Getting Arches round

[Guest Don Gillespie]

I put my arches up yesterday I am using the sleeve method 16 inch sleeves on 3 quarter inch pipe sliding over half inch PVC when I bend the PVC to slide it over my rebar it looks nice and round when I add the sleeves there seems to be a kink in it what do you do to keep the roundness look? the kink is at the top just off center of sleeve number 4 I am thinking of measuring my 10 foot PVC and centering my center sleeve on that hoping this solves the problem am I on the right track here.

[caniac]

Don Gillespie wrote:

I put my arches up yesterday I am using the sleeve method 16 inch sleeves on 3 quarter inch pipe sliding over half inch PVC when I bend the PVC to slide it over my rebar it looks nice and round when I add the sleeves there seems to be a kink in it what do you do to keep the roundness look? the kink is at the top just off center of sleeve number 4 I am thinking of measuring my 10 foot PVC and centering my center sleeve on that hoping this solves the problem am I on the right track here.

I am having the same issue with 11" sleeve's. Waiting on feedback from others.

[TJ Hvasta]

Don, for 16" sleeves, you may have to go with 1/2" irrigation tubing, the more flexible version rather than sched40 pvc. How wide is your base? If the 1/2" is kinking at the middle, you will prob have to spread the base out farther for 16" sleeves.

Wait.. I just re-read your post.. did you write you're using 3/4" sleeves over 1/2" arch? If thats the case, thats where the problem lies.. you have to go with, at the minimum 1 and a 1/2" to 1 and 3/4" inside diam pvc for the sleeves.. 3/4" sleeves leave no room for the arch to bend inside the sleeve.

Caniac, I use 11" long, 1 1/2" sched40 pvc for my sleeves over 1/2" sched40 pvc for the arch.. I prebent my arches during the summer (in my 110F garage) so they held the curve for 6 months, I actually have to unbend them some when I put them out. Same thing, you will prob have to spread the base out farther. If you bend the pvc and tie it off, then use a heat gun, you may be able to warm the tubes enough to keep a permanent bow in the arch without sleeves on it and it shouldnt kink when you slide them on.. again, it's just a matter of how wide (or narrow) is your base.

[caniac]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

Don, for 16" sleeves, you may have to go with 1/2" irrigation tubing, the more flexible version rather than sched40 pvc. How wide is your base? If the 1/2" is kinking at the middle, you will prob have to spread the base out farther for 16" sleeves.

Caniac, I use 11" long, 1 1/2" sched40 pvc for my sleeves over 1/2" sched40 pvc for the arch.. I prebent my arches during the summer (in my 110F garage) so they held the curve for 6 months, I actually have to unbend them some when I put them out. Same thing, you will prob have to spread the base out farther. If you bend the pvc and tie it off, then use a heat gun, you may be able to warm the tubes enough to keep a permanent bow in the arch without sleeves on it and it shouldn't kink when you slide them on.. again, it's just a matter of how wide (or narrow) is your base.

my problem is that i used 1" sched40 and anything more than flat it won't give. my problem isn't so much the bending the pvc but the sleeve's having no give.

[TJ Hvasta]

Min stats for sleeves:

1/2" arch support

1 1/2" to 1 3/4" for sleeves

1" isnt wide enough to allow the arch to bend inside the sleeve,, you will now either have to unwrap and rewrap over 1 1/2" sleeves, or use 1/2" flexible irrigation tubing.

[TJ Hvasta]

your only other option now is to use rebar for your arch. its smaller than 1/2" so it'll allow more of a curve inside the sleeve.

[caniac]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

your only other option now is to use rebar for your arch. its smaller than 1/2" so it'll allow more of a curve inside the sleeve.

we decided to go with a firestick with a star on the top. will make new arches next year using your specs.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

Min stats for sleeves:

1/2" arch support

1 1/2" to 1 3/4" for sleeves

1" isnt wide enough to allow the arch to bend inside the sleeve,, you will now either have to unwrap and rewrap over 1 1/2" sleeves, or use 1/2" flexible irrigation tubing.

Ok shouldn't take me more than a few days to rewrap will check on sleeves in an hour never thought about the flex I will widen the base and see if that helps right now I have the base at 6 feet apart will try another foot and see how it goes

[Guest guest]

Agree with TJ, and Pete can weigh in here too, since he got me going on the right material for the sleeves.

I'm using 1/2 inch conduit, with the black irrigation tubing, have had no problem from a flexibility standpoint. Assembled and lit one up yesterday and it looked fine as far as smoothness, and bent into arch formation (ten-hut! ) with no problem.

[TJ Hvasta]

These arrrre the arches I'm using.. this shot is actually from summer 2010, you can see the arches tied into position, the heat in the garage (approx 110F) was more than enough to soften the sch40 during the summer. You can probably prebend your aches for now.. even without the heat, if they're prebent and tied off for abt a week or so, it should hold the curve without kinking. The four higher arches are 1/2", the one is front is a 3/4" pvc, that I havent used yet.. it's waiting in the wings for something to do..

Don, without unwrapping, I would try the flex tubing and widen the base abt a foot or so first.. I know doing that lowers the arch height altogether, but it might allow more visability for your other props behind the arches.


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[TJ Hvasta]

I also (just yesterday) prebent 6 more 1/2" pvc to make the skirt for the Christmas Angel we're making for the yard. Tying them off for a week should allow them to hold the bend. Rebar will hold the base and Tconnectors around the waist will hold the top part of the arches.. Tying them off into a bow for a period of time will allow them to flex and not kink. For lighted arches, it should do the same, even with cooler temps (it's only 70's this week)

Attached files

[Guest Don Gillespie]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

These arrrre the arches I'm using.. this shot is actually from summer 2010, you can see the arches tied into position, the heat in the garage (approx 110F) was more than enough to soften the sch40 during the summer. You can probably prebend your aches for now.. even without the heat, if they're prebent and tied off for abt a week or so, it should hold the curve without kinking. The four higher arches are 1/2", the one is front is a 3/4" pvc, that I havent used yet.. it's waiting in the wings for something to do..

Don, without unwrapping, I would try the flex tubing and widen the base abt a foot or so first.. I know doing that lowers the arch height altogether, but it might allow more visability for your other props behind the arches.

I like your thinking I just precut 21 - inch and half black PVC at 16 inches for the wraps I am now going to bring in the 10 foot half inch inch PVC 9 these are for underground sprinklers) and tie them up and use my heat gun on them to hold the bend I have lots of time to rewrap as I am not doing light up untill Dec 1 this year. thanks TJ

[shfr26]

DonFL wrote:

Agree with TJ, and Pete can weigh in here too, since he got me going on the right material for the sleeves.

I'm using 1/2 inch conduit, with the black irrigation tubing, have had no problem from a flexibility standpoint. Assembled and lit one up yesterday and it looked fine as far as smoothness, and bent into arch formation (ten-hut! ) with no problem.

Agree, I think I made mine span at 7 1/2 feet. 30 degree angle on the rebar when pounding it in. I made mine per Mr. Simmons dimension for span, I think it was 7 1/2 feet. Maybe it was 6 1/2 feet. Maybe George will see this and correct me.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

shfr26 wrote:

Agree, I think I made mine span at 7 1/2 feet. 30 degree angle on the rebar when pounding it in. I made mine per Mr. Simmons dimension for span, I think it was 7 1/2 feet. Maybe it was 6 1/2 feet. Maybe George will see this and correct me.

Or maybe you can take your tape measure outside and measure it then report back to me LOL I have mine spaced at 6 feet I am redoing the arches as we speak so I may widen them to seven feet

[TJ Hvasta]

Juat remember that using larger diameater sleeve pipe will shorten the length for the sleeve. If you had 1" sleeves before, and you were getting a 16"wrapped section, using larger pipe will make the sleeve shorter and you've got 1?' more sleeve to colver.. not relly much in a lerger scheme of things but multiply 1/2" per wrap, makes 30 wraps a LOT shorter.. dont be surprised if you have to cut some off the sleeve pipe. You -could- leave the wraps loose and cover the same 16".. If you arent going to trim the sleeve length, 'might consider painting the sleeve a dark cover to hide the white underneath the wire.

Another idea is to use a T(or 4-way) connector at the foot of each arch.. the arch goes into one stub of the T(crossbar), the other stub (other side of the crossbar is for the rebar.. the post of the T (the vertical part of the T, goes DOWN from the cross bar) is for a set length of pvc that run across tho the other leg of the arch.. it can also be the base of a fan. The 4-way would allow you to connect the next arch to this one, and so on..

(pix shamelessly stolen from another thread)

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[Guest Don Gillespie]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

Juat remember that using larger diameater sleeve pipe will shorten the length for the sleeve. If you had 1" sleeves before, and you were getting a 16"wrapped section, using larger pipe will make the sleeve shorter and you've got 1?' more sleeve to colver.. not relly much in a lerger scheme of things but multiply 1/2" per wrap, makes 30 wraps a LOT shorter.. dont be surprised if you have to cut some off the sleeve pipe. You -could- leave the wraps loose and cover the same 16".. If you arent going to trim the sleeve length, 'might consider painting the sleeve a dark cover to hide the white underneath the wire.

Ok I am off to a good start here is a before shot




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[Guest Don Gillespie]

here is shot number 2 still on track




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[Guest Don Gillespie]

finally 1 wrapped using black inch and a half PVC only 20 more to go

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[dougd]

I have 8 arches using 3/4 PVC sleeves slid over 1/2 PVC. They work perfect from my perspective. The only possible problem i can see is that I used the thin wall 3/4 PVC. Other than that there is no problem using 3/4 PVC. I will take a picture when I get home.

[shfr26]

Don Gillespie wrote:

shfr26 wrote:

Agree, I think I made mine span at 7 1/2 feet. 30 degree angle on the rebar when pounding it in. I made mine per Mr. Simmons dimension for span, I think it was 7 1/2 feet. Maybe it was 6 1/2 feet. Maybe George will see this and correct me.

Or maybe you can take your tape measure outside and measure it then report back to me LOL I have mine spaced at 6 feet I am redoing the arches as we speak so I may widen them to seven feet

Do 7 1/2 feet and say I told you so! 30 degrees for the pipes in the ground, you figure it out. Pie are squared times the square root of ? divided by the something and then you got it!!:P Ask Donfl or George, I'm sticking with 7 1/2 feet.