collapsible spiral tree

[kingfish]

want to add spiral tree this year, 10 or twelve feet wondering if anyone has a design for one that you do not have to take the lights off and reassemble year after year. also this tree during the lighting season will not be on my property.

 

thanks for all the help

larry

[Mega Arch]

I'm no help. I made mine just short enough to stay assembled as I have the room to. I have thought about adding another spiral tree & maybe a little bit bigger, so I'll say this:

Larry, what a great question. 

I've actually thought about this in utilizing my telepole flagpole, but read so many "it collapsed" posts I never got back to the idea. Hopefully someone chimes in for us, I mean for you....

[ericm]

mine is made of all pvc, I think my longest piece is 39 inches.  breaks all the way down into a black trash bag.  I found a how to on youtube... mine is only 7 feet tall , going to add length to it to make it about 10 feet this year.  I'm in houston area  so i don't have to worry about snow and ice weighing it down and breaking.  

[kingfish]

I want to leave the lights attached. I am hoping this is possible . last resort I guess I could leave it together and tarp it and store it outside.

[prevue12]

I am working on a design, I will try to do some construction in the next week or so and post some pics.  Welding is involved,  it will also depend on the weather,  I don't grind in my garage next to my old car. (no I can't pull it out, it's old and needs carb work ).  My design will just collapse like an umbrella, not too complicated, so far. 

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by prevue12

[khawes]

19 hours ago, prevue12 said:

I am working on a design, I will try to do some construction in the next week or so and post some pics.  Welding is involved,  it will also depend on the weather,  I don't grind in my garage next to my old car. (no I can't pull it out, it's old and needs carb work ).  My design will just collapse like an umbrella, not too complicated, so far. 

 

I had a 67 mustang and for the last 10 years I owned it, it was in the garage with either battery or carb problems which were a direct result of it not getting out of the garage on a regular basis.  I finally sold it 4 years ago, your post brings back memories of it covered in it's car cover and empty card board boxes waiting to be recycled. 

[Ebuechner]

My spiral tree collapses down to a round flat disc with lights that I can hang on the wall. I took the idea from the collapsible trees that Home Depot sold. You don't need solid sides you can just use clothesline cables from the top to a bottom PVC hoop with a pole up the middle  to hold everything tight then string your lights on that. I ended up using a lot of zip ties to hold the light strings exactly where I wanted them on the clothesline cables. When I put it up everything is lined up perfectly

[prevue12]

I may have to rethink my design, How sturdy is it when it is up? I plan on putting a star on top that will have a little weight to it.  

[Ebuechner]

It's as strong as the center pole that you use. With low mass you have minimal wind resistance

[jimswinder]

Here's mine...

 

 

[Mega Arch]

Holy crap Jim. I need to learn to work that fast. I could have twice as many props. 

Nice job. 

 

1 hour ago, jimswinder said:

Here's mine...

 

 

 

[zman]

With 2 displays to set up, I guess you need to work that fast Jim...........

With mine the best I can do is to to use aircraft cable, turnbuckles and a hookhead. The cable stays attached to the hookhead, the turnbuckles make it quick to get taunt, but I still have to string the lights each year. It takes me about 3 hours for that tree........

Edited June 26, 2016 by zman

[prevue12]

I forgot to follow up and post a pic, I ended up making mine out of 3/4" Electrical conduit (non metal) and glued 3/4" dowels in them in the hope to make them stiffer and not need as much support.  I did some welding of hinges for the top. Drilled my holes for zips ties (after lots of math) and wrapped my lights and zipped them in place. Ended up with needing some internal braces to keep from getting pulled in from all the lights being wrapped around 10' poles. Just ran a brace across to opposite side leg, all of them are not tied together. I loosed a wing nuts and let the four braces drop down for storage.  I can move it by myself but much easier with two people. When it came time to set it up it took about five minutes for my brother and I to separate the eight legs, and use the four braces.   Taking it down took me about 10 minutes, and that was me doing it solo.  It know hangs in my garage from the rafters waiting for next year.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Shawns-Christmas-lights-1395610177140513/?ref=bookmarks,  you can see a Pic  Here of the two I made.  They are 

[prevue12]

Apparently I lost some posts and pic of my trees being made on the website and are not on the website above, I will look for them again and post if I can find them.