very quickly. Before I heated up the sand I poured it in the pipe just to see how much it took. That way you don't have to warm up too much sand. I used this technique to build arches over my sidewalk. 

Edited November 29, 2016 by Light Headed

[Mega Arch]

Planned ahead in the 100deg Oklahoma August sun last year. A 10 ft stick of 1" grey schedule 40 PVC fits perfectly between 8 ft fence posts. Ratchet strap just holds them upright. 3 days and they were in perfect shape.

Here they are last year all light up..