Mega Tree Center Pole Material

[NogginBoink]

What is everyone using for the center pole of their megatree?

I went to Lowes last night and found that despite all the warnings here on the board, PVC is awfully attractive from a price standpoint.

I can get 10' of 3" diameter PVC for $6.50.

Steel pipe is ~$20 for 10 foot (and it's not 3"!)

Rigid electrical conduit is about the same cost as steel pipe.

I was unable to find any aluminum tubing that might be appropriate.

So, $12 would get me a twenty foot PVC pole, where I'd have to spend $40 to get the same length steel pole.

[zaker]

My 11' mega tree is inside my school, but it is made of steel pipe, nice to have a welding shop..

PVC will crack at a joint if there is enough stress, doesn't have enough lateral strength. Guide wires will be needed for 20', it will snap right at the joint if it flexes.

Steel pipe doesn't have to be 3" diameter, unless you're trying to feed the wires through it.

I haven't made one at home yet, but I am in Northeast PA, and it would be too cold/windy to rely on a PVC pole. I will go steel pole when I make mine.

Tom

[jmelvin]

What I did with my mega tree pole was use 2 pieces of pipe one 10' 1" 1/4 piece with a 10' 1" piece slid inside to stiffen it up. Then I drove a 4' 1" piece 2 feet into the ground and slid the 10 foot pole over that which gave me a 12' mega tree that is quit rigid.

[Wayne J]

I used a 10' length of 3" pvc with a 1 1/2 extension for mine. The extension has a collar on it that goes down into the 3" to strengthen it. I still have to add my guy wires in the middle of the tree.

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[wjohn]

Wayne, Nice Job

[NogginBoink]

Holy popups, batman!

[qhatcher]

I built my pole out of 14' of 1 1/2" EMT. Plus 2 3/8" support wires. The pipe cost 13.90 for 10' plus another 5.00 for a coupling and connector.

[opcode1300]

What is everyone using for the center pole of their megatree?

I went to Lowes last night and found that despite all the warnings here on the board, PVC is awfully attractive from a price standpoint.

I can get 10' of 3" diameter PVC for $6.50.

Steel pipe is ~$20 for 10 foot (and it's not 3"!)

Rigid electrical conduit is about the same cost as steel pipe.

I was unable to find any aluminum tubing that might be appropriate.

So, $12 would get me a twenty foot PVC pole, where I'd have to spend $40 to get the same length steel pole.

the thick wall PVC will work , you will need some guide wires though PVC flexes quite a bit at 20 feet , i hooked my guide wires (3) right above the joint to ease the stress on the joint.

[TED]

What is everyone using for the center pole of their megatree?

I do not have a mega tree but if I did I would not use PVC. I would use the steel pipe.

So, $12 would get me a twenty foot PVC pole, where I'd have to spend $40 to get the same length steel pole.

Consider this. If you have some strong winds in mid-December and your PVC pole breaks causing your tree fall over and sustain a lot of damage would it have been worth $28 to prevent it? Even worse what if your PVC pole breaks and a visitor to the display is injured? Isn't it worth $28 to prevent that?

TED

[Elmo2resc]

I used upper chain link fence post. They come in 10' pieces and are tapered down on one end so you can slide them over each other to make it longer. I think it was like 8 and change at home depot. Jerome