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Mega Tree base


captainron19

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Anyone have any plans for a mega tree base? (ring to hold light strands)

 

Right now I am using the gray electrical pvc conduit with cup hooks screwed in every couple of inches or so.
 

I am looking to get it off the ground a few inches.   Thought of making 2 rings of pvc with each piece of each ring connected by a "T" then have a small 6" or so vertical leg coming off the "T" to the lower ring.... that way no cup hooks and I can just wrap the excess lights around the PVC.   I saw one online where you can buy the kit but didnt like its design because it is way too high off of the ground (see pic below)

 

I thought this would also work out better for me because the ground where my mega tree is grades down so i can make the vertical pieces in the front of the base a little higher to make the stand more even.

 

Dont need anything to hold the pole just something simple for the lights.  My pole is (2) 10' sections of steel pipe going into a concrete flag pole base in the ground.

 

Cant remember my exact diameter I am using now as I am at work and all my stuff is home but I am pretty sure i am getting an approx 5' radius right now (10' diameter) for my current ring base. Guess i was just mainly looking for input on sizes of each section of pipe, how many vertical supports to use, best pvc size etc

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

base_final.jpg

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I also have uneven ground so I'm planing on doing the about the same thing. going to wrap lights arount once then tie any excess to the light strand going back up. I have a two color tree so i am going to use two colors of electrical tape to mark where each color goes.

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Anyone have any plans for a mega tree base? (ring to hold light strands)

 

Right now I am using the gray electrical pvc conduit with cup hooks screwed in every couple of inches or so.

 

I am looking to get it off the ground a few inches.   Thought of making 2 rings of pvc with each piece of each ring connected by a "T" then have a small 6" or so vertical leg coming off the "T" to the lower ring.... that way no cup hooks and I can just wrap the excess lights around the PVC.   I saw one online where you can buy the kit but didnt like its design because it is way too high off of the ground (see pic below)

 

I thought this would also work out better for me because the ground where my mega tree is grades down so i can make the vertical pieces in the front of the base a little higher to make the stand more even.

 

Dont need anything to hold the pole just something simple for the lights.  My pole is (2) 10' sections of steel pipe going into a concrete flag pole base in the ground.

 

Cant remember my exact diameter I am using now as I am at work and all my stuff is home but I am pretty sure i am getting an approx 5' radius right now (10' diameter) for my current ring base. Guess i was just mainly looking for input on sizes of each section of pipe, how many vertical supports to use, best pvc size etc

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

you can always shorten the CLS base. Just cut the uprights shorter. I have the same one and by the instructions, it's 2' at the top ring.

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you can always shorten the CLS base. Just cut the uprights shorter. I have the same one and by the instructions, it's 2' at the top ring.

As Ron said...........The kit from ClS just has the parts needed to construct the base I guess 10' dia. and 2 ft high are just his recommendations

I cut the PVC to the sizes I wanted, I can say for my part it's a great little kit It can be assembled and disassembled in no time compared to my other tree that I didn't use his kit.

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My 20' tree is on a bit of a hill, so I need to be able to move the hoop to different heights above the ground.  All I do with mine is take 3 pieces of 10' grey pvc pipe and get them centered more or less around the pole (on the ground).  Then I take rebar and drive them into the ground in 8 locations (on the outside of the hoop.  I then bring the pvc up the rebar and secure with wire ties.  This way I am able to get the hoop level by just moving the hoop up and down. 

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Not sure what location everyone is from on this thread but in Oklahoma, and the blizzard we had a couple years ago, that PVC wouldn't hold up to it and snap it in lots of pieces.

I have a metal frame I had locally built (1" square tubing bent to a circle). Cost me maybe $100. And that's for a 19' diameter ring for a 33' mega tree.

Before, I used a trampoline frame on my 23' footer. 14' diameter and found used for about $20 or so.

I'm just sayin, if you have snow storms/blizzards with high winds, you might consider metal frame/ring.

I realize lots use PVC but lots may not have storms with high winds during the winter.

Just something to keep in mind.

 

Just my thoughts,

 

Tom

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Not sure what location everyone is from on this thread but in Oklahoma, and the blizzard we had a couple years ago, that PVC wouldn't hold up to it and snap it in lots of pieces.

I have a metal frame I had locally built (1" square tubing bent to a circle). Cost me maybe $100. And that's for a 19' diameter ring for a 33' mega tree.

Before, I used a trampoline frame on my 23' footer. 14' diameter and found used for about $20 or so.

I'm just sayin, if you have snow storms/blizzards with high winds, you might consider metal frame/ring.

I realize lots use PVC but lots may not have storms with high winds during the winter.

Just something to keep in mind.

 

Just my thoughts,

 

Tom

I maybe be moving just north of you (Nebraska) and was gonna bring my Portable Hole II but use irrigation tubing.  Is that a bad idea?  My tree is in the 20ft range.

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I maybe be moving just north of you (Nebraska) and was gonna bring my Portable Hole II but use irrigation tubing.  Is that a bad idea?  My tree is in the 20ft range.

 

It really depends on how you might anchor it (like PVC I suppose).

My thought was, the larger the tree (length of strands) and how many of them which would act as a sail in catching more wind.

In most cases I'm sure your irrigation tubing (or PVC) might be okay.

If it were me, living further up north, I would be a little concerned or at least be prepared.

 

On my 20 footer when we had our blizzard in 09, I was using the metal ring and 4ea 70lbs Tube sand bags to keep the ring down. The metal ring worked great. But there were so strong of winds, the Tube sand bags weren't enough to hold the ring down (I didn't use rebar at the time but I do now). The ring was moved and Tube sand bags tossed around.

I couldn't believe the force of the winds and what happened. But my mega tree tower stood straight up and didn't budge.

If my ring was plastic, I'm sure it would have snapped in several places. Especially with the bitter cold.

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I live in Yukon, Oklahoma and used the 3/4 inch gray electrical pvc for my bottom ring on an 18 ft tree.  I drove four 4 foot long 1/2 inch diameter steel rods in the ground.  The rods have holes drilled through them and I used some tie wire to secure my tree ring to the rods.  I also used 4 guy wires to secure my center pole.  I've used this method for a few seasons now and it's weathered the winds pretty well.

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I live in Yukon, Oklahoma and used the 3/4 inch gray electrical pvc for my bottom ring on an 18 ft tree.  I drove four 4 foot long 1/2 inch diameter steel rods in the ground.  The rods have holes drilled through them and I used some tie wire to secure my tree ring to the rods.  I also used 4 guy wires to secure my center pole.  I've used this method for a few seasons now and it's weathered the winds pretty well.

Mike,

I need to check out your display when it's up and going.

Good to hear your system worked well.

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Mike,

I need to check out your display when it's up and going.

Good to hear your system worked well.

That would be great.  I'll keep in touch and let you know when I'm up and running.  I'm working on updating my existing sequences to add some pixel elements and I probably should have started months ago but I think I'll get it finished.

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You really need to consider the weight of your lights into the equation, and probability that you will keep the same size, shape, and location for your mega tree.  In the last 5 years I have grown my mega tree and moved the base twice.  It's now a triple mega with three base rings.  At 32 feet height with over 10,000 lights the weight loads get up there with C-6 LED's and the surface area for wind to catch can be problematic.  All my base ring supports are anchored in 40 lbs. of concrete each, with 16 posts on my outer base ring, which is 24 feet across.  The inner ring posts are all 1" steel pipe that is bolted into the concrete and have a T at the top, which I can slip 1" PVC grey conduit into.  Steel cable guy wires, (four) are attached to these T's and are critical to minimize movement.  I use large 3" ID steel pipe sleeve set in concrete down 4 feet into ground and then have a base that slides into this, which is hinged to my first above ground piece.  For storage my pole is 3 sections.  I use a larger piece of pipe that is 4 feet long to splice the sections together.  These outer sleeves give additional stiffness to the pole and make it easier to store as well.  Get some decent pipe from a pipe supply and do it once.  Much safer in long run and cheaper.  Risk of a pole crashing down on someone, or your house is just not worth the risk.  I assemble the pole on the ground, run cables for my lift rings (I have three different trees here so they are staggered at different heights).  When cables are run then I lift the pole with a bucket lift using the hinged base.  When I get to vertical someone on ground screws on three grade 8 nuts into the base plate to secure position, then I run the guy wires.  Go to my website www.christmaskaty.com and look at the photo galleries for the last couple of years and you can see how the trees change.  I use the same base pole system since 2008 successfully.  For my two outer rings I have placed 1" threaded PVC T into concrete with just one set of female threads even with surface dirt regardless of yard grade.  This way I can screw a male piece into this that have a piece of pipe glued into the make coupling.  I then ran a laser to find an equal height for all the posts and cut them off, and put another T on top that I can run the 1" Ring pipe thru.  For the outer ring of poles I cover this up with 4" PVC pipe that is peppermint pole wrapped with a 8" globe on top,  All wiring to the globes is hidden inside the 4" pvc.  It looks clean and works well. See pictures from 2012 to see this addition.  Digging all the holes and pouring all the concrete took the longest time, but now it's very easy to rig up.   

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Thanks for the reply but I was not look at base ideas to hold the tree ..... just looking to upgrade my pvc ring that holds light strands down.

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