Any ideas on making smooth rings/circles for a megatree?

[ags0000]

I will be constructing a megatree this year, larger than before (20' tall). One design element/idea requires rings of various diameter to support the lights. I have an idea that standard 1/2" or 3/4" EMT (electrical metallic tubing) would be a good material (for rigidity, workability, smoothness and cost) but I would need to be able to bend it properly.

My first idea is to create a form and bend around that. The current design requires rings in 14', 10', 6' and 2' diameters. I can join shorter sections with couplings, but wonder how I'll get a nice smooth bend. I do have a manual conduit bender, but don't think that will work very well for such large (long) continuous bends.

I thought I'd toss this out to folks that may be more well-versed in other trades: is there a machine (like a brake, but different) that a metal shop would have that would make this easy(ier)? I'd happily farm out the work to get a really nice job (since I'll be reusing them for many years, I hope) if the cost is reasonable (I'd be happy to pay on the order of $100 for this).

Any ideas? Thanks.

[chelmuth]

Get 3 big pulleys.. mount 2 to something solid and put the third off center in between the 2 others attached to something that you can adjust back and fourth and as you tighten it closer in towards the other two push the conduit back and forth until you get the ring size you want..

something like this http://www.metalcraftmachinery.com/Ring-Rollers/4000KG/index.htm

[kychristmas]

My Base Ring is made of 3/4 Grey PVC conduit. It is three equal sections and it forms a perfect circle. Metal may cause false tripping of the GFIs

[ags0000]

Get 3 big pulleys.. mount 2 to something solid and put the third off center in between the 2 others attached to something that you can adjust back and fourth and as you tighten it closer in towards the other two push the conduit back and forth until you get the ring size you want..

something like this http://www.metalcraftmachinery.com/Ring-Rollers/4000KG/index.htm

Yes, that's just the type of forming machine that I thought existed somewhere. I'd rather pay a journeyman to do this task than purchase and store the equipment - and in this case the DIY would be on something else less frustrating...

Thanks for the reply.

[ags0000]

My Base Ring is made of 3/4 Grey PVC conduit. It is three equal sections and it forms a perfect circle. Metal may cause false tripping of the GFIs

I may be overly optimistic, but unless I have some leak in my 5v LEDs I do hope there isn't any fault large enough to trip a GFCI.

Also, I will be supporting a good amount of weight (hundreds of pounds) so I ruled out the PVC as not rigid enough. It would be hard to create perfect circles as the diameter decreases to as small as 2' - although then I could use couplings for a linear-approximation of a circle.

[boyelroy11]

If you want to do your rings out of metal, look up a race car fab shop, or a custom motorcycle shop in your area. Either should have equipment similar to the picture that Cory posted. They should be able to knock them out relatively inexpensively, and probably while you waited. Take cash ;)

Bruce

[ags0000]

I'll be looking for a fabrication house soon. I wonder if the boys at OCC or WCC have spare time? :-)

[mikeh65]

When I made my arches the were out of conduit. To get the long continuous bend I wanted I took them to an awning maker. They used 1" and less diameter stock to make the awnings and could handle the stock I wanted to use. I provided the material they did the work. Cost was around $200, but that was for eight arches all the same size and shape.

[Jack Stevens]

Take a look at this tool.

http://www.harborfreight.com/gear-driven-ring-roller-36790.html

It may fill your need. Looks fairly small and easy to store.

[Andy.wpg]

I'll be looking for a fabrication house soon. I wonder if the boys at OCC or WCC have spare time? :-)

Oh, I wouldn't use OCC, all you would get is an argument between Paul and Paul Jr. on the best way to bend it! :)

[rstehle]

Take a look at this tool.

http://www.harborfreight.com/gear-driven-ring-roller-36790.html

It may fill your need. Looks fairly small and easy to store.

I don't think that one will work for tubing, I have one for bending 1/4" steel. But, I think this one (http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=tubing+roller) may work for you though. I entertained the same idea earlier in the year, and it was really difficult to fine someone that would/could bend conduit into a perfect circle. Most of the metalwork places here wouldn't take in outside product to bend.......:confused:

[ErnieHorning]

I didn't write it but here's a nice 'How To" on making a cheap ring roller.

And the link I got it from in case it fall off the web. http://www.msbn.com/Art/SV_Shop_Ring_Roller.pdf

[ags0000]

Thanks for the tubing bender/roller ideas. If I can't find someone locally to do this precisely with professional equipment, at a fair price, I'll be giving it a shot myself.

[Skunberg]

http://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-roller-99736.html

I think this is what people had in mind. Tubing bender.

[kostyun]

http://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-roller-99736.html

I think this is what people had in mind. Tubing bender.

That's the one that I've been using!!

Quite handy in fact - here's where the new and rebuilt ring is at. This is the first start of it (It is now almost done!!!) and breaks down into 8 - 8 3/4 ' sections. Once I receive the SPT2 and ends, I'll start to be wiring the base up, with all of the actual boxes + wiring + cat5 all wired into place. The tube is 1/2" square tubing, and has been rolled to a roughly 70 ft circle (22 ft diameter) 3/8" pins are welded into one side of the metal, and then it is drilled on the other side so I can pull 16 cotter pins, and disassemble and store the base.

11630

[ags0000]

If that's the base of your megatree then I think you are the official winner this year...

I picked up the tubing bender at a local HF retail store and it works great with EMT. Thanks for the recommendations.

[kostyun]

If that's the base of your megatree then I think you are the official winner this year...

I picked up the tubing bender at a local HF retail store and it works great with EMT. Thanks for the recommendations.

Yes, that's the mega tree base - will be topping out 62-65' this year - all LED's

[ags0000]

Wow. Any pictures of that (or previous versions similar in size) with a person or some other recognizable item in the frame for perspective? That must be a really bold display element. Do you have other items or just the megaMegaTree?

[ErnieHorning]

Any pictures of that (or previous versions similar in size) with a person or some other recognizable item in the frame for perspective?Won't the recognizable car in the background do? It looks like two will fit end to end inside the base.

[budude]

Won't the recognizable car in the background do? It looks like two will fit end to end inside the base.

And the white patches (aka bondo) on the car are where Frank walked into it with some of the tubing! ;)

[ags0000]

Won't the recognizable car in the background do? It looks like two will fit end to end inside the base.

I meant completed, lit, and in the dark...

[LabRat]

And the white patches (aka bondo) on the car are where Frank walked into it with some of the tubing! ;)

No. I think those are bullet holes from the "Blow Mold Crew" three streets over. They did a "drive by" after Frank's tower was seen as upstaging their efforts.

[CaptKirk]

For a mega tree that large, is the required paperwork with the FAA very difficult to fill out??

[ErnieHorning]

FAA is a government agency so by the time they get around to it, Christmas will be over and the tower will be down. Tower... what tower?

[CaptKirk]

Ahhh- makes sense. Just don't mind the pile of aircraft parts ripped off in flight. :-D

[mlkren]

Ahhh- makes sense. Just don't mind the pile of aircraft parts ripped off in flight. :-D

I'm sure it will have a least one red blinking light on it. :)

[kostyun]

1. Yes, it does have a red blinky light on top (Rudolph crashed one night)
2. Yes, that's my POS junk car in the background. At some point I need to paint it (I have the paint, I've patched the shopping cart dings, etc) just need a free weekend to do the final sand out and spray.
3. FAA? Thankfully there's a eucalyptus tree across the street that is even taller - but not by much.
4. Video? Sure - this was from 2 years ago - so it has gone up 2 last year, and then the additional 12 this year + the 4' base increase.
5. Size idea: The star on top of the mega tree is 8 sided. and is also 6' tall, using 80 feet of ropelight!


http://vimeo.com/8070922