New Arches for this year - Lights, Lights, Lights! Read Only. No more posting. - PlanetChristmas! Forums. Read Only. We've moved to http://talk.planetchristmas.com - The Forums of PlanetChristmas have moved to http://talk.PlanetChristmas.com
not sure how they will turn out. waiting for the solvant to go off and then will wrap 800 led lights in sets of 100 and the daisey chain them together for 1 channel.
will update pics tomorrow when lights are on and fixed.
I did these type over my front walk this year. Everyone loved them. Even had folks come over and take pictures for next years Christmas cards under them.
Those are nice. I did something similar over my driveway. I used a 45 degree elbow at the top to get the point. I wanted to try 90's but my driveway is about 20 feet wide in some spots.
I'll be watching from Southend On Sea, Essex.
How will you mount them to the ground without swaying/leaning over?
Least I know I can get the parts your using!!!!
Pete.
Last edited on Sunday January 20th, 2008 04:59 pm by Peter B
Pete, I know this wasn't directed to me but we get 60-70 MPH winds here in Central Texas in Nov and Dec. I used 1/2 conduit, feet long, pounded about 1.5 foot into the ground and slipped the PVC over the top of the conduit. They held up fine. So something like that should work for those of you in the UK.
Marilyn
____________________ Marilyn Caron
The Christmas Lady
nanac1 wrote: Pete, I know this wasn't directed to me but we get 60-70 MPH winds here in Central Texas in Nov and Dec. I used 1/2 conduit, feet long, pounded about 1.5 foot into the ground and slipped the PVC over the top of the conduit. They held up fine. So something like that should work for those of you in the UK.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
That's why I like these forums, everyone is willing to share their ideas,from all over the world!
Many thanks,
Pete Getting in the mood
Ps: Please take a look at my other post under lights lights lights. I'm after the plastic globes.
Nope that isn't ropelight. It's NOMA brand garland lights with the big mini bulbs on them. I found them on Ebay a few years back. Bought two cases of the red and white and two cases of the blue and white. They work perfectly for the arches because they are nine foot long. One string per arch side. Only problem is they are power hungry, each arch (two sets) takes 1.9 amps. I have these five over the walk and 10 arches done in blue and white surrounding my nativity. They do give a wonderful look though so doubt I will change them out, unless I go with LED rope light and use two colors.
Marilyn
____________________ Marilyn Caron
The Christmas Lady
jfelix wrote: Those are nice. I did something similar over my driveway. I used a 45 degree elbow at the top to get the point. I wanted to try 90's but my driveway is about 20 feet wide in some spots.
Metal conduit (almost as cheap as PVC pipe) works great with 20 ft wide arches. I use 3/4 inch for spaces that was 11 to 15 ft wide and 1 inch metal conduit supports 16 to 28 ft wide quite nicely. If you can get 20 ft solid pieces you are great but with a pipe bender and compression fittings to merge things... with the pipe bender leave things slightly less then 90 degrees so they somewhat arch upwards to support weight and you can do just about everything with metal conduit that you can with PVC except its rigid, strong, reliable in wind storms.
It's pouring rain right now. I will get out there later and get the measurements for you. I do know that to put the bells and bows at the top, I have to stand on the step right next to the top of a 6 foot ladder to reach. You know the step they tell you NOT to stand on?
Marilyn
OK here's the measurements. side is 74 1/2 inches from bottom to corner of 45 degree elbow, 46 inches from 45 degree corner to center of 90 degree elbow. Center height is 107 3/4. I did not glue my connections because I wanted them to come apart for storage. Only had one joint come apart and that was in 70 MPH winds. Wasn't a problem at all and they store very easily taken apart.
Last edited on Monday January 21st, 2008 06:17 pm by nanac1
____________________ Marilyn Caron
The Christmas Lady
Had a nightmare, used solvant weld on the joints. left for 24hours.
picked it up and it fell to bits. went and got the press on joints with the rubber inserts. changed the joints and the pot riverted the joints. added 1 string of LED to get a idea of the finished look.
will put on the other 7 sets tomorrow and cut off control boxs and link them together. to finish
Had just completed wrapping my first arch and was just about to start the wiring process when the wife came in to the workshop and said that it would look poor in the daytime as it just looked like a PVC pipe with lights wrapped around it.
Stepped away from the project for a week and then went back with a new idea and below are the pics of my first completed arch with 800 LED all wired up and working.
I get my arch and the wife gets something that will look O.K in the daylight.
Just another 7 to go in different colours. what do you think of the first one.
Last edited on Saturday February 2nd, 2008 03:50 pm by yyx99
nanac1 wrote: I did these type over my front walk this year. Everyone loved them. Even had folks come over and take pictures for next years Christmas cards under them.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
I love your arches! What type of lights did you use on them?
They are called big bulb garland lights by Noma. Each set is nine foot long, red and white. They are perfect for arches, one per side. I also have them in blue and white on the arches by my nativity. No wrapping, nothing, just zip tie them to the PVC. They are a mini shaped bulb but wider and longer than a regular mini. Got two cases of the red and white and two cases of the blue and white on Ebay.
The only thing bad about them is the .9 amps per set. That makes each arch 1.8 amps. Between the blue/white sets on 10 arches, the rope light on the nativity and the two ice trees which each pull 6 amps, and the choir, angels and other pieces in the arches, my nativity area drew just about 40 amps in 2007, but I loved it and so did everyone else.
Marilyn
Last edited on Sunday February 3rd, 2008 04:15 am by nanac1
____________________ Marilyn Caron
The Christmas Lady
Getting in the mood
