A Different Way for Wireframes (No Welding)

[DSE]

Hello all

Just completed a two year adventure on a way to make a wireframe that was durable, weather proof, simple to assemble and light weight. Happy to say it is complete.

The decoration uses a hub system that holds the design elements. These design elements are varied shapes (star, ball. bell, diamond, mini-tree) and sizes. There will be an offering of some standard sizes and customized shapes and sizes. The shapes will also be available in other formats for Holloween, Easter. Ground Hogs day and on. The real cool thing is the size is just an option 1 foot to 12 foot pretty much on all.

The hub is called "The Eaton Puck" and is the base to the decoration. It is made from aluminum and utilizes set srews to hold the decoration elemants in place. All of the inter workings are stainless also.

 

I am working with Val over at Christmas-LEDs.com and the product should be up in the next few weeks. Val is a wonderful gal to work with. The ones that will be for sell are some standard sizes and shapes with a bunch more to come. The Eaton Puck is also interconnectable, think of the old recter sets were all you needed was a few parts put together different designs. That was my intent to make a product that could be used in sveral different ways. Lets say you have a pumpkin (on the drawing board) and then after the season you just changed over the design sides to a Star then to a Heart then to an Egg through in a champaign glass and you can get your child married off (CCP's are awsome here).

 

This is my new adventure hope you like it

Here are some pictures

Dennis

 

 

[TheUltimate]

Looks very cool! Congrats!

[zman]

Very cool Dennis!

 

You bringing some to C.L.A.P. in May?

[DSE]

Looks very cool! Congrats!

 

Thanks there are so many cool plans hard were to start

 

 

Very cool Dennis!

 

You bringing some to C.L.A.P. in May?

 

Yea baby and a couple of proto types.....they are sweeeeet

[plasmadrive]

The ability to take them apart should make shipping very compact compared to full 3D welded fixtures..    However, there are obvious limitations with requiring hubs... but they look great for what they are made for.  I LIKE IT!!!

[DSE]

The ability to take them apart should make shipping very compact compared to full 3D welded fixtures..    However, there are obvious limitations with requiring hubs... but they look great for what they are made for.  I LIKE IT!!!

 

Thanks

[DSE]

Thought I should keep up to date the decorations are up and running

Please check it out and let me know your thoughts

Dennis

 

http://www.christmas-leds.com/productinfo_v3.aspx?productid=DPB-11BLS

[craigh]

very slick!

how could the star be attached to the top of a mega tree?

and what light strings would work best on the star? (RGB, rope light or ?)

Edited March 25, 2013 by craigh

[DSE]

very slick!

how could the star be attached to the top of a mega tree?

and what light strings would work best on the star? (RGB, rope light or ?)

 

Thanks

There is a 1/4 by 20 threaded hole through the center to attach items to or be attached to other parts

The best lights I have seen are the rope or RBG not that the minis will not work but more to the likes of the end user

 

Dennis

[craigh]

Help me understand the 1/4" by 20 threaded hole fitting....

looking at the picture of the star on the website - it looks like the puck has two halves that are bolted together with an eye bolt on the top and bottom. 

Not sure how to transition from that to a 1/2" threaded pipe. My current tree toppers (I have 3 of them) I got from Darryl, they go from 1 1/4" pipe down to 1/2" pipe that my current stars screw onto, the stars have a 1/2" coupling welding to them.

[craigh]

Help me understand the 1/4" by 20 threaded hole fitting....

looking at the picture of the star on the website - it looks like the puck has two halves that are bolted together with an eye bolt on the top and bottom. 

Not sure how to transition from that to a 1/2" threaded pipe. My current tree toppers (I have 3 of them) I got from Darryl, they go from 1 1/4" pipe down to 1/2" pipe that my current stars screw onto, the stars have a 1/2" coupling welding to them.

more... from the pictures above it appears that each bar is held in place by a set screw and not the eye bolt. But I still wonder how to adapt this to my current tree toppers that I mentioned above.

 

Another question - how long is one of the bars of the star on one side? I am thinking that each bar would have its own string so the star could be taken apart and stored easily. If I were to use RGB strings I could connect to corresponding side with wires which would still allow me to take the star apart. Trying to figure out how long a strand would be on one bar.

 

thanks!

[DSE]

more... from the pictures above it appears that each bar is held in place by a set screw and not the eye bolt. But I still wonder how to adapt this to my current tree toppers that I mentioned above.

 

Another question - how long is one of the bars of the star on one side? I am thinking that each bar would have its own string so the star could be taken apart and stored easily. If I were to use RGB strings I could connect to corresponding side with wires which would still allow me to take the star apart. Trying to figure out how long a strand would be on one bar.

 

thanks!

 

Hey Graigh

There are 8 set screws around the outside to hold in the wireframe portion (design) and the center hole is for mounting options. The 1/2 inch fitting is NPT or MPT ( National or Male Pipe Thread) the center hole I have is 1/4 inch NC (national course) and the 20 is the pitch of the thread (basically course thread). Now with all that said NPT thread and NC thread do not match. NPT is for piping and NC is for bolts and nuts. To mix the two a fitting is needed to go from male NPT to NC thread in your case it would be 1/2 inch female to 1/4" x 20  female fitting. Bad news not sure how readly these fitting are available. I can make you some up with aluminum real easy.

Thanks for pointing this out. The mega trees I have looked at had a hole to run a bolt through to connect up the star or topper.

Just so I am correct you have a 1/2 " male end to connect to?

 

The standard side is 27 inches in length. If you have a certain size needed not a problem to do as my form is changeable. I have taken one apart as you asked and seems to work best is to leave two sides clamped and fold the others to them giving it a reanably flat form. All could be taken a part if so desired.

 

Hope this anwers your question if not let me know

Thanks

Dennis

[DSE]

Just finnished up a spider to show the different sorts of combinations could me made up

Here are a couple of pictures. Spider is 4 foot by 3 foot by 3 foot tall

Dennis

Edited March 26, 2013 by DSE

[craigh]

Hey Graigh

There are 8 set screws around the outside to hold in the wireframe portion (design) and the center hole is for mounting options. The 1/2 inch fitting is NPT or MPT ( National or Male Pipe Thread) the center hole I have is 1/4 inch NC (national course) and the 20 is the pitch of the thread (basically course thread). Now with all that said NPT thread and NC thread do not match. NPT is for piping and NC is for bolts and nuts. To mix the two a fitting is needed to go from male NPT to NC thread in your case it would be 1/2 inch female to 1/4" x 20  female fitting. Bad news not sure how readly these fitting are available. I can make you some up with aluminum real easy.

Thanks for pointing this out. The mega trees I have looked at had a hole to run a bolt through to connect up the star or topper.

Just so I am correct you have a 1/2 " male end to connect to?

 

The standard side is 27 inches in length. If you have a certain size needed not a problem to do as my form is changeable. I have taken one apart as you asked and seems to work best is to leave two sides clamped and fold the others to them giving it a reanably flat form. All could be taken a part if so desired.

 

Hope this anwers your question if not let me know

Thanks

Dennis

Dennis - 

after thinking about my mega tree topper a little more - my current stars have a 4" (or longer) steel nipple that is 1/2" pipe welded into them, they then have the male threads on the other end to attach them to the tree topper. The topper has various fittings on it to go from 1 1/4" to the 1/2" size, and the 1/2" fitting is a female fitting, so the star screws into it. I actually leave the topper and the star all put together to store them.

 

I like the idea for just folding the sections onto each other, which would still make it easier to store than the stars I have now.

Thanks for the info

 

Craig

Edited March 26, 2013 by craigh

[DSE]

Thoughts

Spidy is about 4 foot by 4 foot by 3 foot tall