Mega Tree Strands....

[Superfreak3]

Hi all,

I thought there was a post on here somewhere with some good mega tree 'mega strand' ideas. I have a three color tree and I'm wondering what the best method would be to create three color combined strands. I was wondering if a loose weave would do. I just want something that will keep the 3 stings todether so they won't sag, etc.

Again I thought I had found a post in the past with some good ideas, but I'm coming up empty in my search.

I guess I could just stretch them out and use wire ties. :D

Any ideas would be appreciated!

[kychristmas]

I sat my son down in front of the TV. We un-wound the three strands and lined up the last lamp in each of the strands. Then simply wire-tied them together along the strand. No weave or anything. We placed a wire tie approximately every 3 feet.


I did this for my midi-tree strands as well.

[dmcole]

Somewhere -- I suspect on PlanetChristmas.com -- I watched a video of two guys making megastrands. They used a power drill, a hand jig, tables, chairs. But they had really nice, tight strands.

I, on the other hand, didn't have the patience for all that. I tied the three strands to the knob of the door at the far end of the garage and kept the strands in bunches, rotating them one by one while walking backwards.

Depending upon my patience level, I either made fairly nice, tight strands and really loose strands that I helped along with zip ties.

While duct tape may be the velcro that holds the universe together, there would be no Christmas lights without zip ties.

\dmc

[hutchijw]

1111

[dnesci]

Mine are three color and they are a loose weave. I use a cable tie at each end. As all the string are from the same manufacturer and the same length, the sockets lined up together just fine.

I one were ever to fail, I would just unweave. I bought a few extra of each color for this potential problem. Additionally, I made up two extra for a quick replacement during the season if there were a failure.

[mikentn]

I'm doing a 3-color megatree myself this year. I saw one method where the person doing a 4-color tree laid out three strands and then used the fourth to wrap around the other three, then zip-tied at both ends. Me, I think I'm going to zip-tie both ends, and then zip tie the strand around a cable thimble in the middle (I'm using cable thimbles where the lights will go over the hooks to protect the wiring).

[sdrose65]

Jeff Ostroff of lauderdalechristmas.com had a video a couple years ago where he used a length of PVC pipe with a couple swivel pulleys attached to it then had that attached to a drill. the free ends of the lights were attached to what looks like a tripod at the end of the driveway. While slowly spinning the lights an assistant was helping twist the light strands along the length of the strings. Here's a video, I just happened to be watching last night.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypd28..._safety_mode=1

Hope this helps
Steve Rose

[Skunberg]

I have 1/16 cable with thimbles on each end and zip tie the lights to the cable. Superstrings I've heard them called.

[grandlakedad]

Try this web address http://www.lauderdalechristmas.com/how-to.htm
Scroll to the bottom of the page and under Power Point Presentations click on
How To Build A Christmas Mega Tree, once the file open's scroll towards the bottom of the power point.