Flag Pole Star - looking for ideas

[rrowan]

Hi Folks,

2nd post here. After reading most on this site and trying to figure out how I would like to start out. For the first go around, I plan to use a Grinch board. I will start out small and just add to my current light show (next year of course). Mini trees, some lights on the house. One thing I really need to change is the star on the backyard flag pole. Its a small star about 2' high on a wire frame with C9 bulbs. I am looking for something in the 5' range and BRIGHT to be able to run up the flag pole.

What material should I use to make the star? Stay with C9's or something else? Static light or Grinch controlled?
Not sure if I'll stay with the 5 point star or something different.
I was looking at some shooting stars that were nice also.

Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed.

Many thanks

Rick

[Mudsculpter]

Get some white rope light on sale at the end of this season and try it out.

[rrowan]

Get some white rope light on sale at the end of the season this and try it out.

Thanks for the info.

Question will rope lights be bright enough from about 150' away?

Thanks again

Rick R.

[Wayne J]

Get some white rope light on sale at the end of the season this and try it out.

Thanks for the info.

Question will rope lights be bright enough from about 150' away?

Thanks again

Rick R.

Rope light is pretty bright. I use it on top of my house.

[wjohn]

Light rope is good, I have lots. Also, I tried WHITE LEDs this year on a star, the effect was great. the WHITE is very BRIGHT.

[rrowan]

Thanks Wayne J and wjohn

What is a good material to build the star?

Wood?
PVC?
Metal?
??

I can't weld (Doctor won't let me - pacemaker)

Thanks again

Rick R

[Macrosill]

If you can not weld have a fabricator do it for you or as an alternative I would suggest PVC.

[JEEPGUY]

rrowan,

Use 1/4 steel rod. It's thick enough to stay rigid at that size but thin enough to bend without having to heat it with an acetelene torch. Once it's bent weld the two ends and weld an eyelet to the top to run it up the flag pole. Paint it and zip tie your lights. For 5 foot high star you'll probably need 18 or 21 ft of rod. If you're using rope light keep your overall circumference of the star to 18 19.5 or 21 ft so you can keep to the 18" length rule on rope lights so you don't end up with overlap or having to use black tape to darken it.

I'm making some shooting stars right now for next year.

[wjohn]

Thanks Wayne J and wjohn

What is a good material to build the star?

Wood?
PVC?
Metal?
??

I can't weld (Doctor won't let me - pacemaker)

Thanks again

Rick R

WAyne is an expert welder, (he makes race cars), so his will be a professional opinion.

I used BOC brazing gas (yellow bottles), and 6mm steel rod. The MAPP gas was easy to use and work with. My star was about4 feet tall.

I would have liked to try some 4mm rod (or 3mm) with the LEDs, as they are so lite.

[rrowan]

Thanks Wayne J and wjohn

What is a good material to build the star?

Wood?
PVC?
Metal?
??

I can't weld (Doctor won't let me - pacemaker)

Thanks again

Rick R

WAyne is an expert welder, (he makes race cars), so his will be a professional opinion.

I used BOC brazing gas (yellow bottles), and 6mm steel rod. The MAPP gas was easy to use and work with. My star was about4 feet tall.

I would have liked to try some 4mm rod (or 3mm) with the LEDs, as they are so lite.

Thanks wjohn, jeepguy and macrosill

I was wondering about mapp gas, I do have a bottle of that.

I am thinking a two tone rope light star (white, blue?) now to finish the star design and put one (or more) together. If that works out well then other shapes. Wife wants snowflakes and the large prebuilt ones are very $$$

Thanks again

Rick R.

[cruizer]

WAyne is an expert welder, (he makes race cars), so his will be a professional opinion.

I used BOC brazing gas (yellow bottles), and 6mm steel rod. The MAPP gas was easy to use and work with. My star was about4 feet tall.

I would have liked to try some 4mm rod (or 3mm) with the LEDs, as they are so lite.

How did you attach the pieces of your star together?

[Wayne J]

If you use 1/8" steel rod for your frames, brazing would be the way to go since you cannot use a welder. You can also use steel rod with a torch to weld, much stronger than brazing. The only difference is, brazing is somewhat like soldering, it mostly just 'adhesion' where as welding, would actully fuse the parts together with filler. Your choice, as the exact same equipment does both.