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The One And Only Video of My Weber Tree...


jimswinder

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This is a video of my Weber Tree that broke in half in the early morning hours after Thanksgiving.

Sorry about the poor quality...a friend took it and the camcorder settings were not correct.

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very nice work and you can bet it will be better next time sorry for your problems wish i was closer and could help get it back up and going for this year

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Look Great Jim. It is only dec 1st. You have time to fix it and get it back up and running. If you were closer i would be there to help you out.
Sorry Don

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btoerck wrote:

That was awesome. Sorry it broke.

Are there any reference threads or pictures or anything that show you make something like that and then anchor it to your roof? I gotta do that.

I can get you some pics later tonight...in fact, I think they are on this forum somewhere...will look...

EDIT:

Actually you can see how I set it up (though not on the roof) in this video:

http://vimeo.com/15934905

I had 6 guy wires...5 that went to trim on the roof and one that went all the way to the back yard and thru a 4x4 fence post.

3 were from the top of the mast and the other 3 were in the middle...the mast broke right above where the middle guy wires were attached.
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RaceMedic wrote:

I assume those were cosmic ribbons shooting upwards ... nice effect !!

Nope...I call them my "Streamers".

Each Streamer HAD (6) 10' pieces of 3/4" PVC. Each Section of PVC had (4) 50ct light strings of RGBW wrapped around them. There was SUPPOSED to be (9) Streamers, but there are only 6 in the video. So 54 total pieces of 10' PVC, with each piece requiring 4 channels, for a total of 216 channels and 10,800 lights.

Becasue my tree WAS 20' high, I could fit 60' of PVC Pipe from the top of my Weber tree down to the tops of my Mini Trees...but now I only have a 8' mast at the top of my roof, so there is only room for 50' of PVC.

I plan on getting the other streamers up this weekend PLUS perhaps rebuilding a smaller version of a Weber Tree to go on the 8' mast that is up there now.
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So I have seen several videos of a Weber Tree in action, this is the first I have seen it in day light.

What are the lights connected to? It looks like some kind of netting as you are cranking it up?

How do you figure out the wrapping? How many channels per color and how many colors did you use?

I am sure it will be back even better!!!!!

Rick

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huskernut wrote:

So I have seen several videos of a Weber Tree in action, this is the first I have seen it in day light.

What are the lights connected to? It looks like some kind of netting as you are cranking it up?

**It is braided rope/string that fishermen use for their nets. I used braided because I wanted to attach the lights strings to it by pushing a tie wrap thru it and around my light strings. If I were to just tie wrap the lights AROUND a piece of rope, there would have been the possibility of it slipping down the rope and therefore not holding the shape of a spiral...very labor intensive (over 2000 tie wraps) as I had to first use an awl to make a path for the tie wrap to go thru. I used 24 lengths of rope from the top of my mast to the ring attached at the bottom of the mast.**

How do you figure out the wrapping?

**Someone over on PC created a spreadsheet that calculated everything**

http://forums.planetchristmas.com/showthread.php/39539-Spiral-Tree-Calculating-Spreadsheet?highlight=excel

Be wary though when you use this spreadsheet...it ASSUMES that the ropes/cables you use to attach the lights to will stay perfectly straight (like a frozen rope) when in reality that is not the case. So if your calculations say you need a 20' tree...make it 22'-23' tall so you can take up the slack that the weight of the light strings on the cables will produce.

To quote Chris from the above linked post: "
The key to this calculator is going to be a very solid installation when you assemble the tree. The measurements need to be followed close and your support lines have to be tight. Knowing my mega tree light string were pulled tight on my tree this year and still flexed around. I think if you use light strings as support lines, they are going to flex and change the result. ,especially in tall trees.

Couple install errors I see happening:

Rounding: If you constantly use 11" vertical spacing instead of 10.4" your going to gain length. Or use 10" spacing and end up being short.

BIG ONE HERE: as mentioned above. If your support lines are not TIGHT and as you go up the tree, they start to sag/twist inwards because you are pulling the lights around, you will gain length. The equation uses a constant change in radius as you go up. If you make that radius smaller there is less distance to cover and you gain length. On your tree for example, at 5 foot up from the base, your diameter should be 3'. If you are only at 2.6' because you lights are loose from being out all winter, your changing the constant radius up the tree and gaining length.

How many channels per color and how many colors did you use?

**I had 24 spirals each consisting of 4 strings of RGBW 100ct LED lights...so 96 channels**

I am sure it will be back even better!!!!!

**It won't be better...because for me size matters!! LOL**

The only reason I made it this way was because of it's location...up on the peak of a roof. There was just no way I could construct a 20' Weber Tree up on a roof without scaffolding...which is how I built it on the ground.
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btoerck wrote:

I definitely would like to see a how to video on this. i have already started designing the lifting pole in my head.

I just made a collar out of a pipe that was a little bit bigger than my mast diameter. Welded a large ring to it (to attach all the lights to) and had two pulleys that bolted to a round plate welded to the top of the mast to use to hoist up the collar. All 96 strings of lights were attached to this collar.

I used two pulleys because I found that just using one would initially start bending the mast to tone side as it started putting tension on my ropes that the lights were tie wrapped to...because the ropes needed to be pulled as tight as you could to get the shape of the tree back. There was a LOT of weight being exerted downward on the ropes (about 150 lbs of lights), so they needed to be pulled back as taut as possible...even to the point that it would start lifting the ring that the lights were attached to at the bottom. I had to put (4) 60lb sandbags on the rings to counter balance the pulling upward of the ring

Also in this plate were several holes where I could hook my guy wires too.
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Thanks for the input. If I manage to get my idea mad i'll post it here sometime this off-season. When is a good time to tell the wife I plan to put about 500 pounds of Christmas decorations on the roof? :shock: LOL

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btoerck wrote:

Thanks for the input. If I manage to get my idea mad i'll post it here sometime this off-season. When is a good time to tell the wife I plan to put about 500 pounds of Christmas decorations on the roof? :shock: LOL

after she sees all the smiles on the faces of all the kids and adults that come by and see your display this year...and after several of her female friends tell her how LUCKY she is to be married to the "Christmas Light Guy"...

then you can pretty much ask for anything you want!!

well...at least when it applies to Christmas lights... :D
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