The 2010 Spiral Mega Tree Project
Here is a video taken of our new 2010 Spiral Tree in operation at Belardo Lights! It has 4 colors of lights (Red, White, Green and Blue) and is 10 feet tall.
Check out the story and pictures below to see how we built it...
In 2010, the new Spiral Tree will be one of our favorite decorations.
As you can see from the mockup pictured above, the spiral tree will consist of 16 vertical cables extending from the ground to the top collar. The red ribbon
in the mockup shows how a typical light string will be installed. There will be 32 strings of 4 colors wrapped in a spiral around the cables, for a total of 128 strings
of lights. The spiraling effects of the various lights will be beautiful, and we will make them dance with our controllers!
Another view of the spiral tree mockup. Each of the light strings will be 17 feet long and wrap one-and-a-half times around the cables from the
top to bottom of the structure. The collar that is shown at the top will actually be fastened around the upper trunk of the real tree that is in our front yard.
Here is a top view of the mockup. The collar is sized just right for the tree and clamps right around the upper trunk. It will be mounted at a
height of 12 feet, and the various light strings will attach to the top via the hooks and cable ties. The next photo below shows how the top was sized and constructed.
Here's a photo of the spiral tree top under construction. Each of the 16 hooks has been welded symmetrically around the circumference, and
the clamping mechanism is in place on the rear. The spiral tree top was sized to diameter of the tree trunk at that height.
In this photo, the spiral tree top is completed. The welds are cleaned up and smoothed over on the back side, and the whole thing has been given a good
cost of paint. The tape measure gives an idea about the scale of the finished product.
Above the spiral tree, a "topper" will be clamped to the tree that consists of several concentric stars that can be animated with our controllers.
After searching the internet for a pattern that looked interesting, we find something and draw it out on butcher paper with the patterns for the lights. A similar pattern is used by
Richard Holdman and others in their displays. After getting the pattern figured out, then we tape the pattern over the piece of coroplast, and punch the holes with a scratch awl as
outlined in other projects.
The lights in coro look the best when they have a spacing of 0.6" to 0.8" or so. Larger figures can use a light spacing of 1 inch and look good.
But if you put the lights in the coro too close together, then it gets more difficult to install them.
Now we install the lights into the coro. To get ready for this activity, we built up some special LED lights that are the exact length with none
left over. This involves constructing special rectifiers, and current limiting resistors. Once that is out of the way, then we can start installing lights.
The star as shown is one channel on the controllers. The other unfilled triangles represent the second channel, and the "spikes" represent the third channel. Movement can be
simulated by using the controllers to animate the three sets of lights that make up the star.
Next up we construct a bracket to go around the upper tree trunk that will support the spiral tree topper coro. The topper bracket was constructed
with some clamps to attach it to the tree. You can also see the bolts that protrude on the front to attach to the coroplast star. Everything is coming together and looking great.
Here's a photo of the completed topper with all the lights turned on. You can see the two rubber grommets on the front where the topper is
attached to the bracket.
Here is a side view of the completed topper and coro star attached. We're ready for installation! The Spiral Tree and Star tree topper, only at
Belardo Lights!!!
Here is a photo showing what the installation and construction of the Belardo Lights Spiral Tree looks like. The cables are in place and one wrap of
blue and green lights has been installed.
Here is a side view of the installation of the spiral tree showing one wrap of blue and green lights over the cables.
It took awhile, but here is a photo of the spiral tree after all the blue and green lights are wrapped. That would be 64 strings of 50ct
C6 LED lights, and that many more to go in Red and White...Those will spiral in the opposite direction.
Finally, after 3 days, all the lights are wrapped on the spiral tree. A total of 6,500 lights, 128 strings of 50ct LEDs in 4 colors...
Testing went well after all the lights were on and wrapped, and the 64 wires were cut, crimped, and installed to connect to the controllers...
You've just got to come by and see the new Spiral Tree in 2010 at Belardo Lights!!! It's pretty special and a real crowd pleaser...