Marks no tools, no shed, no handyperson skills 16 x 50 mega tree

Thor

New elf
Joined
Dec 8, 2018
Messages
20
New to Pixels last year, I wanted to have a smallish Mega Tree about 3 metres. I searched and searched and could not find much about how to make a Mega tree without having tools, handyman skills and a place to make it all. I have none of these.

I started off researching what mega tree kits you could buy online.

I purchased a HolidayCoro QT2 - 5 to 32 PixNode Strip Topper (8.5" Overall Diameter / 1-3/8" Top Fence Rail Centre Pole - Designed for typical Mega Trees of 8 to 20 feet in height mega tree topper.

Also purchased a Holidaycoro Centre Pole Load Spreader and a Boscoyo mega tree kit.

Once I realised that all the pipes that were used are American standard or not available in Australia, I started to see what I could come up with.

I searched for what pipes were available in Australia. None of the Aussie pipes at Bunnings actually fitted either mega tree topper or centre pole load spreader correctly.

So, I thought about using threaded galvanised pipe, I decided on 25mm threaded pipe. With the galvanised pipe I could fit the pipe in my Ford Focus easily and purchase all the different sizes to make the mega tree whatever size I liked. I purchased 2 x 25mm galvanised flanges from Bunnings and a few connectors to put it all together.


1620210535272.png






Bunnings have many different galvanised size pipe and fittings. I also wanted a star on top of my mega tree so the pipe worked a treat as I just added a 20mm pipe for the star with a
reducer.

1620210563953.png



I found the Holidaycoro topper was excellent to bolt the galvanised flanges to. Used 6mm bolts. It made it quite sturdy. Using the threaded pipe also makes it very easy to put together and dismantle.

I was not overly happy with the centre pole load spreader supplied by Boscoyo or Holidaycoro (very small and did not fit Aussie pipe tightly). I decided to buy an Umbrella Market stand and place my galvanised pipe into the stand (stand came with different size bushes).

1620210626269.png

Also using the Umbrella stand I could shift the tree quite easy as it just sat on top of the lawn. This actually worked well and kept the tree sturdy. I also attached to the topper 3 guy wires. These guy wires came with the Boscoyo mega tree kit. You can also purchase all the fittings for guywires at Bunnings. No, I don’t have shares in Bunnings.




1620211014255.png


I purchased some Boscoyo pixel strip and used these on the Holidaycoro topper. The Boscoyo strips with zip ties are so easy to attach to the topper. I then just used tent pegs to hold the Boscoyo strips into the ground.

All in all, it was easy to do. I had never seen a mega tree in real life previously. So, my ideas on a mega tree were limited.

After seeing a large mega tree for the first time last year, I decided to make my mega tree 24 x 50 pixels for 2021. I liked the idea of having the strips a little further apart at the top and a little bit closer on the bottom compared to 2020.

I purchased the smaller mega tree topper from Booy on this forum (Standard 25mm flanges did not fit) Purchased (Not available at Bunnings) some different galvanised flanges to attach to Booy’s topper. Only 6mm bolts would fit through the slots I used to attach the flanges.



1620211112359.png









So just thought I would share for all the non-handypersons an idea for their mega tree.
 

HertzSwift

Apprentice elf
Joined
Sep 16, 2019
Messages
89
Location
Perth
I'm doing a similar project, even have the same tree topper. I had to go to 6 Bunning stores to get the 32 j-bolts I needed for the topper!

BTW I managed to secure the Bunnings 25mm flange to the topper, the holes in the flange don't line up with the slots in the topper, that is true, I just drilled new holes in the flange.
 

LawrenceDriveLights

Senior elf
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
581
Regarding J bolts. You can also use these when you add a 6mm nut.

 

Nojoy

Full time elf
Joined
Aug 9, 2020
Messages
110
I was looking at this exact issue recently for my Xmas in July show.
Cant dig where my megatree is setup due to power and gas lines, wanted something I could manipulate in height and under strict wife's orders not to use an 'unsightly concrete block' as my counterweight.

Using a galvanised formwork prop, this provides me with a 1.85 - 3.35m heavy duty pole.
Attached to 2 cheap 600*400mm pavers from a local landscape store that I drilled through and secured the prop using 4*M10 bolts. This thing didnt even sway in the 60km winds that came through last week.
For the topper, I built my own using a 40cm (diameter) painters block (60mm thick pressed wood circle from Bunnings I found - not shown on their website). Attached to the top of the formwork prop with another 4*M10 bolts, with 24 eye hooks drilled in facing down to connect my boscoyo mounting strips to.
Straps are connected to 2m long 25mm pvc bent into half circle, which is then bungie strapped to ground pegs.

For the star, the formwork prop is hollow, so I drilled a 32mm hole through the painters block, used a 1.2m steel pole and set a screw through the pole at the height I wanted it to rest on the painter block. Two bungie straps from star to underside of painters block to limit rotation in the wind.

Outcome is shown in my drone footage from last night:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjYdRvrsh8



Formwork prop is set to about 2.5m here. 180 degree tree, 24 strands of 40 pixels @ 2 inch spacing. Plenty of room for expansion next year.
 
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Pavle

Rank updated… 2 season veteran
Joined
Nov 7, 2020
Messages
190
Location
Sydney
Regarding J bolts. You can also use these when you add a 6mm nut.


I copied @LawrenceDriveLights with this fitting when I seen it posted in one of the build threads. I grabbed them from a local fastener shop - pretty good saving over the j bolts and they sit higher (closer - meaning less gap to first pixel) to the underside of the topper if you're pedantic about things like that.
 

Bigred1978

New elf
Joined
Jan 1, 2021
Messages
11
New to Pixels last year, I wanted to have a smallish Mega Tree about 3 metres. I searched and searched and could not find much about how to make a Mega tree without having tools, handyman skills and a place to make it all. I have none of these.

I started off researching what mega tree kits you could buy online.

I purchased a HolidayCoro QT2 - 5 to 32 PixNode Strip Topper (8.5" Overall Diameter / 1-3/8" Top Fence Rail Centre Pole - Designed for typical Mega Trees of 8 to 20 feet in height mega tree topper.

Also purchased a Holidaycoro Centre Pole Load Spreader and a Boscoyo mega tree kit.

Once I realised that all the pipes that were used are American standard or not available in Australia, I started to see what I could come up with.

I searched for what pipes were available in Australia. None of the Aussie pipes at Bunnings actually fitted either mega tree topper or centre pole load spreader correctly.

So, I thought about using threaded galvanised pipe, I decided on 25mm threaded pipe. With the galvanised pipe I could fit the pipe in my Ford Focus easily and purchase all the different sizes to make the mega tree whatever size I liked. I purchased 2 x 25mm galvanised flanges from Bunnings and a few connectors to put it all together.


View attachment 16996






Bunnings have many different galvanised size pipe and fittings. I also wanted a star on top of my mega tree so the pipe worked a treat as I just added a 20mm pipe for the star with a
reducer.

View attachment 16997



I found the Holidaycoro topper was excellent to bolt the galvanised flanges to. Used 6mm bolts. It made it quite sturdy. Using the threaded pipe also makes it very easy to put together and dismantle.

I was not overly happy with the centre pole load spreader supplied by Boscoyo or Holidaycoro (very small and did not fit Aussie pipe tightly). I decided to buy an Umbrella Market stand and place my galvanised pipe into the stand (stand came with different size bushes).

View attachment 16998

Also using the Umbrella stand I could shift the tree quite easy as it just sat on top of the lawn. This actually worked well and kept the tree sturdy. I also attached to the topper 3 guy wires. These guy wires came with the Boscoyo mega tree kit. You can also purchase all the fittings for guywires at Bunnings. No, I don’t have shares in Bunnings.




View attachment 16999


I purchased some Boscoyo pixel strip and used these on the Holidaycoro topper. The Boscoyo strips with zip ties are so easy to attach to the topper. I then just used tent pegs to hold the Boscoyo strips into the ground.

All in all, it was easy to do. I had never seen a mega tree in real life previously. So, my ideas on a mega tree were limited.

After seeing a large mega tree for the first time last year, I decided to make my mega tree 24 x 50 pixels for 2021. I liked the idea of having the strips a little further apart at the top and a little bit closer on the bottom compared to 2020.

I purchased the smaller mega tree topper from Booy on this forum (Standard 25mm flanges did not fit) Purchased (Not available at Bunnings) some different galvanised flanges to attach to Booy’s topper. Only 6mm bolts would fit through the slots I used to attach the flanges.



View attachment 17000









So just thought I would share for all the non-handypersons an idea for their mega tree.
Thanks for the thread, really helps as I’m a noob trying to build my first tree.
I too bought the Booy topper, I don’t suppose you could tell me what size the different flanges are and also were you able to source them from a hardware or had to go to a specialist?
Thanks
 

Thor

New elf
Joined
Dec 8, 2018
Messages
20
I actually did get the flanges from a flanges supplier. I just took the booy topper and they found me a flanges that fitted. It was the same price as a Bunnings one. I can give you more info when I get home if you like.
 

Bigred1978

New elf
Joined
Jan 1, 2021
Messages
11
I actually did get the flanges from a flanges supplier. I just took the booy topper and they found me a flanges that fitted. It was the same price as a Bunnings one. I can give you more info when I get home if you like.
All good , I ended up drilling holes in the Bunnings flanges to suit the booy topper.
Thanks though. Biggest problem now is finding enough j bolts! Went to 3 different Bunnings, ended up having to order some in from supplier
 

Freman

Uh Oh Elf
Generous elf
Joined
Aug 9, 2021
Messages
118
Using a galvanised formwork prop, this provides me with a 1.85 - 3.35m heavy duty pole.
Looks like they have a 3.8 metre version which is *just* long enough for me. Failing that I found a tv antenna pole that goes to 40 ft on gumtree but that seems excessive :D I was hoping I could find something I could winch up and down (one of those ASAP poles and I suppose you could do that with a formwork pole, you just get pins that you can lock it into place with...

I don't suppose you can get me the measurements of the holes in that formwork prop?

I have to figure out how to get one home, bunnings don't actually have one in stock have to get it from totaltools.
 
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