doityourselfchristmas.com - User contributions [en]

7' Singing Snowman

2018-08-24T14:52:19Z

TomL8345:

''Building on the method I used for the StarFlake Spinner, I am adding two 7' Singing Snowmen to my Display.''

[[File:Singing Pixel Snowman-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Front-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Back-640.jpg]]

'''Bill of Materials'''

ADS Polyethylene Coil 3/4" 100 PSI pipe - (approx 20 Feet)

3/4-in Dia Coupling Plastic Coil Fitting (3)

2" Sched 40 PVC Pipe - (10 Feet)

2-in x 1-1/2-in dia PVC Schedule 40 Double Sanitary Tee Fitting - (1)

2" dia PVC Cap Fitting - (1)

2" to 3/4" PVC adapter - (2)

ProConnex 3/4-in EMT Connectors - (2)

Metallic 3/4" Emt 10-ft Conduit - (2)

Boscoyo Pixel Strips - (approximately 6)

Boscoyo ChromaTrim - (4)

Zip Ties - 4" - hundreds, 8" - a lot, 11" - more than you might think

Boscoyo ChromaFace - (1)

Boscoyo ChromaHatMatrix Small - (1)

----

I started my design by creating a Custom Coro face and hat, I worked with Boscoyo Studios to have these produced. They now have both available on their website the ChromaFace [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=272&zenid=73q403d8ivdigvpj5vbj0emih6] and ChromaHatMatrix Small [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=87].

[[File:Face and Hat-640.jpg]]

I then built the head and two spinners using 3/4" ADS plastic water pipe 100 PSI, and Boscoyo Pixel Strips. The head was designed to have an 18" opening to fit the ChromaFace, spinner 1 (middle section of the body) to be 24", and Spinner 2 (lower body) to be 30" in diameter each. When you are calculating the circumference for each section of pipe keep in mind the formula '''C=π*d''' calculates to the center of the pipe. If you want the '''opening''' to be 18" exactly, you need to calculate for a circle of 18 '''+ dia of pipe''', or in this case 18.75", 24.75", 30.75". This requires the ADS to be cut to 59", 77.75", and 94.25" approx. Each length of the tube is joined into a circle with the Coil Pipe Coupler. I found it easier to heat the ADS with my heat-shrink gun to expand it slightly and ease installation of the fitting, however, care needs to be taken not to overheat the pipe and have it lose its shape and strength. Once the hoops are formed install the ChromaFace in the smallest hoop. I simply drilled 1/8" holes in 4 places around the section of pipe and in the CoroFace and fastened them together with Zip-ties.

[[File:Spinner1 - 640.jpg]]

For the Spinners make sure the hoop is close to round. Layout a section of Pixel Strip with one hole centered in the hoop and enough strip to wrap around the pipe on both sides, this will be your cut length for the rest of the pixel strips for that spinner, cut 7 more strips to this length for a total of 8. I found it best to find the center of all 8 pixel strips and insert a bolt through them all with a nut to hold it in place. This simplifies the process of mounting the strips on the hoops by keeping everything aligned and held together.

[[File:Fasten Strip to Hoop-640.jpg]]

Zip Tie the strips to themselves around the hoop on each end. Care must be taken to '''NOT OVER TIGHTEN''' the strips on the hoop, or you risk deforming the hoop out of a flat plane. I also drilled 1/8" holes through the ADS pipe and Pixel Strips to create any anchor holes that I needed. I found it best to loosely attach ALL the pixel strips until everything was attached, then to work my way around the circle tightening being careful not to overtighten.

''Both the Pixel Strips and ADS Pipe held their strength and shape nicely when being drilled multiple times in the same region, do not be afraid to drill either of these materials to create anchor points.''

'''Once the Spinners and Face are constructed it is time to install the pixels in each section; Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner2. Each section had its own challenges.'''

[[File:Enlarging Holes-640.jpg]]

I planned on laying the Hat over the top of the Face, but the hat was drilled for bullet pixels and I wanted to use square pixels to minimize their profile on the back, so I got out my spade bit and drilled out the back to work. I also ended up using a sharp chisel to clean up the back side of the coro. Not wanting to drill out the entire Hat, I switched to bullet pixels after the 1st two rows.

[[File:Snowman Face - 640.jpg]] [[File:Face Outline-640.jpg]]

[[File:Pixel mounted to ADS front-300.jpg]] [[File:Pixel mounted to ADS Back-300.jpg]]

The Face had the pre-drilled holes for the mouth and eyes, but I also wanted a circle outline. I decided on a base of 24 evenly placed lights around the ADS hoop surrounding the Face. I then eliminated the top 5 pixels, as that was where the Hat was going to be attached. So I had a circle of 19 pixels going from approx 1 O'clock to 11 O'clock on the hoop. I used bullet pixels in the coro for the mouth and eyes and switched to square pixels again for the outline due to the lower profile. After populating both the hat and face with pixels, I drilled holes through the Coro of the Hat and the ADS pipe of the Face and connected the two together using stainless steel bolts and nuts. This joint is further reinforced when the Spine is added to the Prop. ''If I were to do this project again, I would rework the Face & Hat with Boscoyo to be 1 piece and include the pixel outline around the face.
''

[[File:Spinner Wiring diag-640.jpg]]

Wiring the two spinners as shown above eliminated the need for me to splice lengths of wire between pixels at the wide end of the Rays. Since I was mounting pixels directly to the ADS pipe I again went with square pixels, but when I got to the center ring that I was using, the Square Pixels were to tight together to fit. I ended up splicing in a couple of bullet pixels for the center ring so everything would fit.

Of course, also wire the connectors for Power Injection connections at the appropriate spots. ''Since I am using 5V for these snowmen, I have done PI at the beginning and end of each component, Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner 2. They are all 100 pixels +/- and I am not running all pixels on Full White. Spinner2 I did my PI point about 25 pixels from the end and then spliced on the 50 pixels used for the various arm positions.
''

Once each individual component is completed and checked out, it is time to begin Assembly.

[[File:Joining the Hoops-640.jpg]]

[[File:Ready for Spine-640.jpg]]

I started by joining the hoops between the Head and Spinner1, and Spinner1 and Spinner2 using 8 inch zip ties for strength. I laid the components out with their basic connections on a flat surface to get ready for the Spine. The Spine consists of a length of 2" PVC pipe cut into 3 sections (48", 34", and 38"). The 48 and 34" pieces are joined together using the Double Sanitary Tee Fitting and topped with a cap, this fitting creates the Shoulders for the attachment of the arms.

[[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

The EMT Connectors are screwed into the 2" to 3/4" PVC adapters which are glued into each side of the Double Tee Fitting. ''The Arms will be assembled and installed shortly.'' Once this basic Spine is assembled lay it down the center of the back of the Snowman.

[[File:Attaching Head to Spine-640.jpg]]

[[File:Final Spinner Attachment to Spine-640.jpg]]

Zip ties were used to fasten the hoops to the Spine at every point the Hoops and Spine crossed. ''Since I was laying on a lot of wiring for the pixels I cut some blocks of Closed Cell Foam I had for spacers between the spine and hoop, I am sure a wooden block would work as well.
''

[[File:Spine attached-640.jpg]]

Cinch each zip tie tight and drill 4 holes in the hat to accommodate two crossed zip ties at the top of the Spine. Once the Hat, Head, and Spinners are securely fastened to the spine, take the remaining piece of 2" PVC and attach to the base of the spine and Spinner 2, this is help keep the Snowman from twisting too much in the wind.

[[File:Componets for Arms-640.jpg]] [[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

Each arm consists of three pieces of 1/2" metallic EMT conduit 27", 25", 24" long. Flatten the ends of the upper and lower arms as well as the attachment point on the middle arm using a metal vice,''It can be done with a Hammer if needed.'', and drill a hole for a stainless steel bolt and nut to join the arm segments. Insert the middle arm into the shoulder connector and tighten. Then zip tie the hoop to each arm where they meet, again I used a small piece of foam as a spacer between the hoops and arms to protect my wiring. Once the arms are attached cut the Chromatrim to length, insert your pixels and splice them together.

When completed there are 458 pixels total in this design as built: Hat 73, Face 95, Spinner1 112, Spinner2 128, Arms 50. At the standard power rating of .06A per pixel for Full White, this potentially can pull up to 27.5A max, realistically a lot less.

The Spine was designed to fit over a typical "T" style metal fence post, the second piece of 2" PVC in the base is to go over a piece of rebar inserted in the ground next to the fence post to prevent twisting in the wind.

Contact me on the forum if you have any questions, TomL8345

7' Singing Snowman

2018-08-24T13:31:45Z

TomL8345:

''Building on the method I used for the StarFlake Spinner, I am adding two 7' Singing Snowmen to my Display.''

[[File:Singing Pixel Snowman-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Front-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Back-640.jpg]]

'''Bill of Materials'''

ADS Polyethylene Coil 3/4" 100 PSI pipe - (approx 20 Feet)

3/4-in Dia Coupling Plastic Coil Fitting (3)

2" Sched 40 PVC Pipe - (10 Feet)

2-in x 1-1/2-in dia PVC Schedule 40 Double Sanitary Tee Fitting - (1)

2" dia PVC Cap Fitting - (1)

2" to 3/4" PVC adapter - (2)

ProConnex 3/4-in EMT Connectors - (2)

Metallic 3/4" Emt 10-ft Conduit - (2)

Boscoyo Pixel Strips - (approximately 6)

Boscoyo ChromaTrim - (2)

Zip Ties - 4" - hundreds, 8" - a lot, 11" - more than you might think

Boscoyo ChromaFace - (1)

Boscoyo ChromaHatMatrix Small - (1)

----

I started my design by creating a Custom Coro face and hat, I worked with Boscoyo Studios to have these produced. They now have both available on their website the ChromaFace [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=272&zenid=73q403d8ivdigvpj5vbj0emih6] and ChromaHatMatrix Small [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=87].

[[File:Face and Hat-640.jpg]]

I then built the head and two spinners using 3/4" ADS plastic water pipe 100 PSI, and Boscoyo Pixel Strips. The head was designed to have an 18" opening to fit the ChromaFace, spinner 1 (middle section of the body) to be 24", and Spinner 2 (lower body) to be 30" in diameter each. When you are calculating the circumference for each section of pipe keep in mind the formula '''C=π*d''' calculates to the center of the pipe. If you want the '''opening''' to be 18" exactly, you need to calculate for a circle of 18 '''+ dia of pipe''', or in this case 18.75", 24.75", 30.75". This requires the ADS to be cut to 59", 77.75", and 94.25" approx. Each length of the tube is joined into a circle with the Coil Pipe Coupler. I found it easier to heat the ADS with my heat-shrink gun to expand it slightly and ease installation of the fitting, however, care needs to be taken not to overheat the pipe and have it lose its shape and strength. Once the hoops are formed install the ChromaFace in the smallest hoop. I simply drilled 1/8" holes in 4 places around the section of pipe and in the CoroFace and fastened them together with Zip-ties.

[[File:Spinner1 - 640.jpg]]

For the Spinners make sure the hoop is close to round. Layout a section of Pixel Strip with one hole centered in the hoop and enough strip to wrap around the pipe on both sides, this will be your cut length for the rest of the pixel strips for that spinner, cut 7 more strips to this length for a total of 8. I found it best to find the center of all 8 pixel strips and insert a bolt through them all with a nut to hold it in place. This simplifies the process of mounting the strips on the hoops by keeping everything aligned and held together.

[[File:Fasten Strip to Hoop-640.jpg]]

Zip Tie the strips to themselves around the hoop on each end. Care must be taken to '''NOT OVER TIGHTEN''' the strips on the hoop, or you risk deforming the hoop out of a flat plane. I also drilled 1/8" holes through the ADS pipe and Pixel Strips to create any anchor holes that I needed. I found it best to loosely attach ALL the pixel strips until everything was attached, then to work my way around the circle tightening being careful not to overtighten.

''Both the Pixel Strips and ADS Pipe held their strength and shape nicely when being drilled multiple times in the same region, do not be afraid to drill either of these materials to create anchor points.''

'''Once the Spinners and Face are constructed it is time to install the pixels in each section; Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner2. Each section had its own challenges.'''

[[File:Enlarging Holes-640.jpg]]

I planned on laying the Hat over the top of the Face, but the hat was drilled for bullet pixels and I wanted to use square pixels to minimize their profile on the back, so I got out my spade bit and drilled out the back to work. I also ended up using a sharp chisel to clean up the back side of the coro. Not wanting to drill out the entire Hat, I switched to bullet pixels after the 1st two rows.

[[File:Snowman Face - 640.jpg]] [[File:Face Outline-640.jpg]]

[[File:Pixel mounted to ADS front-300.jpg]] [[File:Pixel mounted to ADS Back-300.jpg]]

The Face had the pre-drilled holes for the mouth and eyes, but I also wanted a circle outline. I decided on a base of 24 evenly placed lights around the ADS hoop surrounding the Face. I then eliminated the top 5 pixels, as that was where the Hat was going to be attached. So I had a circle of 19 pixels going from approx 1 O'clock to 11 O'clock on the hoop. I used bullet pixels in the coro for the mouth and eyes and switched to square pixels again for the outline due to the lower profile. After populating both the hat and face with pixels, I drilled holes through the Coro of the Hat and the ADS pipe of the Face and connected the two together using stainless steel bolts and nuts. This joint is further reinforced when the Spine is added to the Prop. ''If I were to do this project again, I would rework the Face & Hat with Boscoyo to be 1 piece and include the pixel outline around the face.
''

[[File:Spinner Wiring diag-640.jpg]]

Wiring the two spinners as shown above eliminated the need for me to splice lengths of wire between pixels at the wide end of the Rays. Since I was mounting pixels directly to the ADS pipe I again went with square pixels, but when I got to the center ring that I was using, the Square Pixels were to tight together to fit. I ended up splicing in a couple of bullet pixels for the center ring so everything would fit.

Of course, also wire the connectors for Power Injection connections at the appropriate spots. ''Since I am using 5V for these snowmen, I have done PI at the beginning and end of each component, Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner 2. They are all 100 pixels +/- and I am not running all pixels on Full White. Spinner2 I did my PI point about 25 pixels from the end and then spliced on the 50 pixels used for the various arm positions.
''

Once each individual component is completed and checked out, it is time to begin Assembly.

[[File:Joining the Hoops-640.jpg]]

[[File:Ready for Spine-640.jpg]]

I started by joining the hoops between the Head and Spinner1, and Spinner1 and Spinner2 using 8 inch zip ties for strength. I laid the components out with their basic connections on a flat surface to get ready for the Spine. The Spine consists of a length of 2" PVC pipe cut into 3 sections (48", 34", and 38"). The 48 and 34" pieces are joined together using the Double Sanitary Tee Fitting and topped with a cap, this fitting creates the Shoulders for the attachment of the arms.

[[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

The EMT Connectors are screwed into the 2" to 3/4" PVC adapters which are glued into each side of the Double Tee Fitting. ''The Arms will be assembled and installed shortly.'' Once this basic Spine is assembled lay it down the center of the back of the Snowman.

[[File:Attaching Head to Spine-640.jpg]]

[[File:Final Spinner Attachment to Spine-640.jpg]]

Zip ties were used to fasten the hoops to the Spine at every point the Hoops and Spine crossed. ''Since I was laying on a lot of wiring for the pixels I cut some blocks of Closed Cell Foam I had for spacers between the spine and hoop, I am sure a wooden block would work as well.
''

[[File:Spine attached-640.jpg]]

Cinch each zip tie tight and drill 4 holes in the hat to accommodate two crossed zip ties at the top of the Spine. Once the Hat, Head, and Spinners are securely fastened to the spine, take the remaining piece of 2" PVC and attach to the base of the spine and Spinner 2, this is help keep the Snowman from twisting too much in the wind.

[[File:Componets for Arms-640.jpg]] [[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

Each arm consists of three pieces of 1/2" metallic EMT conduit 27", 25", 24" long. Flatten the ends of the upper and lower arms as well as the attachment point on the middle arm using a metal vice,''It can be done with a Hammer if needed.'', and drill a hole for a stainless steel bolt and nut to join the arm segments. Insert the middle arm into the shoulder connector and tighten. Then zip tie the hoop to each arm where they meet, again I used a small piece of foam as a spacer between the hoops and arms to protect my wiring. Once the arms are attached cut the Chromatrim to length, insert your pixels and splice them together.

When completed there are 458 pixels total in this design as built: Hat 73, Face 95, Spinner1 112, Spinner2 128, Arms 50. At the standard power rating of .06A per pixel for Full White, this potentially can pull up to 27.5A max, realistically a lot less.

The Spine was designed to fit over a typical "T" style metal fence post, the second piece of 2" PVC in the base is to go over a piece of rebar inserted in the ground next to the fence post to prevent twisting in the wind.

Contact me on the forum if you have any questions, TomL8345

7' Singing Snowman

2018-08-24T13:30:23Z

TomL8345:

''Building on the method I used for the StarFlake Spinner, I am adding two 7' Singing Snowmen to my Display.''

[[File:Singing Pixel Snowman-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Front-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Back-640.jpg]]

'''Bill of Materials'''

ADS Polyethylene Coil 3/4" 100 PSI pipe - (approx 20 Feet)

3/4-in Dia Coupling Plastic Coil Fitting (3)

2" Sched 40 PVC Pipe - (10 Feet)

2-in x 1-1/2-in dia PVC Schedule 40 Double Sanitary Tee Fitting - (1)

2" dia PVC Cap Fitting - (1)

2" to 3/4" PVC adapter - (2)

ProConnex 3/4-in EMT Connectors - (2)

Metallic 3/4" Emt 10-ft Conduit - (2)

Boscoyo Pixel Strips - (approximately 6)

Boscoyo ChromaTrim - (2)

Zip Ties - 4" - hundreds, 8" - a lot, 11" - more than you might think

Boscoyo ChromaFace - (1)

Boscoyo ChromaHatMatrix Small - (1)

----

I started my design by creating a Custom Coro face and hat, I worked with Boscoyo Studios to have these produced. They now have both available on their website the ChromaFace [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=272&zenid=73q403d8ivdigvpj5vbj0emih6] and ChromaHatMatrix Small [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=87].

[[File:Face and Hat-640.jpg]]

I then built the head and two spinners using 3/4" ADS plastic water pipe 100 PSI, and Boscoyo Pixel Strips. The head was designed to have an 18" opening to fit the ChromaFace, spinner 1 (middle section of the body) to be 24", and Spinner 2 (lower body) to be 30" in diameter each. When you are calculating the circumference for each section of pipe keep in mind the formula '''C=π*d''' calculates to the center of the pipe. If you want the '''opening''' to be 18" exactly, you need to calculate for a circle of 18 '''+ dia of pipe''', or in this case 18.75", 24.75", 30.75". This requires the ADS to be cut to 59", 77.75", and 94.25" approx. Each length of the tube is joined into a circle with the Coil Pipe Coupler. I found it easier to heat the ADS with my heat-shrink gun to expand it slightly and ease installation of the fitting, however, care needs to be taken not to overheat the pipe and have it lose its shape and strength. Once the hoops are formed install the ChromaFace in the smallest hoop. I simply drilled 1/8" holes in 4 places around the section of pipe and in the CoroFace and fastened them together with Zip-ties.

[[File:Spinner1 - 640.jpg]]

For the Spinners make sure the hoop is close to round. Layout a section of Pixel Strip with one hole centered in the hoop and enough strip to wrap around the pipe on both sides, this will be your cut length for the rest of the pixel strips for that spinner, cut 7 more strips to this length for a total of 8. I found it best to find the center of all 8 pixel strips and insert a bolt through them all with a nut to hold it in place. This simplifies the process of mounting the strips on the hoops by keeping everything aligned and held together.

[[File:Fasten Strip to Hoop-640.jpg]]

Zip Tie the strips to themselves around the hoop on each end. Care must be taken to '''NOT OVER TIGHTEN''' the strips on the hoop, or you risk deforming the hoop out of a flat plane. I also drilled 1/8" holes through the ADS pipe and Pixel Strips to create any anchor holes that I needed. I found it best to loosely attach ALL the pixel strips until everything was attached, then to work my way around the circle tightening being careful not to overtighten.

''Both the Pixel Strips and ADS Pipe held their strength and shape nicely when being drilled multiple times in the same region, do not be afraid to drill either of these materials to create anchor points.''

'''Once the Spinners and Face are constructed it is time to install the pixels in each section; Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner2. Each section had its own challenges.'''

[[File:Enlarging Holes-640.jpg]]

I planned on laying the Hat over the top of the Face, but the hat was drilled for bullet pixels and I wanted to use square pixels to minimize their profile on the back, so I got out my spade bit and drilled out the back to work. I also ended up using a sharp chisel to clean up the back side of the coro. Not wanting to drill out the entire Hat, I switched to bullet pixels after the 1st two rows.

[[File:Snowman Face - 640.jpg]] [[File:Face Outline-640.jpg]]

[[File:Pixel mounted to ADS front-300.jpg]] [[File:Pixel mounted to ADS Back-300.jpg]]

The Face had the pre-drilled holes for the mouth and eyes, but I also wanted a circle outline. I decided on a base of 24 evenly placed lights around the ADS hoop surrounding the Face. I then eliminated the top 5 pixels, as that was where the Hat was going to be attached. So I had a circle of 19 pixels going from approx 1 O'clock to 11 O'clock on the hoop. I used bullet pixels in the coro for the mouth and eyes and switched to square pixels again for the outline due to the lower profile. After populating both the hat and face with pixels, I drilled holes through the Coro of the Hat and the ADS pipe of the Face and connected the two together using stainless steel bolts and nuts. This joint is further reinforced when the Spine is added to the Prop. ''If I were to do this project again, I would rework the Face & Hat with Boscoyo to be 1 piece and include the pixel outline around the face.
''

[[File:Spinner Wiring diag-640.jpg]]

Wiring the two spinners as shown above eliminated the need for me to splice lengths of wire between pixels at the wide end of the Rays. Since I was mounting pixels directly to the ADS pipe I again went with square pixels, but when I got to the center ring that I was using, the Square Pixels were to tight together to fit. I ended up splicing in a couple of bullet pixels for the center ring so everything would fit.

Of course, also wire the connectors for Power Injection connections at the appropriate spots. ''Since I am using 5V for these snowmen, I have done PI at the beginning and end of each component, Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner 2. They are all 100 pixels +/- and I am not running all pixels on Full White. Spinner2 I did my PI point about 25 pixels from the end and then spliced on the 50 pixels used for the various arm positions.
''

Once each individual component is completed and checked out, it is time to begin Assembly.

[[File:Joining the Hoops-640.jpg]]

[[File:Ready for Spine-640.jpg]]

I started by joining the hoops between the Head and Spinner1, and Spinner1 and Spinner2 using 8 inch zip ties for strength. I laid the components out with their basic connections on a flat surface to get ready for the Spine. The Spine consists of a length of 2" PVC pipe cut into 3 sections (48", 34", and 38"). The 48 and 34" pieces are joined together using the Double Sanitary Tee Fitting and topped with a cap, this fitting creates the Shoulders for the attachment of the arms.

[[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

The EMT Connectors are screwed into the 2" to 3/4" PVC adapters which are glued into each side of the Double Tee Fitting. ''The Arms will be assembled and installed shortly.'' Once this basic Spine is assembled lay it down the center of the back of the Snowman.

[[File:Attaching Head to Spine-640.jpg]]

[[File:Final Spinner Attachment to Spine-640.jpg]]

Zip ties were used to fasten the hoops to the Spine at every point the Hoops and Spine crossed. ''Since I was laying on a lot of wiring for the pixels I cut some blocks of Closed Cell Foam I had for spacers between the spine and hoop, I am sure a wooden block would work as well.
''

[[File:Spine attached-640.jpg]]

Cinch each zip tie tight and drill 4 holes in the hat to accommodate two crossed zip ties at the top of the Spine. Once the Hat, Head, and Spinners are securely fastened to the spine, take the remaining piece of 2" PVC and attach to the base of the spine and Spinner 2, this is help keep the Snowman from twisting too much in the wind.

[[File:Componets for Arms-640.jpg]] [[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

Each arm consists of three pieces of 1/2" metallic EMT conduit 27", 25", 24" long. Flatten the ends of the upper and lower arms as well as the attachment point on the middle arm using a metal vice,''It can be done with a Hammer if needed.'', and drill a hole for a stainless steel bolt and nut to join the arm segments. Insert the middle arm into the shoulder connector and tighten. Then zip tie the hoop to each arm where they meet, again I used a small piece of foam as a spacer between the hoops and arms to protect my wiring. Once the arms are attached cut the Chromatrim to length, insert your pixels and splice them together.

When completed there are 458 pixels total in this design as built: Hat 73, Face 95, Spinner1 112, Spinner2 128, Arms 50. At the standard power rating of .06A per pixel for Full White, this potentially can pull up to 27.5A max, realistically a lot less.

The Spine was designed to fit over a typical "T" style metal fence post, the second piece of 2" PVC in the base is to go over a piece of rebar inserted in the ground next to the fence post

Contact me on the forum if you have any questions, TomL8345

File:Face and Hat-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:29:58Z

TomL8345: TomL8345 uploaded a new version of File:Face and Hat-640.jpg

File:Fasten Strip to Hoop-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:27:41Z

TomL8345:

File:Componets for Arms-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:25:09Z

TomL8345:

File:Spine attached-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:24:52Z

TomL8345:

File:Final Spinner Attachment to Spine-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:24:34Z

TomL8345:

File:Attaching Head to Spine-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:24:19Z

TomL8345:

File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:24:08Z

TomL8345:

File:Ready for Spine-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:23:44Z

TomL8345:

File:Joining the Hoops-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:23:29Z

TomL8345:

File:Spinner Wiring diag-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:22:59Z

TomL8345:

File:Pixel mounted to ADS Back-300.jpg

2018-08-24T13:22:39Z

TomL8345:

File:Pixel mounted to ADS front-300.jpg

2018-08-24T13:22:26Z

TomL8345:

File:Face Outline-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:22:03Z

TomL8345:

File:Snowman Face - 640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:21:48Z

TomL8345:

File:Enlarging Holes-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:21:11Z

TomL8345:

File:Spinner1 - 640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:20:25Z

TomL8345:

File:Face and Hat-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:20:05Z

TomL8345:

File:Snowman Back-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:19:34Z

TomL8345:

File:Snowman Front-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:19:16Z

TomL8345:

File:Singing Pixel Snowman-640.jpg

2018-08-24T13:18:47Z

TomL8345:

7' Singing Snowman

2018-08-24T13:15:07Z

TomL8345: Created page with "''Building on the method I used for the StarFlake Spinner, I am adding two 7' Singing Snowmen to my Display.'' File:Singing Pixel Snowman-640.jpg File:Snowman Front-640..."

''Building on the method I used for the StarFlake Spinner, I am adding two 7' Singing Snowmen to my Display.''

[[File:Singing Pixel Snowman-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Front-640.jpg]] [[File:Snowman Back-640.jpg]]

'''Bill of Materials'''

ADS Polyethylene Coil 3/4" 100 PSI pipe - (approx 20 Feet)

3/4-in Dia Coupling Plastic Coil Fitting (3)

2" Sched 40 PVC Pipe - (10 Feet)

2-in x 1-1/2-in dia PVC Schedule 40 Double Sanitary Tee Fitting - (1)

2" dia PVC Cap Fitting - (1)

2" to 3/4" PVC adapter - (2)

ProConnex 3/4-in EMT Connectors - (2)

Metallic 3/4" Emt 10-ft Conduit - (2)

Boscoyo Pixel Strips - (approximately 6)

Boscoyo ChromaTrim - (2)

Zip Ties - 4" - hundreds, 8" - a lot, 11" - more than you might think

Boscoyo ChromaFace - (1)

Boscoyo ChromaHatMatrix Small - (1)

----

I started my design by creating a Custom Coro face and hat, I worked with Boscoyo Studios to have these produced. They now have both available on their website the ChromaFace [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=272&zenid=73q403d8ivdigvpj5vbj0emih6] and ChromaHatMatrix Small [https://www.boscoyostudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_31&products_id=87].

[[File:Face and Hat-640v.jpg]]

I then built the head and two spinners using 3/4" ADS plastic water pipe 100 PSI, and Boscoyo Pixel Strips. The head was designed to have an 18" opening to fit the ChromaFace, spinner 1 (middle section of the body) to be 24", and Spinner 2 (lower body) to be 30" in diameter each. When you are calculating the circumference for each section of pipe keep in mind the formula '''C=π*d''' calculates to the center of the pipe. If you want the '''opening''' to be 18" exactly, you need to calculate for a circle of 18 '''+ dia of pipe''', or in this case 18.75", 24.75", 30.75". This requires the ADS to be cut to 59", 77.75", and 94.25" approx. Each length of the tube is joined into a circle with the Coil Pipe Coupler. I found it easier to heat the ADS with my heat-shrink gun to expand it slightly and ease installation of the fitting, however, care needs to be taken not to overheat the pipe and have it lose its shape and strength. Once the hoops are formed install the ChromaFace in the smallest hoop. I simply drilled 1/8" holes in 4 places around the section of pipe and in the CoroFace and fastened them together with Zip-ties.

[[File:Spinner1 - 640.jpg]]

For the Spinners make sure the hoop is close to round. Layout a section of Pixel Strip with one hole centered in the hoop and enough strip to wrap around the pipe on both sides, this will be your cut length for the rest of the pixel strips for that spinner, cut 7 more strips to this length for a total of 8. I found it best to find the center of all 8 pixel strips and insert a bolt through them all with a nut to hold it in place. This simplifies the process of mounting the strips on the hoops by keeping everything aligned and held together.

[[File:Fasten Strip to Hoop-640.jpg]]

Zip Tie the strips to themselves around the hoop on each end. Care must be taken to '''NOT OVER TIGHTEN''' the strips on the hoop, or you risk deforming the hoop out of a flat plane. I also drilled 1/8" holes through the ADS pipe and Pixel Strips to create any anchor holes that I needed. I found it best to loosely attach ALL the pixel strips until everything was attached, then to work my way around the circle tightening being careful not to overtighten.

''Both the Pixel Strips and ADS Pipe held their strength and shape nicely when being drilled multiple times in the same region, do not be afraid to drill either of these materials to create anchor points.''

'''Once the Spinners and Face are constructed it is time to install the pixels in each section; Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner2. Each section had its own challenges.'''

[[File:Enlarging Holes-640.jpg]]

I planned on laying the Hat over the top of the Face, but the hat was drilled for bullet pixels and I wanted to use square pixels to minimize their profile on the back, so I got out my spade bit and drilled out the back to work. I also ended up using a sharp chisel to clean up the back side of the coro. Not wanting to drill out the entire Hat, I switched to bullet pixels after the 1st two rows.

[[File:Snowman Face - 640.jpg]] [[File:Face Outline-640.jpg]]

[[File:Pixel mounted to ADS front-300.jpg]] [[File:Pixel mounted to ADS Back-300.jpg]]

The Face had the pre-drilled holes for the mouth and eyes, but I also wanted a circle outline. I decided on a base of 24 evenly placed lights around the ADS hoop surrounding the Face. I then eliminated the top 5 pixels, as that was where the Hat was going to be attached. So I had a circle of 19 pixels going from approx 1 O'clock to 11 O'clock on the hoop. I used bullet pixels in the coro for the mouth and eyes and switched to square pixels again for the outline due to the lower profile. After populating both the hat and face with pixels, I drilled holes through the Coro of the Hat and the ADS pipe of the Face and connected the two together using stainless steel bolts and nuts. This joint is further reinforced when the Spine is added to the Prop. ''If I were to do this project again, I would rework the Face & Hat with Boscoyo to be 1 piece and include the pixel outline around the face.
''

[[File:Spinner Wiring diag-640.jpg]]

Wiring the two spinners as shown above eliminated the need for me to splice lengths of wire between pixels at the wide end of the Rays. Since I was mounting pixels directly to the ADS pipe I again went with square pixels, but when I got to the center ring that I was using, the Square Pixels were to tight together to fit. I ended up splicing in a couple of bullet pixels for the center ring so everything would fit.

Of course, also wire the connectors for Power Injection connections at the appropriate spots. ''Since I am using 5V for these snowmen, I have done PI at the beginning and end of each component, Hat, Face, Spinner1, Spinner 2. They are all 100 pixels +/- and I am not running all pixels on Full White. Spinner2 I did my PI point about 25 pixels from the end and then spliced on the 50 pixels used for the various arm positions.
''

Once each individual component is completed and checked out, it is time to begin Assembly.

[[File:Joining the Hoops-640.jpg]]

[[File:Ready for Spine-640.jpg]]

I started by joining the hoops between the Head and Spinner1, and Spinner1 and Spinner2 using 8 inch zip ties for strength. I laid the components out with their basic connections on a flat surface to get ready for the Spine. The Spine consists of a length of 2" PVC pipe cut into 3 sections (48", 34", and 38"). The 48 and 34" pieces are joined together using the Double Sanitary Tee Fitting and topped with a cap, this fitting creates the Shoulders for the attachment of the arms.

[[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

The EMT Connectors are screwed into the 2" to 3/4" PVC adapters which are glued into each side of the Double Tee Fitting. ''The Arms will be assembled and installed shortly.'' Once this basic Spine is assembled lay it down the center of the back of the Snowman.

[[File:Attaching Head to Spine-640.jpg]]

[[File:Final Spinner Attachment to Spine-640.jpg]]

Zip ties were used to fasten the hoops to the Spine at every point the Hoops and Spine crossed. ''Since I was laying on a lot of wiring for the pixels I cut some blocks of Closed Cell Foam I had for spacers between the spine and hoop, I am sure a wooden block would work as well.
''

[[File:Spine attached-640.jpg]]

Cinch each zip tie tight and drill 4 holes in the hat to accommodate two crossed zip ties at the top of the Spine. Once the Hat, Head, and Spinners are securely fastened to the spine, take the remaining piece of 2" PVC and attach to the base of the spine and Spinner 2, this is help keep the Snowman from twisting too much in the wind.

[[File:Componets for Arms-640.jpg]] [[File:Arms attached to Shoulders and Spinner-640.jpg]]

Each arm consists of three pieces of 1/2" metallic EMT conduit 27", 25", 24" long. Flatten the ends of the upper and lower arms as well as the attachment point on the middle arm using a metal vice,''It can be done with a Hammer if needed.'', and drill a hole for a stainless steel bolt and nut to join the arm segments. Insert the middle arm into the shoulder connector and tighten. Then zip tie the hoop to each arm where they meet, again I used a small piece of foam as a spacer between the hoops and arms to protect my wiring. Once the arms are attached cut the Chromatrim to length, insert your pixels and splice them together.

When completed there are 458 pixels total in this design as built: Hat 73, Face 95, Spinner1 112, Spinner2 128, Arms 50. At the standard power rating of .06A per pixel for Full White, this potentially can pull up to 27.5A max, realistically a lot less.

The Spine was designed to fit over a typical "T" style metal fence post, the second piece of 2" PVC in the base is to go over a piece of rebar inserted in the ground next to the fence post

Contact me on the forum if you have any questions, TomL8345

Display Construction

2018-08-24T13:14:04Z

TomL8345:

===Planning===
[[Hookup]]: An organized way to wire your display.

===Electrical & Wiring===
[[Electrical Tools]]:Recommended tools that you should have on hand.

[[GFCI]]: Why GFI Ground Fault Interrupter is so important.

[[Shared Neutral Cables]]: Specialized cables that can combine multiple channels into a bundle.

[[Shorten Mini Lights]]: How you can cut or shorten a set of 100 Mini style Christmas lights

[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/e3/LED_Modifications.pdf Shorten LED Strings]: How to cut, shorten or modify LED strings

[[Extension Cord Adapters]]: How you can adapt a regular extension cord to handle two control channels.

===Building===

[[Mini Trees]]: What Mini Trees are and how to make them.

Easy [[Light Arch]]: How to build a 10 channel Light Arch.

[[Happy Holidays Sign]]: How to build a Happy Holidays sign using PVC pipe.

[[Plywood Cut Outs]]: This page has patterns for cutting display items out of plywood.

[[How to Convert Mini Strings to Simple Homemade Led Strings]]: This page will tell you how to create your own led strings using old mini lights, standard leds, and diodes/resistors. They are full wave and very easy to do. Now you can shorten an existing string or custom make your own.

[[How to Make a 3ft Star out of PVC]]: Easy way to build a 3ft star out of Sch40 PVC

[[Candy Cane Upgrade to Rope Light]]: Taking an old Candy Cane and replacing the lights inside with rope light or adding rope light to a Candy Cane that does not have lights. Also, just a method to add power to a cut rope light.

Outline a House with Pixels: Blog Article [http://blog.holidaycoro.com/2013/04/outlining-your-house-in-rgb-lights.html]

Building a [[StarFlake Spinner]]: A low-cost pixel based DIY prop that is Flexible and Versatile

Building a [[7' Singing Snowman]]: Build includes Stocking Cap, Singing Face, Two Spinners, and 3 position arms

===Going Green===
[[Led Lighting]]: Ways that Light Emitting Diodes are making headway into our designs

[[Media: Converting_LEDs.pdf]]: Converting cheap chinese LED strings to full wave & dimable for light control

[[Category:Display Construction]]
[[Category:How To]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Display Construction

2018-08-24T13:13:06Z

TomL8345:

[[Link title]]This is the page to talk about how to build the things that people see in your display. If you have custom made anything for your display write an article about it in step by step instructions and post it here. We are always looking for cool and unique ideas and items to add to our displays. Remember a picture is worth 1000 words!

===Planning===
[[Hookup]]: An organized way to wire your display.

===Electrical & Wiring===
[[Electrical Tools]]:Recommended tools that you should have on hand.

[[GFCI]]: Why GFI Ground Fault Interrupter is so important.

[[Shared Neutral Cables]]: Specialized cables that can combine multiple channels into a bundle.

[[Shorten Mini Lights]]: How you can cut or shorten a set of 100 Mini style Christmas lights

[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/e3/LED_Modifications.pdf Shorten LED Strings]: How to cut, shorten or modify LED strings

[[Extension Cord Adapters]]: How you can adapt a regular extension cord to handle two control channels.

===Building===

[[Mini Trees]]: What Mini Trees are and how to make them.

Easy [[Light Arch]]: How to build a 10 channel Light Arch.

[[Happy Holidays Sign]]: How to build a Happy Holidays sign using PVC pipe.

[[Plywood Cut Outs]]: This page has patterns for cutting display items out of plywood.

[[How to Convert Mini Strings to Simple Homemade Led Strings]]: This page will tell you how to create your own led strings using old mini lights, standard leds, and diodes/resistors. They are full wave and very easy to do. Now you can shorten an existing string or custom make your own.

[[How to Make a 3ft Star out of PVC]]: Easy way to build a 3ft star out of Sch40 PVC

[[Candy Cane Upgrade to Rope Light]]: Taking an old Candy Cane and replacing the lights inside with rope light or adding rope light to a Candy Cane that does not have lights. Also, just a method to add power to a cut rope light.

Outline a House with Pixels: Blog Article [http://blog.holidaycoro.com/2013/04/outlining-your-house-in-rgb-lights.html]

Building a [[StarFlake Spinner]]: A low-cost pixel based DIY prop that is Flexible and Versatile

Building a [[7' Singing Snowman]]: Build includes Stocking Cap, Singing Face, Two Spinners, and 3 position arms

===Going Green===
[[Led Lighting]]: Ways that Light Emitting Diodes are making headway into our designs

[[Media: Converting_LEDs.pdf]]: Converting cheap chinese LED strings to full wave & dimable for light control

[[Category:Display Construction]]
[[Category:How To]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Display Construction

2018-08-24T13:07:38Z

TomL8345:

This is the page to talk about how to build the things that people see in your display. If you have custom made anything for your display write an article about it in step by step instructions and post it here. We are always looking for cool and unique ideas and items to add to our displays. Remember a picture is worth 1000 words!

===Planning===
[[Hookup]]: An organized way to wire your display.

===Electrical & Wiring===
[[Electrical Tools]]:Recommended tools that you should have on hand.

[[GFCI]]: Why GFI Ground Fault Interrupter is so important.

[[Shared Neutral Cables]]: Specialized cables that can combine multiple channels into a bundle.

[[Shorten Mini Lights]]: How you can cut or shorten a set of 100 Mini style Christmas lights

[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/e3/LED_Modifications.pdf Shorten LED Strings]: How to cut, shorten or modify LED strings

[[Extension Cord Adapters]]: How you can adapt a regular extension cord to handle two control channels.

===Building===

[[Mini Trees]]: What Mini Trees are and how to make them.

Easy [[Light Arch]]: How to build a 10 channel Light Arch.

[[Happy Holidays Sign]]: How to build a Happy Holidays sign using PVC pipe.

[[Plywood Cut Outs]]: This page has patterns for cutting display items out of plywood.

[[How to Convert Mini Strings to Simple Homemade Led Strings]]: This page will tell you how to create your own led strings using old mini lights, standard leds, and diodes/resistors. They are full wave and very easy to do. Now you can shorten an existing string or custom make your own.

[[How to Make a 3ft Star out of PVC]]: Easy way to build a 3ft star out of Sch40 PVC

[[Candy Cane Upgrade to Rope Light]]: Taking an old Candy Cane and replacing the lights inside with rope light or adding rope light to a Candy Cane that does not have lights. Also, just a method to add power to a cut rope light.

Outline a House with Pixels: Blog Article [http://blog.holidaycoro.com/2013/04/outlining-your-house-in-rgb-lights.html]

Building a [[StarFlake Spinner]]: A low-cost pixel based DIY prop that is Flexible and Versatile

Building a 7' Singing Snowman: Build includes Stocking Cap, Singing Face, Two Spinners, and 3 position arms

===Going Green===
[[Led Lighting]]: Ways that Light Emitting Diodes are making headway into our designs

[[Media: Converting_LEDs.pdf]]: Converting cheap chinese LED strings to full wave & dimable for light control

[[Category:Display Construction]]
[[Category:How To]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

StarFlake Spinner

2017-08-23T19:11:19Z

TomL8345:

== '''The StarFlake Spinner was inspired by Brian Collins (bcstuff). The idea was to make a versatile prop using inexpensive materials in the true DIY spirit. This prop can be used as a Spinner, Snowflake, or (2) 6-point Stars with or without Rays''' ==

[[File:StarFlake Spinner - Spinner Highlight.jpg]] [[File:StarFlake Spinner - Snowflake Highlight.jpg]]
[[File:StarFlake Spinner - Star Highlight.jpg]]

== The materials needed to construct the unit are: ==

1/2" Grey PVC Pipe

Boscoyo Pixel Strips

Zip Ties

12mm Pixels (either Bullet or Square)

The design is very flexible to accommodate different sizes to suit your particular needs. The prop consists of an outer circle made of the Grey PVC pipe and Pixel Strips to make the designs inside. I made my mine to be 4'6" diameter to fit in a Gable on my house over a 2nd story window. You can adjust the diameter of the circle to fit your situation by changing the length of PVC pipe.

Start by determining the diameter of the StarFlake Spinner you wish to build. Use the basic geometry formula of '''Circumference = π * Diameter''' to determine the overall length of PVC pipe needed. (Do not forget to add back the length where the pipe slips together) For my prop the length was 169 3/4" total which I then constructed using 2 pieces of PVC 86 1/8" long (84 7/8" + 1 1/4" for the connection) I joined the two pieces of pipe together to form a circle and secured them with a small stainless steel screw at each joint.

[[File:Joint with Screw.jpg]] [[File:Outer Ring.JPG]]

Once the outer ring is formed you begin attaching the Boscoyo Pixel Strips to the ring, there will be a total of 6 strips going from side to side. I attached the first strip to the left of one of the connection points by wrapping it around the PVC pipe and connecting it to itself using zip ties in the supplied holes

[[File:Fastened Strip.JPG]]

Then pull the strip taunt (but not so tight it distorts the circle) and attach to the opposite side of the connection point on the other side of the ring and secure in the same manner. Continue this procedure for each of the remaining 5 strips. Once all 6 strips have been attached to the ring, slide them into equidistant positions around the ring to form the Spinner portion of the prop.

[[File:Completed Spinner.JPG]]

Ideally you should set your diameter so there are an odd numbers of holes in the pixel strips, then the center holes should align in the middle of the prop. This will also give you consistency so your Stars and Snowflake are symmetrical.

I used a CAD program to assist in laying out the next phase of the build. I am using 2" spacing for the pixels.

[[File:CAD Drawing.JPG]]

Once I had my layout finalized it was a matter of cutting the Pixel Strips to length and attaching them to the spokes of the spinner in the appropriate places. With a bit of luck you will be able to use zip ties through the existing holes in the Pixel Strips, however 1/8" holes can be easily drilled to connect the strips where the holes do not align.

[[File:Fastened w existing holes.JPG]] [[File:Fastened w drilled holes.JPG ]]

Note that I cut away the area where a pixel would be inserted so I was only installing a pixel through a single layer of the Pixel Strip.

The final framework looked like this before installing the pixels.

[[File:Final Framework.JPG]]

== Now to Add the Lights! ==

I found it best to start installing the lights at the outer tip on one of the Rays (not a Star Point). You can then install the lights towards the center and then come back out the adjacent ray. When you get back to the outer ring you will need to splice in wire to take you to the tip of the next Ray.

[[File:Pixel Splice1.jpg ]] [[File:Pixel Splice Closeup.jpg]]

Work your way around the prop, when you complete the last Ray you should be able to continue on to the exterior Star. Again work your way around the prop and when you complete the outer Star you will need to splice in wire to continue on the inner Star to complete the prop. Make sure you think about Power and Data Injection points as needed by the pixels and controller that you are using. The finished prop should look something like this.

[[File:Completed Prop.jpg]]

Good Luck and I hope this helps!

File:Completed Prop.jpg

2017-08-23T18:51:39Z

TomL8345:

File:Pixel Splice Closeup.jpg

2017-08-23T18:51:07Z

TomL8345:

File:Pixel Splice1.jpg

2017-08-23T18:50:46Z

TomL8345:

File:Final Framework.JPG

2017-08-23T18:49:51Z

TomL8345:

File:Fastened w drilled holes.JPG

2017-08-23T18:48:54Z

TomL8345:

File:Fastened w existing holes.JPG

2017-08-23T18:48:19Z

TomL8345:

File:CAD Drawing.JPG

2017-08-23T18:47:50Z

TomL8345:

File:Completed Spinner.JPG

2017-08-23T18:47:18Z

TomL8345:

File:Fastened Strip.JPG

2017-08-23T18:46:50Z

TomL8345:

File:Outer Ring.JPG

2017-08-23T18:46:17Z

TomL8345:

File:Joint with Screw.jpg

2017-08-23T18:45:41Z

TomL8345:

StarFlake Spinner

2017-08-23T18:36:39Z

TomL8345:

StarFlake Spinner

2017-08-23T18:30:33Z

TomL8345: Created page with "File:StarFlake Spinner - Spinner Highlight.jpg File:StarFlake Spinner - Snowflake Highlight.jpg File:StarFlake Spinner - Star Highlight.jpg"

[[File:StarFlake Spinner - Spinner Highlight.jpg]] [[File:StarFlake Spinner - Snowflake Highlight.jpg]]
[[File:StarFlake Spinner - Star Highlight.jpg]]

File:StarFlake Spinner - Star Highlight.jpg

2017-08-23T18:27:58Z

TomL8345:

File:StarFlake Spinner - Spinner Highlight.jpg

2017-08-23T18:27:34Z

TomL8345:

File:StarFlake Spinner - Snowflake Highlight.jpg

2017-08-23T18:27:16Z

TomL8345:

Display Construction

2017-08-23T18:26:23Z

TomL8345: /* Building */

This is the page to talk about how to build the things that people see in your display. If you have custom made anything for your display write an article about it in step by step instructions and post it here. We are always looking for cool and unique ideas and items to add to our displays. Remember a picture is worth 1000 words!

===Planning===
[[Hookup]]: An organized way to wire your display.

===Electrical & Wiring===
[[Electrical Tools]]:Recommended tools that you should have on hand.

[[GFCI]]: Why GFI Ground Fault Interrupter is so important.

[[Shared Neutral Cables]]: Specialized cables that can combine multiple channels into a bundle.

[[Shorten Mini Lights]]: How you can cut or shorten a set of 100 Mini style Christmas lights

[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/e3/LED_Modifications.pdf Shorten LED Strings]: How to cut, shorten or modify LED strings

[[Extension Cord Adapters]]: How you can adapt a regular extension cord to handle two control channels.

===Building===

[[Mini Trees]]: What Mini Trees are and how to make them.

Easy [[Light Arch]]: How to build a 10 channel Light Arch.

[[Happy Holidays Sign]]: How to build a Happy Holidays sign using PVC pipe.

[[Plywood Cut Outs]]: This page has patterns for cutting display items out of plywood.

[[How to Convert Mini Strings to Simple Homemade Led Strings]]: This page will tell you how to create your own led strings using old mini lights, standard leds, and diodes/resistors. They are full wave and very easy to do. Now you can shorten an existing string or custom make your own.

[[How to Make a 3ft Star out of PVC]]: Easy way to build a 3ft star out of Sch40 PVC

[[Candy Cane Upgrade to Rope Light]]: Taking an old Candy Cane and replacing the lights inside with rope light or adding rope light to a Candy Cane that does not have lights. Also, just a method to add power to a cut rope light.

Outline a House with Pixels: Blog Article [http://blog.holidaycoro.com/2013/04/outlining-your-house-in-rgb-lights.html]

Building a [[StarFlake Spinner]]: A low-cost pixel based DIY prop that is Flexible and Versatile

===Going Green===
[[Led Lighting]]: Ways that Light Emitting Diodes are making headway into our designs

[[Media: Converting_LEDs.pdf]]: Converting cheap chinese LED strings to full wave & dimable for light control

[[Category:Display Construction]]
[[Category:How To]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Display Construction

2017-08-23T18:14:33Z

TomL8345:

This is the page to talk about how to build the things that people see in your display. If you have custom made anything for your display write an article about it in step by step instructions and post it here. We are always looking for cool and unique ideas and items to add to our displays. Remember a picture is worth 1000 words!

===Planning===
[[Hookup]]: An organized way to wire your display.

===Electrical & Wiring===
[[Electrical Tools]]:Recommended tools that you should have on hand.

[[GFCI]]: Why GFI Ground Fault Interrupter is so important.

[[Shared Neutral Cables]]: Specialized cables that can combine multiple channels into a bundle.

[[Shorten Mini Lights]]: How you can cut or shorten a set of 100 Mini style Christmas lights

[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/e3/LED_Modifications.pdf Shorten LED Strings]: How to cut, shorten or modify LED strings

[[Extension Cord Adapters]]: How you can adapt a regular extension cord to handle two control channels.

===Building===

[[Mini Trees]]: What Mini Trees are and how to make them.

Easy [[Light Arch]]: How to build a 10 channel Light Arch.

[[Happy Holidays Sign]]: How to build a Happy Holidays sign using PVC pipe.

[[Plywood Cut Outs]]: This page has patterns for cutting display items out of plywood.

[[How to Convert Mini Strings to Simple Homemade Led Strings]]: This page will tell you how to create your own led strings using old mini lights, standard leds, and diodes/resistors. They are full wave and very easy to do. Now you can shorten an existing string or custom make your own.

[[How to Make a 3ft Star out of PVC]]: Easy way to build a 3ft star out of Sch40 PVC

[[Candy Cane Upgrade to Rope Light]]: Taking an old Candy Cane and replacing the lights inside with rope light or adding rope light to a Candy Cane that does not have lights. Also, just a method to add power to a cut rope light.

Outline a House with Pixels: Blog Article [http://blog.holidaycoro.com/2013/04/outlining-your-house-in-rgb-lights.html]

Building a '''StarFlake Spinner''': A low-cost pixel based DIY prop that is Flexible and Versatile

===Going Green===
[[Led Lighting]]: Ways that Light Emitting Diodes are making headway into our designs

[[Media: Converting_LEDs.pdf]]: Converting cheap chinese LED strings to full wave & dimable for light control

[[Category:Display Construction]]
[[Category:How To]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]