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Help, my mega tree died!


roknjohn

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Big rain storm last night killed my 23' mega tree. I guess that I should have added those middle guy wires after all.

Guess that blows today.

Attached files 286212=15850-DeadTree.JPG

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A blue pill comes to mind :P.

Mid'level guying is good idea for a pole/conduit structure mega tree of that height.

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roknjohn wrote:

Big rain storm last night killed my 23' mega tree. I guess that I should have added those middle guy wires after all.

Guess that blows today.
I had middle guys wires on my tree last year...

still bent right above where they were attached...
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Ouch! I hope you can salvage some of the pieces and put it back together. You Might want to get a pole with a little more wall thickness.

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Ok, I wasn't able to work much today due to the weather, but I did manage to remove the bent pole. I took off the "firestick" sleeves (all still work fine) and the star (a little bent but easily fixed). I made up some additional guy wires and turn buckles for support midway up.

My pole was salvaged from old trampoline parts. They are/were 3.5' sections of 1-1/4 that slipped together that were used to hold safety netting. I used 7 sections, including the star topper. I used 1-1/2 Sch 80 PVC sleeves over the pole for the "firestick" effect.

I only had guy wires at the very top, which allowed the pole to sway in the middle. I was planning to add a middle set of guy wires but the heavy rain and wind killed it before I could.

The collapse resulted in two bent sections of pole. Luckily, I have a few extra sections to replace. I think it will be all right with the extra guys.

My main concern right now is the 128 strings of lights laying on the ground. I hope these aren't a nightmare to untangle. I have to go out of town for a couple of days. I'll try to rebuild it on Friday. So much for lights on this weekend. :(

Attached files 286572=15862-Bent poles.JPG

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I think the fact that they poles slide together may be your issue. I would always recommend one solid piece of tubing/piping if possible. Mine, before my Z-Tree was made of the heavy duty that ridiculous heavy electrical conduit. It was painfully expensive per section but it was sturdy as could be!

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You're in Marion? Looks like I might have to make a trip out that way this year. I'm just down the road in Conway. I haven't posted much around here in the past couple years, but I've been an LOR user since 2004, and doing the music sync thing since 2006. Not doing a display this year since my mom is very ill, though.

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Ponddude wrote:

I think the fact that they poles slide together may be your issue. I would always recommend one solid piece of tubing/piping if possible.

I was very lucky that the previous owner's of our house threw the old well line out back in the woods when they replaced the well pump. I stumbled across a ~23ft section of heavy duty piping and instantly knew what I'd use it for. :D It's on it's fourth year now... second year with guying. :D
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For our 24' megatree I went with 2" steel pipe. Even with that, I have guys at about the 16' point, using 3/8" wire rope and turnbuckles. Paranoid? Sure, but I live in Kansas and we get 40 to 50 mph winds fairly often. I didn't want to ever have to take pictures of a fallen megatree. :D

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roknjohn wrote:

The blue lights looked like a waterfall or ice. Pretty cool. My wife said "I thought you weren't doing an arch?" SAB :)


LOL. Wives are very helpful sometimes......:?

SAB? smoking a blunt is what google comes up with. LOL

I have my guess, but won't say it here. :)
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Well.. I resurrected my mega tree with a new pole and middle guy wires. Freak storm this afternoon (60mph winds) knocked it down AGAIN! :X

I have a new plan though....

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