Ralph A Posted September 15, 2013 Posted September 15, 2013 I am building a CCB Mega tree this year and want your advice on a frame. The tree is 12 1/2 feet tall so the CCB strings are folded in half. I'm trying to find a material to support them to keep them straight. I tried poly strapping, and the weight of the bulb causes it to twist. PVC, would be stronger but it to tends to bend but would support the bulbs. Just wanting to see what you have used and what luck you have had with the material you have use. Thanks!
sysco Posted September 16, 2013 Posted September 16, 2013 Ralph search for Walter and Jackie Monkhouse you will find your answers there look through there site
Ralph A Posted September 16, 2013 Author Posted September 16, 2013 Thanks sysco! Great minds think alike. I did that. He was using pixels and not bulbs. The bulbs have more mass and weight to them than the pixels. Resulting in more twist. I did email him and also asked his advise. Waiting to hear what he has to say, and what others have done here on the forums. Thanks!!
k6ccc Posted September 16, 2013 Posted September 16, 2013 Check out what I did last year. It is a Ray Wu pixel based tree, but it would have not had any trouble supporting CCBs. About the same length as your tree. http://www.k6ccc.org/pixeltree/
Ralph A Posted September 17, 2013 Author Posted September 17, 2013 Thanks Jim. I did look at your design and I really like it. I think I may have a problem keeping the bulbs alined, I may get a cable and test it. They may twist around on the cable. I'm begining to belive I should have got pixels and not bulbs. Easier to work with and cheeper. Thanks!!
CK57 Posted September 17, 2013 Posted September 17, 2013 Go to tutorial that Brian has and note that all the bulbs are oriented up string with tie wraps. This eliminates your problem.He further hides the issue by encapsulating in a tube. http://superstarlights.com/CCPTreeConstruction/CCPTree.php
chowell Posted September 18, 2013 Posted September 18, 2013 Any chance you could use PVC lengths but stagger some short pieces horizontally between the vertical runs for structure? I would use a minimum of 1" PVC as well. Just a thought.
Ron Boyd Posted September 18, 2013 Posted September 18, 2013 Any chance you could use PVC lengths but stagger some short pieces horizontally between the vertical runs for structure? I would use a minimum of 1" PVC as well. Just a thought. Did that last year and it worked fine. It will bow somewhat. Mine was about 12.5 feet high and had a 1 foot bow in it, but it was leaning at an angle too
khawes Posted September 18, 2013 Posted September 18, 2013 You might try square aluminum tubing: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/23186-anyone-else-building-a-frame-for-a-12-ribbon-ccr-tree/ These are flat but I see no reason you can form them into a round base. I think if you used the same tubing around the bottom, and top, plus a set of spokes (think bike wheel) at the bottom and half way up it might even free stand.... but don't sue me if it doesn't work
Ralph A Posted September 19, 2013 Author Posted September 19, 2013 Any chance you could use PVC lengths but stagger some short pieces horizontally between the vertical runs for structure? I would use a minimum of 1" PVC as well. Just a thought. I believe PVC is gonna be my best option, all things considered. Thanks chowell. I was hoping there was something else I was overlooking.
Ralph A Posted September 19, 2013 Author Posted September 19, 2013 Did that last year and it worked fine. It will bow somewhat. Mine was about 12.5 feet high and had a 1 foot bow in it, but it was leaning at an angle tooRon, do you have a picture of that tree by chance. The leaning Mega tree? Thanks, looking forward to seeing that!
Ralph A Posted September 19, 2013 Author Posted September 19, 2013 You might try square aluminum tubing: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/23186-anyone-else-building-a-frame-for-a-12-ribbon-ccr-tree/ These are flat but I see no reason you can form them into a round base. I think if you used the same tubing around the bottom, and top, plus a set of spokes (think bike wheel) at the bottom and half way up it might even free stand.... but don't sue me if it doesn't workI did look into that and if I had the money that is what I would do. Since I have two 12 1/2 mega trees in the yard, that would be 600 feet of tubing. I work in a field where I could get this at wholesale. I would have to start saving now for next year. But I do believe it is the best option, just not cost effective for now. Thank you for your advise though!!
indi Posted September 19, 2013 Posted September 19, 2013 If you use PVC, you might try going about half way up and install a cross connection and install short pieces of PVC around the tree. Then install the lower leg and then the upper leg in the cross connection. This may help support and help keep the long legs from bowing. May have to do it twice.
indi Posted September 19, 2013 Posted September 19, 2013 If you use PVC, you might try going about half way up and install a cross connection and install short pieces of PVC around the tree. Then install the lower leg and then the upper leg in the cross connection. This may help support and help keep the long legs from bowing. May have to do it twice. Go to You Tube and and search PVC spiral tree. This is what I was referring to.
Ralph A Posted September 20, 2013 Author Posted September 20, 2013 If you use PVC, you might try going about half way up and install a cross connection and install short pieces of PVC around the tree. Then install the lower leg and then the upper leg in the cross connection. This may help support and help keep the long legs from bowing. May have to do it twice. Thanks indi!! Looks like I will have to do somthing of that nature.
Ron Boyd Posted September 20, 2013 Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) Did that last year and it worked fine. It will bow somewhat. Mine was about 12.5 feet high and had a 1 foot bow in it, but it was leaning at an angle too Ron, do you have a picture of that tree by chance. The leaning Mega tree? Thanks, looking forward to seeing that! I think its somewhere on my facebook page. Let me take a look and see if its on there. https://m.facebook.com/BoydFamilyChristmasLightShow?v=photos&psm=default&album=a.225500554245608.55237.201686539960343&__user=100004013041893 The piece of pvc on the back using snap tees was how I kept it from bowing Edited September 20, 2013 by Ron Boyd
Ralph A Posted September 20, 2013 Author Posted September 20, 2013 I think its somewhere on my facebook page. Let me take a look and see if its on there.https://m.facebook.com/BoydFamilyChristmasLightShow?v=photos&psm=default&album=a.225500554245608.55237.201686539960343&__user=100004013041893The piece of pvc on the back using snap tees was how I kept it from bowing I remember seeing that. Nice job. My tree is 360 so I will have to make a few adjustmensts, and see what I can come up with. Thanks again Ron!
Ron Boyd Posted September 20, 2013 Posted September 20, 2013 You can always look up Nutcracker Sean's tree build. He did a 180, but it wouldnt take much to convert that one to 360
Ralph A Posted September 20, 2013 Author Posted September 20, 2013 Thanks again Ron! I will do a search for that and see what he did!!
T17443 Posted October 4, 2013 Posted October 4, 2013 Started getting a little concerned about my set up after reading this thread. I am planning on a 360 degree 25 foot tall mega tree using CCBs. I built the monkhouse jack pole design for the main support and set it up a few months ago. It worked great. The CCB strings are simply hanging from the top of the tree and zip tied to a PVC support ring at the bottom. I am not using any other support for the CCB strings. The tree worked well for the three days I had it up. Are there any concerns leaving the tree erected in this manner for a extended period of time? I don't want to damage my CCB strings.
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