Weber Construction Tips

[caniac]

Have started the planning stages of by Weber Tree and have a few questions:

1) last year i used my Sunsetter flag pole for my MegaTree, it did ok but the weight of the rope lights might have shortened its life. currently it has "issues". The diameter of the pole looks to be 2 1/2 inches but PVC comes in either 3" or 2" varieties. What does everyone use? There is a sleeve inside the base I cemented in the ground, not sure if it is 3" or not. **also have a flower bed around the flag pole that I have to work around**

2) How high should it be? Was thinking of 20' but not sure how to erect that.

3) What kind of topper? have seen some online with a pulley but they look bulky, are there other options?

4) At the 10 and 15 foot marks do you need to build in some sort of support to keep the tree looking full? my initial thought is 16 vertical strands of something of the same color (all on one channel) and then do a 16 channel spiral on top of that. any problems with that?


Keep in mind that I intend to put this up a few days before thanksgiving and leave it up until new years day. any and all suggestions are appreciated. If needed I can take pics of the area in question.

[jimswinder]

caniac wrote:

Have started the planning stages of by Weber Tree and have a few questions:

1) last year i used my Sunsetter flag pole for my MegaTree, it did ok but the weight of the rope lights might have shortened its life. currently it has "issues". The diameter of the pole looks to be 2 1/2 inches but PVC comes in either 3" or 2" varieties. What does everyone use? There is a sleeve inside the base I cemented in the ground, not sure if it is 3" or not. **also have a flower bed around the flag pole that I have to work around**

**Last year my 20' mast was 2-1/2" aluminum Sch 40 Pipe...and it bent/broke in half with NO winds and NO snow...but I had a LOT of weight pulling it to one side...bad engineering on my part. This year I am going with (3) 1" Aluminum pipes welded together to form a "triangle"*

2) How high should it be? Was thinking of 20' but not sure how to erect that.

**Depends on your string lengths, how many time you want to go around the tree, etc...I take it you have looked and used the "Spiral Tree Calculator"?
You can find one here:

http://westseattlelights.com/sequences.htm

To erect mine, I just put one end into the sleeve I had welded to my base and "walked" up the mast to stand it up (that's why I used aluminum...steel would have been to heavy to be able to do that).

3) What kind of topper? have seen some online with a pulley but they look bulky, are there other options?

**Again..depends on how you are going to build it. Are you going to "build it" right before thanksgiving?

4) At the 10 and 15 foot marks do you need to build in some sort of support to keep the tree looking full?

**Since the lights are "spiraling" you should be able to see the lights on the "back" half of the tree from the front, so it will look pretty full..at least mine did.**

my initial thought is 16 vertical strands of something of the same color (all on one channel) and then do a 16 channel spiral on top of that. any problems with that?

**Sounds like a Weber/Mega Tree combination...which I think looks pretty nice and you can get some nice effects (if you had the 16 verticals on separate channels)!!**


Keep in mind that I intend to put this up a few days before thanksgiving and leave it up until new years day. any and all suggestions are appreciated. If needed I can take pics of the area in question.

[caniac]

jimswinder wrote:

caniac wrote:

Have started the planning stages of by Weber Tree and have a few questions:

1) last year i used my Sunsetter flag pole for my MegaTree, it did ok but the weight of the rope lights might have shortened its life. currently it has "issues". The diameter of the pole looks to be 2 1/2 inches but PVC comes in either 3" or 2" varieties. What does everyone use? There is a sleeve inside the base I cemented in the ground, not sure if it is 3" or not. **also have a flower bed around the flag pole that I have to work around**

**Last year my 20' mast was 2-1/2" aluminum Sch 40 Pipe...and it bent/broke in half with NO winds and NO snow...but I had a LOT of weight pulling it to one side...bad engineering on my part. This year I am going with (3) 1" Aluminum pipes welded together to form a "triangle"*

are you using that instead of guy wire?

2) How high should it be? Was thinking of 20' but not sure how to erect that.

**Depends on your string lengths, how many time you want to go around the tree, etc...I take it you have looked and used the "Spiral Tree Calculator"?
You can find one here:

http://westseattlelights.com/sequences.htm

yup

3) What kind of topper? have seen some online with a pulley but they look bulky, are there other options?

**Again..depends on how you are going to build it. Are you going to "build it" right before thanksgiving?

that is the plan, need to have components purchased and tested prior

4) At the 10 and 15 foot marks do you need to build in some sort of support to keep the tree looking full?

**Since the lights are "spiraling" you should be able to see the lights on the "back" half of the tree from the front, so it will look pretty full..at least mine did.**

so inserting some sort of hoop out of irrigation pvc not necessary?

my initial thought is 16 vertical strands of something of the same color (all on one channel) and then do a 16 channel spiral on top of that. any problems with that?

**Sounds like a Weber/Mega Tree combination...which I think looks pretty nice and you can get some nice effects!!**


Keep in mind that I intend to put this up a few days before thanksgiving and leave it up until new years day. any and all suggestions are appreciated. If needed I can take pics of the area in question.

[jimswinder]

caniac wrote:

jimswinder wrote:

caniac wrote:

Have started the planning stages of by Weber Tree and have a few questions:

1) last year i used my Sunsetter flag pole for my MegaTree, it did ok but the weight of the rope lights might have shortened its life. currently it has "issues". The diameter of the pole looks to be 2 1/2 inches but PVC comes in either 3" or 2" varieties. What does everyone use? There is a sleeve inside the base I cemented in the ground, not sure if it is 3" or not. **also have a flower bed around the flag pole that I have to work around**

**Last year my 20' mast was 2-1/2" aluminum Sch 40 Pipe...and it bent/broke in half with NO winds and NO snow...but I had a LOT of weight pulling it to one side...bad engineering on my part. This year I am going with (3) 1" Aluminum pipes welded together to form a "triangle"*

are you using that instead of guy wire?

**Oh no...will still have guy sires...last year I had SIX...three at the top and three in the middle...which is where it broke..right above the middle guy wires.**

2) How high should it be? Was thinking of 20' but not sure how to erect that.

**Depends on your string lengths, how many time you want to go around the tree, etc...I take it you have looked and used the "Spiral Tree Calculator"?
You can find one here:

http://westseattlelights.com/sequences.htm

yup

3) What kind of topper? have seen some online with a pulley but they look bulky, are there other options?

**Again..depends on how you are going to build it. Are you going to "build it" right before thanksgiving?

that is the plan, need to have components purchased and tested prior

**I built a platform to build mine...but I did that during the summer as there was no way I could have a platform on top of my roof (where the Weber tree was set.

4) At the 10 and 15 foot marks do you need to build in some sort of support to keep the tree looking full?

**Since the lights are "spiraling" you should be able to see the lights on the "back" half of the tree from the front, so it will look pretty full..at least mine did.**

so inserting some sort of hoop out of irrigation pvc not necessary?

**Don't know what you mean by "inserting PVC"...unless you mean to keep the lights from falling into and toward the mast...which will happen. That was the biggest issue for me...as I kept on adding strings of lights the weight of the lights on the wires (that "formed the tree") kept collapsing toward the center of the tree and hence making each string of lights go further around the tree (since the diameter of the tree would essentially change (shrink) with every string of lights added.) So adding a hoop at one or more points inside the tree would be a great idea...hadn't thought of doing that!!!**

my initial thought is 16 vertical strands of something of the same color (all on one channel) and then do a 16 channel spiral on top of that. any problems with that?

**Sounds like a Weber/Mega Tree combination...which I think looks pretty nice and you can get some nice effects!!**


Keep in mind that I intend to put this up a few days before thanksgiving and leave it up until new years day. any and all suggestions are appreciated. If needed I can take pics of the area in question.

[jimswinder]

I would also suggest NOT trying to make the spirals look perfect...you'll drive yourself crazy!!!!

When it is dark and the lights are on, it will look great!!!

[caniac]

jimswinder wrote:

I would also suggest NOT trying to make the spirals look perfect...you'll drive yourself crazy!!!!

When it is dark and the lights are on, it will look great!!!

i found a website that has the pulley masthead (16 hooks) but it is all centered around using 1-1/2 pvc, my base for the sunsetter is more than double that. suggestions?

[jimswinder]

so inserting some sort of hoop out of irrigation pvc not necessary?

**Don't know what you mean by "inserting PVC"...unless you mean to keep the lights from falling into and toward the mast...which will happen. That was the biggest issue for me...as I kept on adding strings of lights the weight of the lights on the wires (that "formed the tree") kept collapsing toward the center of the tree and hence making each string of lights go further around the tree (since the diameter of the tree would essentially change (shrink) with every string of lights added.) So adding a hoop at one or more points inside the tree would be a great idea...hadn't thought of doing that!!!*

just remembered...I would not be able to "insert any hoops", at least attached to the mast, becasue I use the mast for a collar to be pulled up on...anything attached to the mast would be in the way of pulling that collar up (which all my lights are attached to)...

[jimswinder]

caniac wrote:

jimswinder wrote:

I would also suggest NOT trying to make the spirals look perfect...you'll drive yourself crazy!!!!

When it is dark and the lights are on, it will look great!!!

i found a website that has the pulley masthead (16 hooks) but it is all centered around using 1-1/2 pvc, my base for the sunsetter is more than double that. suggestions?

I made my own...any welding skills? Or friends that can weld?

I guess that was why I asked if you were going to "Buiild it" right before Thanksgiving?... You could rent a lift so you could attach each string of lights to the top, and then one by one "walk them around" the tree to form the spiral. If my tree was on the ground (as opposed to being on my roof), that is what I would do.

[caniac]

jimswinder wrote:

caniac wrote:

jimswinder wrote:

I would also suggest NOT trying to make the spirals look perfect...you'll drive yourself crazy!!!!

When it is dark and the lights are on, it will look great!!!

i found a website that has the pulley masthead (16 hooks) but it is all centered around using 1-1/2 pvc, my base for the sunsetter is more than double that. suggestions?

I made my own...any welding skills? Or friends that can weld?

I guess that was why I asked if you were going to "Buiild it" right before Thanksgiving?... You could rent a lift so you could attach each string of lights to the top, and then one by one "walk them around" the tree to form the spiral. If my tree was on the ground (as opposed to being on my roof), that is what I would do.

if by welding skills you mean inadvertently setting things on fire then yes.

[jimswinder]

caniac wrote:

if by welding skills you mean inadvertently setting things on fire then yes.

try welding on something noncombustible...as opposed to very dry cedar planks...

[Arnoldc]

Ok, I plan and want to do a weber tree in 12' . Here is my question, if you set the tree up like a mega tree, attaching the bottom lights to a ring (inner for one direction, outer for the other direction) filling the inner one first then simply rotate the hoop one way, repeat for the outer. Will this work?

[jimswinder]

Arnoldc wrote:

Ok, I plan and want to do a weber tree in 12' . Here is my question, if you set the tree up like a mega tree, attaching the bottom lights to a ring (inner for one direction, outer for the other direction) filling the inner one first then simply rotate the hoop one way, repeat for the outer. Will this work?

others have tried this with not much luck...just remember, as you rotate the hoop, the strings will become shorter and the hoop will raise up your mast...may be very difficult to figure out the correct length that you will need for the light strings.

If it is only going to be 12' high, I would attach the strings to the top and "walk" them around your tree...

[CKSedg]

jimswinder wrote:

Arnoldc wrote:

Ok, I plan and want to do a weber tree in 12' . Here is my question, if you set the tree up like a mega tree, attaching the bottom lights to a ring (inner for one direction, outer for the other direction) filling the inner one first then simply rotate the hoop one way, repeat for the outer. Will this work?

others have tried this with not much luck...just remember, as you rotate the hoop, the strings will become shorter and the hoop will raise up your mast...may be very difficult to figure out the correct length that you will need for the light strings.

If it is only going to be 12' high, I would attach the strings to the top and "walk" them around your tree...

What about a 20+ foot tree? How do you walk them around without a terrible tangled mess?

[Arnoldc]

CKSedg wrote:

jimswinder wrote:

Arnoldc wrote:

Ok, I plan and want to do a weber tree in 12' . Here is my question, if you set the tree up like a mega tree, attaching the bottom lights to a ring (inner for one direction, outer for the other direction) filling the inner one first then simply rotate the hoop one way, repeat for the outer. Will this work?

others have tried this with not much luck...just remember, as you rotate the hoop, the strings will become shorter and the hoop will raise up your mast...may be very difficult to figure out the correct length that you will need for the light strings.

If it is only going to be 12' high, I would attach the strings to the top and "walk" them around your tree...

What about a 20+ foot tree? How do you walk them around without a terrible tangled mess?

That's my question too.. I was planning a 14' tree, and figured leaving the lights loose and tighten up once in the proper place, then repeat for the outside loop.. Or use some of my fancy drafting and get the actual arch length needed to complete the affect.

[jimswinder]

CKSedg wrote:

What about a 20+ foot tree? How do you walk them around without a terrible tangled mess?

I guess one a t a time....but that would only be feasible if you had access to a lift I would think.

That's why I built mine this way:

[jimswinder]

Arnoldc wrote:

Or use some of my fancy drafting and get the actual arch length needed to complete the affect.

may I ask what arch you are speaking of?

[Arnoldc]

jimswinder wrote:

Arnoldc wrote:

Or use some of my fancy drafting and get the actual arch length needed to complete the affect.

may I ask what arch you are speaking of?

not necessarily an arc more of the twist (depending how you look at it) I didn't to put "arch" typing too fast without thinking or re-reading.. BUT there should be mathematical to figure out (in a perfect world) the length of lights one would need to get the twist or arc so one could lay out the tree as a Mega tree so to speak, and add the twist when all the lights are attached to the base.
And I know I am probably way over thinking this, heck I got a year to figure it out.. Just that thought came to my head and was hoping hey, this would be easy by yourself.. That's what you get for hoping!

[John Slade]

jimswinder wrote:

CKSedg wrote:

What about a 20+ foot tree?  How do you walk them around without a terrible tangled mess?

I guess one a t a time....but that would only be feasible if you had access to a lift I would think.

That's why I built mine this way:

Jim, I must have watched this video 20 times. Very clever I must say, but how did you "pre wrap", or "twist" all of the lights and get to the simple part of just pulling them up the mega tree pole?? Is there a 25 min video for that?

[jimswinder]

Arnoldc wrote:

jimswinder wrote:

Arnoldc wrote:

Or use some of my fancy drafting and get the actual arch length needed to complete the affect.

may I ask what arch you are speaking of?

not necessarily an arc more of the twist (depending how you look at it) I didn't to put "arch" typing too fast without thinking or re-reading.. BUT there should be mathematical to figure out (in a perfect world) the length of lights one would need to get the twist or arc so one could lay out the tree as a Mega tree so to speak, and add the twist when all the lights are attached to the base.
And I know I am probably way over thinking this, heck I got a year to figure it out.. Just that thought came to my head and was hoping hey, this would be easy by yourself.. That's what you get for hoping!

wellll...there is a calculator already out there...and you can find it here:

http://westseattlelights.com/sequences.htm

then click on the SPIRAL TREE CALCULATOR

main thing to remember the calculator will calculate as if your guy sire strings are completely taut...which is IMPOSSIBLE to achieve...

[jimswinder]

John Slade wrote:

Jim, I must have watched this video 20 times. Very clever I must say, but how did you "pre wrap", or "twist" all of the lights and get to the simple part of just pulling them up the mega tree pole?? Is there a 25 min video for that?

welll...that would have been a VERY long video...as it took me most of the last summer to do it.

I just started with one string...wrapped it around the tree with the spiral I liked and tie wrapped it to the braided strings I had (16 strings from top to bottom)...did that for each of the 24 sets of light strings (4 strings of each red, green, blue and white).

Will try and find a picture of the platform I built to do it on.