My 20 Foot Mega Tree

[wallleyes]

Here's a few pictures of my 20 foot mega tree poles i just finished concreting in.The poles are 2 inch galvanized.Lowes had the poles for $27.99 each.The pins are 5/8 x 10 inches long.They are 32 inches down in concrete.As you can tell i can put my star on by tilting the bottom up.I can also take the whole setup apart,but i will put a flag on it for the summer monthes.Feel free to copy my idea.If someone has already made one like this ...then great minds think alike.I welcome any comments or questions.

[cenote]

Option B if flagpole/mega tree doesn't work: Install large spring on bottom and make a mid-evil catapult.

[Ponddude]

cenote wrote:

Option B if flagpole/mega tree doesn't work: Install large spring on bottom and make a mid-evil catapult.

I like option B better...haha

Nice looking setup though!

[wallleyes]

It sure is a joint.They sell the pipe in 10 foot lengths.Time will tell as to how it will hold up.It is very strong having the first 10 sandwiched like it is.

[mmais68569]

The other problem I see is the weight of the lights on the head. When you go to lift it the pole may kink under the weight. I would suggest a guide line up on the roof of the house with someone pulling to help it up. Also some guy wires to stabilize it in the wind.

Mike

[Dan Lott]

pikadroo wrote:

I have no doubt that it seems really strong, fer sure it looks it in all but that one joint (and perhaps the ground ones). I am just saying that joint may be the weak link. I mean I am gonna figure your gonna put like 16-ish strands of lights on the top end and swing it up into the air. It may not break but there will be like a kink in it even in a light load and cold weather might fatigue that fitting more after it's up. It's that particular fitting, but I think as I recall I used a heaver fitting that has a thick ridge around each end. It still kinked but we had guide ropes to true it up. Maybe a splint would have been a way to go. Also had the fitting at the bottom in the ground so the pole screwed in flush to the concrete. That way it only had to keep it still not support it. Thicker fitting should be all ya need there too.

Not trying to be mr. smarty pants and I wish I had a picture of my disaster. I hadn't thought of this approach again for this. Might be a way to go... I just don't want the concrete in the yard. Maybe I could do it with a 5 gallon bucket since I need guide ropes anyhow... after all I am near the windy city. =D

Drew

I also agree with this i have seen those couplings fail. All you have is all that weight supported on those 2 couplings on the bottom. And guessing there is only a 1/2 inch or 3/4 worth of threads on that pipe and the coupling is 1-1/2 long. Any wind with weight on may or will snap that coupling in half or rip that pipe right out of it. My suggestion would be to take the joints apart and stick a 2 foot piece of pipe that will fit inside the 2" pipe and drill through both sides of the joint and put a bolt in it on both sides of the joint as that will act as a stiff back inside the pole and strengthen that setup. I like the design and not putting it down at all but i do work with this kind of stuff and build things for a living so just saying what i see. Hope everything works out great for you and enjoy your new mega tree/flag pole.

[wallleyes]

mmais68569 wrote:

The other problem I see is the weight of the lights on the head. When you go to lift it the pole may kink under the weight. I would suggest a guide line up on the roof of the house with someone pulling to help it up. Also some guy wires to stabilize it in the wind.

Mike

I have a hand winch and a 6x4 pvc adapter and will be winching the lights up.

[wallleyes]

pikadroo wrote:

wallleyes wrote:

It sure is a joint.They sell the pipe in 10 foot lengths.Time will tell as to how it will hold up.It is very strong having the first 10 sandwiched like it is.

I have no doubt that it seems really strong, fer sure it looks it in all but that one joint (and perhaps the ground ones). I am just saying that joint may be the weak link. I mean I am gonna figure your gonna put like 16-ish strands of lights on the top end and swing it up into the air. It may not break but there will be like a kink in it even in a light load and cold weather might fatigue that fitting more after it's up. It's that particular fitting, but I think as I recall I used a heaver fitting that has a thick ridge around each end. It still kinked but we had guide ropes to true it up. Maybe a splint would have been a way to go. Also had the fitting at the bottom in the ground so the pole screwed in flush to the concrete. That way it only had to keep it still not support it. Thicker fitting should be all ya need there too.

Not trying to be mr. smarty pants and I wish I had a picture of my disaster. I hadn't thought of this approach again for this. Might be a way to go... I just don't want the concrete in the yard. Maybe I could do it with a 5 gallon bucket since I need guide ropes anyhow... after all I am near the windy city. =D

Drew

Drew

I think all that wind you get blows through here on its way to you.It is amazing the difference between going up 10 foot in the air verses 20 foot.Was your tree that toppled made out of 2 inch galvanized pipe?$900 in this tree with led lights....last thing i want is a pile on the ground.

[Papa-LF]

Wallleyes, Looks good, nice to see these great ideas coming to life. Ive said it before and I will keep saying it, there are so many different ideas to accomplish the same similar result. Enjoy your creation and let us know how it turns out. Always keep safety first and lots of lights second.

BTW, I put up a 23 foot 4 inch aluminum conduit pole this last year, with a hand winch that was fed through the center of the pole that lifted my ring with the lights attached. It worked great! I even had to let it down while putting up the tree to Chung out a bad string, and even that worked very well. So your idea about using a winch is spot on!

Oh, and I assume thats "Old Glory" you will be flying in the summer, thanks for that from this Vet...

Semper Fi !