Almost Had A JIMSWINDER

[caniac]

got a nasty storm thru here last night that uprooted most of our inflatables. the heaviest of which was flung into my mega tree controller and mega tree. pushed my base a few feet but the guide wires kept everything intact.

could have been a lot worse but just need to reset breakers and re-stake everything.

[Surfing4Dough]

Some of the famous names in the "business":

• A Weber Tree
• A Marty Fan
• A Holdman Star
• A JIMSWINDER

[sasmuse]

Actually we did have a "JimSwinder" last night. Our Bill V star was blown over...ripped the ground spikes clean out of the ground. Fortunately it fell to the side and didn't take anything with it.

We lowered the ribbon tree before going to bed and glad we did. We (in the northeast) really need for it to stop raining, get real cold and freeze the ground. Ughhhh!

[scubado]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

Some of the famous names in the "business":

• A Weber Tree
• A Marty Fan
• A Holdman Star
• A JIMSWINDER

I don't care who you are, that was funny!

[Mark Showalter]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

Some of the famous names in the "business":

• A Weber Tree
• A Marty Fan
• A Holdman Star
• A JIMSWINDER

ROFLMAO +1
You know Jim went to UW and now has a lesson on how the "W" just does not fit.

[CKSedg]

This whole thread made me laugh. You guys are a riot.

[Guest guest]

Its also a very versatile word:

1. as a noun..."wow...a nasty jimswinder blew thru here last night but my weber tree still stands..."

2. as a verb..." ahhh S**T, my weber tree has been Jimswindered..."

3. as an adjective..."are you sure that weber tree will stay standing? It looks like a rather Jimswinderish installation..."

If Webster is smart, they'll stop the presses and get this fantastic new word in the dictionary asap.

[caniac]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

Some of the famous names in the "business":

• A Weber Tree
• A Marty Fan
• A Holdman Star
• A JIMSWINDER

Now your gonna have Jim whistling this song in his show!!!

[evan.a]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

Some of the famous names in the "business":

• 
  
• A Weber Tree
  
• A Marty Fan
  
• A Holdman Star
  
• A JIMSWINDER

you forgot the Robin Wheel

[DearVBGuru]

Just curious, what kind of stakes are you using to secure it. I put my 17' 12 CCR mega tree up in the beginning of November and the day of and day after we had gusts of 40+ miles per hour.

The base of my tree is made out of 2x6 s and a plywood bottom. I then put a 4" PVC threaded coupler in the middle and filled with 150 pounds of concrete. After concrete cured, I put a really large screw in hook into the plywood base. Then I put a 4" four way T that screws into the coupler. My tree is two sections of 3" grey electrical PVC with the flared ends, one 10' the other around 7 feet. Theres a cap on the top with a hole drilled in it and I ran vinly coated aircraft cable through the middle (1/4") and secured it with turn buckles through the 4 way T that way I can tighten it down to plull it straight and tight.

Then I attached two guy wires to the top loop of cable that goes through the cap and ran those down to the ground and secured to these heavy duty dog run stakes the ones that are about 3/8 in diameter and corkscrew down about 12 " long. I put those as far into the ground as possible so that only the top part of the stake shows. I then also ran two others that loop around the middle section where the gray PVC joint is about 10' up and one secured to the ground with same stake and second secured to a 6" diameter tree trunk.

With all the wind we had then and have had several days since that with really strong gusts. CCR tree is fine and have not had any problems so I am crossing my fingers that it will hold throughout the month as temperatures get colder. I used the grey PVC for the vertical as it has additives in it that make it stronger and more resistant to temperature extremes as the electrical PVC is outside a lot of the time anyway.

So if the problem is stakes, you might go to lowes and pick some of them up and see if it helps. We have also had a lot of rain lately and they havent budged in the ground so still gripping quite strong with the corkscrews...

Steve Cisco
http://www.notenoughlights.com

[Denis Chaput]

May we have pictures when you get a chance of how it is constructed??

Denis

[TitusCarnathan]

Attached files

[TitusCarnathan]

[DearVBGuru]

Denis Chaput wrote:

May we have pictures when you get a chance of how it is constructed??

Denis

Sure, I will try and take some pics of it actually up. I have a couple as things were layed out and staged in the yard. I will take and upload shortly...

Steve

[caniac]

DearVBGuru wrote:

Just curious, what kind of stakes are you using to secure it. I put my 17' 12 CCR mega tree up in the beginning of November and the day of and day after we had gusts of 40+ miles per hour.

The base of my tree is made out of 2x6 s and a plywood bottom. I then put a 4" PVC threaded coupler in the middle and filled with 150 pounds of concrete. After concrete cured, I put a really large screw in hook into the plywood base. Then I put a 4" four way T that screws into the coupler. My tree is two sections of 3" grey electrical PVC with the flared ends, one 10' the other around 7 feet. Theres a cap on the top with a hole drilled in it and I ran vinly coated aircraft cable through the middle (1/4") and secured it with turn buckles through the 4 way T that way I can tighten it down to plull it straight and tight.

Then I attached two guy wires to the top loop of cable that goes through the cap and ran those down to the ground and secured to these heavy duty dog run stakes the ones that are about 3/8 in diameter and corkscrew down about 12 " long. I put those as far into the ground as possible so that only the top part of the stake shows. I then also ran two others that loop around the middle section where the gray PVC joint is about 10' up and one secured to the ground with same stake and second secured to a 6" diameter tree trunk.

With all the wind we had then and have had several days since that with really strong gusts. CCR tree is fine and have not had any problems so I am crossing my fingers that it will hold throughout the month as temperatures get colder. I used the grey PVC for the vertical as it has additives in it that make it stronger and more resistant to temperature extremes as the electrical PVC is outside a lot of the time anyway.

So if the problem is stakes, you might go to lowes and pick some of them up and see if it helps. We have also had a lot of rain lately and they havent budged in the ground so still gripping quite strong with the corkscrews...

Steve Cisco
http://www.notenoughlights.com

1/2 inch rebar about three to four foot long leaving 1 foot exposed and hammered in the ground at an angle away from the tree.

[DearVBGuru]

caniac wrote:

DearVBGuru wrote:

Just curious, what kind of stakes are you using to secure it. I put my 17' 12 CCR mega tree up in the beginning of November and the day of and day after we had gusts of 40+ miles per hour.

The base of my tree is made out of 2x6 s and a plywood bottom. I then put a 4" PVC threaded coupler in the middle and filled with 150 pounds of concrete. After concrete cured, I put a really large screw in hook into the plywood base. Then I put a 4" four way T that screws into the coupler. My tree is two sections of 3" grey electrical PVC with the flared ends, one 10' the other around 7 feet. Theres a cap on the top with a hole drilled in it and I ran vinly coated aircraft cable through the middle (1/4") and secured it with turn buckles through the 4 way T that way I can tighten it down to plull it straight and tight.

Then I attached two guy wires to the top loop of cable that goes through the cap and ran those down to the ground and secured to these heavy duty dog run stakes the ones that are about 3/8 in diameter and corkscrew down about 12 " long. I put those as far into the ground as possible so that only the top part of the stake shows. I then also ran two others that loop around the middle section where the gray PVC joint is about 10' up and one secured to the ground with same stake and second secured to a 6" diameter tree trunk.

With all the wind we had then and have had several days since that with really strong gusts. CCR tree is fine and have not had any problems so I am crossing my fingers that it will hold throughout the month as temperatures get colder. I used the grey PVC for the vertical as it has additives in it that make it stronger and more resistant to temperature extremes as the electrical PVC is outside a lot of the time anyway.

So if the problem is stakes, you might go to lowes and pick some of them up and see if it helps. We have also had a lot of rain lately and they havent budged in the ground so still gripping quite strong with the corkscrews...

Steve Cisco
http://www.notenoughlights.com

1/2 inch rebar about three to four foot long leaving 1 foot exposed and hammered in the ground at an angle away from the tree.

What I have had happen with rebar is that if I had something tall like a big tree, it kept tugging back and forth on the rebar and eventually wobbled out the hole at the top of the ground and allowed water to collect in hole. Once that happened the constant tugging allowed more water to seep further down along the rebar. And it was able to soften the dirt and then basically pried up the dirt until it just came out. Thats when I switched to the strong corkscrews, I have had really good luck with them. The tension is trying to pull the screw straight up and it really resists.

To see the difference Take something like a finishing nail and nail it into a piece of soft wood like a 2x4 at an angle leaving 1/3 exposed (2 inch nail leave about 3/4 so you can get fingers around top then take pliers grip and try wobbling it. Eventually you will be able to work it loose enough that it might come right out. Do the same with a shorter wood screw like 1" but screw straight into wood so head is just above surface and now take pliers and try pulling straight up see if you can rip it out. Try wabbling the screw to see if you can get it to rip out.

(Just make sure you put your screw anchors in the ground in the fall when the ground is moist but not soaked so that it gets a chance to grip good. The up and down motion is much smaller on the cork screw and doesnt open up the hole to allow water to work its way all the way down.)

Results may vary but just my two cents...

[DearVBGuru]

This is the "portable" base that has the 150# concrete and the 4 way T screwed into the coupling buried in the concrete. Next to it is the base of the vertical that will drop in place. Notice the loop formed in the cable that runs through the center. This is attached via turn buckle to the hook screwed into the base and used to tighten the pole vertically and pull all the joints together.

Attached files

[DearVBGuru]

This is the top cap and eye and top guy wires and the big S hook and smaller s hooks that the ribbon strands hook onto. My ribbon strands are attached to nylon rope that is doubled back on each other and zip tied. The rope is about 3/8 inch diameter and two side by side form a nice base for the ribbon to attach to and keep flat.

Instead of trying to paint the entire pole from the grey PVC, I just bought black duct tape and wrapped the pole before I put it in place. Just in case something might crack, the duct tape might also hold things together and keep a crack from getting worse.

Attached files

[DearVBGuru]

This is the tree as its layed out in the yard and staged together. It took two people and a ladder but one person held the base to the top of the 4 way T and the other started at the end and walked the tree forward then climbed a ladder continuing to tilt the top up and then we got it enough vertically that it was able to slip into place. Then I just had to anchor the bottom of each ribbon to the ground (again with a row of big dog run screws and turn buckles).

After that was done then I took short sections of 1/2 inch PVC pipe and zip tied to the ribbons horizontally so all the ribbons would have some support and the pipe would ensure that they face forward.

Attached files

[DearVBGuru]

This is the front of the tree. You can see the two huy wires up top going down and then the two in the middle where the coupling is going down behind and in front of the tree. The front comes down and attaches to the trunk of a tree. Where we are located at our house is on an angle and faces southwest. The one going to the tree is one that keeps things really sturdy when we have a lot of winds which come from west or soutwest. It keeps the tree from being blown two much from the prevailing winds.

Attached files