MossRoad
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Christmas Lights in Taller Trees
- Thread starter Industrial Toys
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MossRoad
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In all seriousness, we live near the airport, and we've had friends fly in at night and they can see our tree on approach. 
OP
Industrial Toys
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A Genie lift is on my wish list. But I'm not sure even with that, it would be really easy. Maybe starting it, but then you have to go around and around.
I thought of calling the Utility. My power is mysteriously out, but while you're here with that fancy bucket truck . . .
I thought of calling the Utility. My power is mysteriously out, but while you're here with that fancy bucket truck . . .
MossRoad
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As I mentioned, if you can get it over the top just once, you can stand on the ground and throw loops in the string and be pretty darn accurate as to which branches the loops go over. You can even throw the loop backwards to get it back off the branch if you screw up. It works well. I have a pretty good arm, still. So I can get the loops to go up about 38' from the ground. After that, the weight of the string just keeps the loops from going any further.
So, yes, I am saying I can basically walk Christmas lights up on a 40' tree from the ground once I get one strand over the top. THAT, is the hard part... getting one over the top.
So, yes, I am saying I can basically walk Christmas lights up on a 40' tree from the ground once I get one strand over the top. THAT, is the hard part... getting one over the top.
MossRoad
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Try it on a small tree of 15' or so for practice. It works.
4570Man
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It wouldn't be hard to get a rope over the tree. Any chance the lights would survive being pulled over? I'm thinking if you had a helper to flip the lights as you pulled it would probably work. Especially if you zip tied the lights to a stronger cord.
MossRoad
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It's not hard to get a rope over a tree. What's hard is to not skin off all the small branches at the top of a pine or fir or spruce and damage the tip permanently as you pull the rope over. And keeping it on center is hard, too. And the rope will pull down a few layers to stronger branches and you won't get lights at the very top of the tree.
OP
Industrial Toys
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Well, four tries later and with the help of a (male) friend it got done. I did go the route of using downspout. I played with some in the lumber store and PVC felt like a better bet. 2-1/2" square. The trouble was joining it. I was happy that they had a coupling, but although the pipe was nice and ridged, unlike my telescopic pole, the joint was useless.
I made a splint out of three foot fiber glass driveway markers, rubber electrical tape and zip ties. It worked but not great. Still wobbly.
I wanted to make a funnel to feed in the lights but the local building center did not have a coupling to fit. I would never try this again, without some sort of funnel to feed the heavy three stand outdoor lights into the bottom.
Anyway. I drove the loader with forks, and my friend stood in my special two story basket with the twenty foot downspout. It took a couple of hours but no screaming!
I made a splint out of three foot fiber glass driveway markers, rubber electrical tape and zip ties. It worked but not great. Still wobbly.
I wanted to make a funnel to feed in the lights but the local building center did not have a coupling to fit. I would never try this again, without some sort of funnel to feed the heavy three stand outdoor lights into the bottom.
Anyway. I drove the loader with forks, and my friend stood in my special two story basket with the twenty foot downspout. It took a couple of hours but no screaming!
MossRoad
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Pictures or it didn't happen! :laughing:
Glad you got them up. I tried pop-riveting my metal downspout sections together, but the wires would catch on the rivets pretty darn often.
Glad you got them up. I tried pop-riveting my metal downspout sections together, but the wires would catch on the rivets pretty darn often.