Anyone else building a frame for a 12 ribbon CCR tree?

[Larry Leonhardt]

Larry,

Did you use LEDs on your star? I see some boxes in the picture, but not sure. Brian says he can build me a star, but his lights won't work with it. Spacing is off. How did you go about getting counts right?

Yes, i used lights i got at Wal-Mart, The ones in the pictures, I figured out i could cut them in half and solder half to a full string for the outside of the star. I also had to use some black-out caps.

[Eaglesclaw]

I just ordered my tubing for the CCR tree. After taxes they were just a tad over $300 with me picking them up.  I ordered 12 ea 3/4" x 3/4" x 24' x 1/8" thick.  I figure all the cutoff pieces will give me more than enough for structural support.  I'll take pictures as I go after getting all the necessary hardware. I will be supporting it against my eaves which are about 12' high so will do some configuring for all that.  Right now I am planning a 10 leg spoke wheel at top in lieu of a star, but not set in stone yet.  Have to figure out an easy way to program pixels on the spokes first.  Pixel editor has not been a fun one trying to figure out.

 

Jerry

[coronabob]

I completed the frame for the tree. I drilled and tapped all holes for 1/4" socket head bolts. I wanted to it be as structurally sound as possible as it will be free standing. Note the pole base. Hope all works well.

 

[Heffo]

If anyone is interested I have photos of my CCR tree I made but for some reason it won't let me upload them on hear so if you want them let me know your email and I will be more then happy to flick them over to you

[lightzilla]

I just started my CCR Tree frame after work. I have about 8 - 7ft long  heavy duty angle iron (with holes)  So I am using them since I got them for free. I am using two per side & to make it 17ft long I added a 2x3x6 board. I bolted the one leg together. So far I spent a total of $6. My base will be about 8ft wide & the top will be about 32 inches wide. 1x2's will be bolted across the frame every 6 or 8 inches. The hardware for that will be around another $6. The cost will come into play when I buy a bag of 80 pieces of chain link privacy slats (48" tall slats).  I will screw them to the 1x2's. I will use about 64 slats. That will be about $41.00 because they are stronger ones. This method should cut the weight down a fair amount. I will then zip tie the ribbons to the slats  & to make sure the ribbons don't move I will use other types of fasteners as well.  I figure when all is said & done the tree may cost around $100. Since it is going on my front deck I am putting hinges on the base of the tree. That should make putting it up a bit more easier.

[grump010]

Finished assembling mine, just need to sink a pole in the front yard and then I'm ready to go.

[mcompanik]

Frank, do you have a part number for the power jacks? The link for them just goes to the main Radio Shack home page. Also, what size is the junction box? 12x12?

Edited October 17, 2015 by mcompanik

[aesl1982]

I completed the frame for the tree. I drilled and tapped all holes for 1/4" socket head bolts. I wanted to it be as structurally sound as possible as it will be free standing. Note the pole base. Hope all works well.

 

are Ur twleve pieces for the ccrs cut evenly. And the spacing is what gives it the staggered top?

[Frank Farmer]

Frank, do you have a part number for the power jacks? The link for them just goes to the main Radio Shack home page. Also, what size is the junction box? 12x12?

Here is the new Radioshack link for the power connectors:

http://www.radioshack.com/size-m-coaxial-dc-power-plug-2-pack/2741569.html

 

Yes, the junction box is 12x12 and is 6 inches deep.  I got it at home depot, but I've seen them at Lowes too.  However I can't find it on their website.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Frank Farmer

[primvip]

Is it better to get the pieces welded together or drill then bolt all the pieces together?

[k6ccc]

Drill and bolt.  Makes it FAR easier to be able to take it apart for either storage or repair.

[Ron Boyd]

So I've sort of kept up with this thread. I will be erecting my 12 x 50, flat tree this weekend. I'm not going anywhere near as elaborate as the aluminum stuff. I am using nodes as opposed to strips, so that was the major element in the way mine will be set up.

 

My tree consists of:

Brian's CCR Tree Star

WS2811 Bullet Pixels

Portable Hole II

A length of Unistrut

1 1/4" center pole

and Boscoyo Studios Pixel Strips

 

I'll get some pics after set up to put a bit of a different spin on the aluminum frame style discussed here.

 

I thought long and hard on the design you guys have done. It's solid and a fantastic design. I just couldn't justify the time and cost to build it. If I had have been using strips, then it's justified.

 

Good job guys.

Great reading.

[primvip]

Drill and bolt. Makes it FAR easier to be able to take it apart for either storage or repair.

What size bits do you use?

[khawes]

What size bits do you use?

I went with a bit that would just allow the bolts to go through.  Great idea if you drill with a drill press and have perfectly straight holes.   I didn't use a drill press and I would up increasing the hole closest to the nut by an additional size, after the difficulty I had assembling it the second time.  After that it's much easier to get the bolts through that second hole.

 

Oh and for the tube with the head of the bold drill the top hole big enough for the bolt head to go inside the tube, so the head of the bolt is out of your way when putting the pixels on. 

[primvip]

I went with a bit that would just allow the bolts to go through.  Great idea if you drill with a drill press and have perfectly straight holes.   I didn't use a drill press and I would up increasing the hole closest to the nut by an additional size, after the difficulty I had assembling it the second time.  After that it's much easier to get the bolts through that second hole.

 

Oh and for the tube with the head of the bold drill the top hole big enough for the bolt head to go inside the tube, so the head of the bolt is out of your way when putting the pixels on. 

Good tips. What size bolts are used if using the 3/4" aluminum poles?

[khawes]

Good tips. What size bolts are used if using the 3/4" aluminum poles?

Bolts: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FN1ZZQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Nuts: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009EEXCIU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Ed K]

Frank,

 

I know your posts about your CCR tree are from a couple of years ago, but I just decided to build a 12 CCR tree for Chrismas 2016, and I just ran into all of your posts on your tree and star.

 

I've read all your great posts, downloaded your .jpg files with close-ups, and downloaded and read your PDFs with your tree's and star's specifications.  You could not be more specific or more helpful to this "tree newbie".  Thanks very much.

 

I'm a bit slow here, so wanted to ask a few things:

 

1.  You attach your CCR ribbons flat on one side of the aluminum 3/4" aluminum tubing with a 1/8" wall.  For each point where the "ribbon" Al tube attaches to a cross tube, do you have a hole directly underneath the ribbon, with the bolt accessible through this hole and then inserted in the second hole just opposite of the side of the tube holding the ribbon?  I can't see how you would remove the bolt after you've unscrewed it from the cross tube, without detaching the CCR ribbon just above the bolt.   Do you leave the bolt attached to the ribbon tupes (with the nut attached after dis-assembling tree)?

 

2.  Your boxes to hold six CCR controllers are a perfect solution.  Couple of questions: 

 

(a) Not being an electrical person, why do you need a power unit inside the plastic box containing the 6 controllers?  Are there 6 cords coming of this power unit to power each CCR controller?  Does the use of the power unit replace having to run 6 power cords (e.g., a SPT - 1 cord) to each controller?

 

(  Are your controllers at the bottom of the tree or at the top of the tree (i.e., where do your strings start)?   Besides curious about the physical layout, placement also determines how to configure SuperStar to develope sequences.

 

3.  The two legs of your star appear to slip inside the two outside tubes of your tree.  Is that correct?  What are the outside dimensions of those two Star tubes?

 

 

Thanks again.

 

Ed Kaempf

 

 

[Ed K]

LOL.  LOR's forum software turned the "(b)" in my prior post to an emoji. 

 

Note to self:  Review my posts and any auto-correction by LOR forum software before clicking on "Post".  I did so on this post, but I guess it gets conferted AFTER I click on "Post".

 

 

 

Ed

[Frank Farmer]

Frank,

 

I know your posts about your CCR tree are from a couple of years ago, but I just decided to build a 12 CCR tree for Chrismas 2016, and I just ran into all of your posts on your tree and star.

 

I've read all your great posts, downloaded your .jpg files with close-ups, and downloaded and read your PDFs with your tree's and star's specifications.  You could not be more specific or more helpful to this "tree newbie".  Thanks very much.

 

I'm a bit slow here, so wanted to ask a few things:

 

1.  You attach your CCR ribbons flat on one side of the aluminum 3/4" aluminum tubing with a 1/8" wall.  For each point where the "ribbon" Al tube attaches to a cross tube, do you have a hole directly underneath the ribbon, with the bolt accessible through this hole and then inserted in the second hole just opposite of the side of the tube holding the ribbon?  I can't see how you would remove the bolt after you've unscrewed it from the cross tube, without detaching the CCR ribbon just above the bolt.   Do you leave the bolt attached to the ribbon tupes (with the nut attached after dis-assembling tree)?

 

2.  Your boxes to hold six CCR controllers are a perfect solution.  Couple of questions: 

 

(a) Not being an electrical person, why do you need a power unit inside the plastic box containing the 6 controllers?  Are there 6 cords coming of this power unit to power each CCR controller?  Does the use of the power unit replace having to run 6 power cords (e.g., a SPT - 1 cord) to each controller?

 

(   Are your controllers at the bottom of the tree or at the top of the tree (i.e., where do your strings start)?   Besides curious about the physical layout, placement also determines how to configure SuperStar to develope sequences.

 

3.  The two legs of your star appear to slip inside the two outside tubes of your tree.  Is that correct?  What are the outside dimensions of those two Star tubes?

 

 

Thanks again.

 

Ed Kaempf

1) Yes, the bolt is left with the tubing, a nut and washing holding it in place. This will be year 4 for my tree and not one of the bolts have worked out yet.

2a) Having a single power supply unit keeps me from having to mount the 6 transforms that come with the CCR's. It's a much cleaner and easier to maintain system.

2b) My strips are mounted with the connectors at the bottom. Each of my controllers are mount just to the left and right of center. Therefor I didn't need to change the length of the lines coming from the strips. My controller boxes are mounted to the wall just a couple of feet behind the CCR tree.

3) The two outside poles of the tree actually mount to the BACK of my star. http://lightshow.franktronics.net/?attachment_id=714

[Ed K]

Frank, 

 

Thanks for your response.  That clears it up for me now.  I saw a couple of your other posts about the specs for the power supply, including the actual PDF for the power supply, so thanks very much.

 

All of this is for Christmas 2016, so I'll hopefully do this carefully, via your plans.

 

 

Ed