17 Foot Free Standing 2D Mega Tree

[wkm001]

I just received all of my RGB strips, power supplies, and controller for my first RGB mega tree!!!


My strips are 5 meters / 16.5 feet. I want to use the whole length of the strip for my mega tree. It will have 12 legs.


My real question is how should I approach this? From an expense, durability, and assembly/disassembly standpoint. I can't afford for this thing to fall over.


I found a 21 foot galvanized pipe that is 2 inches in diameter. That gives me plenty to put in the ground and keep the strips off the ground in case of snow. I would bolt some angle iron at the top and bottom to hold my schedule 40 PVC pipe the strips will be attached to. The galvanized pipe alone is $85. Is this complete overkill?


My other thought is to use 4 inch PVC pipe. Two 10 foot sections and a coupling would run about $35. I could also use guy wires at the top if needed. Would 17.5 feet of 4 inch PVC hold everything through a cold and windy winter?


I'm not too worried about wind. The mega tree will be fairly close to the side of my house and that will buffer the wind considerably.

 

[scamper]

I think the 2 inch galv will do nicely. I used similar last year, I concreted a pvc sleeve into the ground so that the galv pipe slips straight in. Mine is not quite as tall as the rgb nodes I used were only 4.5m long, but I still had the base about 2 foot off the ground and even though we don't get winter snow, we get the Australian summer and where I am we get some pretty strong easterly winds. I do recall watching it sway a little, but it was fine.

This was the setup stage, once all the strings were attached and the star was on, we lifted it to it's finished height.

 

[fasteddy]

With a tree like this then you want to have guy wires at 2 levels, up the top and in the middle, this will ensure no movement or stress on the pole. because if you just guy the top then the middle will flex with the wind. I used a 50mm OD Galv pole

Also use 4 aluminium cross beams spread evenly over the 5 metres to support the conduit.

Doing this will ensue your tree will withstand anything mother nature can give it

 

[richardd]

Eddy, What do you attach the strips to to?

 

[fasteddy]

Eddy, What do you attach the strips to to?

The strips are attached (cable tied) to 25mm electrical conduit which the conduit is then attached to 4 aluminium cross bars with the cross bars connected to the pole. A fairly simple build for something that gives so much bang. Unfortunatly i dont have any photos with me to post

 

[nzlongfellow]

In attached my 5m strips to 15mm (1/2") conduit. Laid strip on and wound electrical tape around in a spiral from one end to the other.