Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

Mounting CCR's for Arches


bkdraft

Recommended Posts

OK, got the 8' part with 3/4" PVC. Now, do you put the ribbon on the front side of the pipe facing the road? Or do you just lay it down the top side facing up? Has anyone run the tape through a clear tube? Would it show up better that way?
Just wondering if anyone has tried that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cable ties every 4 inch segment. Put them at the cut lines, not on top of any component.


The ribbon is very directional. You need to point the leds right at the viewers. Even with it exposed and accessible you will find you need to adjust it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Bob - I was wondering that myself (CCR on top vs. "front")

I was going to hammer some 3/4" in the ground with 1 foot above the round, 16/3.14 feet apart (C = PiD, C=16 (for 8' arch), so D = 16/pi).

Then put 10-ft of 1/2" PVC in the 3/4", drill a hole and either use a nut/bolt or heavy zip tie to hold in place.

CCR would then be only on the 1/2" PVC, 1' above the ground / snow.

At least... that's the plan. It's always good to start with a plan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would think trying to drive PVC into the ground would be very hard to do. I use 1/2 pieces of rebar-about 3 ft long- and just drive them into the ground. And than just place 3/4 inch electrical conduit on the rebar for the arch. No other fastening or support needed. Just zip tie the ribbon on the PVC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ericnagel wrote:

Rebar may work for me, too.

PVC is pretty easy to put into the ground (when it's not frozen) - I do it to hold up some candy-canes and my main sign

I agree, PVC goes into the ground pretty easy. I cut the ends of the PVC at a 45 degree angle and it goes right in the ground.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have built two Clear Arcylic Housings for CCR Arches this year. The size of tube is 1" OD with a .75" ID and the tubing only comes in 72" pieces that I was able to locate in the Houston/Austin area suppliers. There are no couplings and the next size up in the tubing was too large so I have had to use conventional PVC unions, which will give me a dead spot where the two unions occur. Before bonding the tubes together I used a good commerical heat gun to heat the tubing up to 200 degrees to enable the bending. I had built a jig with the proper curve that I wanted and worked the sections one by one. This takes a bit of time and patience. Be careful to mark your tube with a reference line prior to this to keep your orientation of bend. I used a marker and cleaned it off with acetone after finishing the bends. Once the arch was completed and bend satisfactory I used commerical Expoxy to bond the unions to the tubing and let it remain stationary over night. This has given me an 18 ft. total length of arch which will encase the entire CCR Ribbon. I still have to pull the CCR Ribbon thru the tubing and my primary concern going forward will be to keep the ribbon orientation to one side. I will have to get back with pictures on this. Just got back into country from a week in Beijing and week in Alaska prior to that so project has been on hold for while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The more I read about arches, the more afraid I get.

I had some leftover 3/4" PVC (10') and that bent pretty easily, but then I read about people snapping the white (plumbing) PVC, and recommendations to use the grey (electrical) pipe, so I'll check that out.

I'm also worried as to what the CCR is going to do when one arch ends and the other begins, as I'm making 2, 8' arches out of 1, 16' CCR. I have *no* soldering experience, and really don't want to cut the CCR. Since the CCR is going to be mounted on the front of the arch, it has to make a 180-degree turn at the bottom.

I know the right thing to do is cut it & join the two together, but has anyone made 2 arches without splicing their CCR? As always, photos would be great.

Thanks,
Eric

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ericnagel wrote:

The more I read about arches, the more afraid I get.

I had some leftover 3/4" PVC (10') and that bent pretty easily, but then I read about people snapping the white (plumbing) PVC, and recommendations to use the grey (electrical) pipe, so I'll check that out.

I'm also worried as to what the CCR is going to do when one arch ends and the other begins, as I'm making 2, 8' arches out of 1, 16' CCR. I have *no* soldering experience, and really don't want to cut the CCR. Since the CCR is going to be mounted on the front of the arch, it has to make a 180-degree turn at the bottom.

I know the right thing to do is cut it & join the two together, but has anyone made 2 arches without splicing their CCR? As always, photos would be great.

Thanks,
Eric


I am using the grey pipe and it has been in the front yard for weeks now with no issues.



Yes at least one person has made 2 arches out of one CCR without cutting!

Sorry I don't remember who.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was playing with the CCRs this morning, and it looks like it's going to be OK with a 1/2 twist in the flip...

November 1st can't come soon enough - have to get these gravestones off my lawn and mow one more time before putting up the arches

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gary Blair wrote:

Steve: With the CCRs facing up how does it look from the road?
Gary

Take a look at my video..........the picture is a little deceptive as it was taken above and to the side of the ribbons. I would say they are installed at about a 30 degree angle from facing directly at the street (except for the bottoms where they make the change from arch to arch). I didn't see it as an issue effecting there view (brightness) from the street . They still dominate all the other LEDs.



Steve
Link to comment
Share on other sites

each end has 2' rebar (1' in the ground, 1' sticking up) spaced 64" apart

3/4" grey (electrical) PVC went on with little problems. For the fun of it, I zip-tied adjacent arches together.

Kids got home from school & immediate went to run underneath them. *sigh* well, I guess run under them now, rather than when the CCRs are attached.

Attached files 276878=15334-IMAG0711.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The topic was locked
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...