How To Build Leaping Lights Arches - Strategies for designing
and wrapping your arch lights - Tips for assigning channels Press
F5 to see full screen slide show mode By: Jeff Ostroff
LauderdaleChristmas.com Version 2. October 2013 Our Arches 2007
only white channel on Our arches with white & Blue channels on
Slide 2 2 WARNING: The PVC pipe MUST say SCH 40 on it as shown
above. If not, do not buy that pipe! NOT Schedule 40 Schedule 40
has thicker walls Photo above shows the thicker walled, more rigid
SCH 40 PVC that you need. WARNING: You MUST use Schedule 40 PVC
pipe. Do not get bogus thin walled white PVC pipe at Lowes. Their
pipe is but does not say Schedule 40, a much thicker walled and
more rigid pipe. You need this extra thickness to keep your PVC
arch from sagging. This is especially problematic when you wrap
more than 800 lights across each pipe section on arches > 10 ft.
Sch 40 should be used for 15 foot and 20 foot arches, but you might
get away without SCH 40 on 10 long arches. The PVC pipe MUST say
SCH 40 on it as shown below. If not, do not buy that pipe! Slide 3
3 How Big Should I Make My arches? How Tall will it be? Its
difficult for most people to calculate height of arch, so we
experimented with 3 sizes that provide graceful arch with proper
height and comfortable stress forces. Strategy: Come up with a size
arch that looks good for your yard, then choose from 3 sizes shown
on next page. Slide 4 4 6 ft 41 tall Single 10 PVC pipe 9 ft 5 ft
tall MEDIUM: 15 ft arch length 7 6 PVC pipe MUST BE SCH 40 7 6 PVC
pipe 12 ft 7 ft tall LARGE: 20 ft arch length most popular 10 PVC
pipe MUST BE SCH 40 (1) 20 foot white SCH 40 PVC pipe or (2) 10
foot (most stores only carry 10 length) (1) female threaded coupler
(only if you are connecting two 10-foot pieces) (1) male threaded
coupler (only if you are connecting two 10-foot pieces) Requires:
(1) 15 foot PVC pipe OR: (2) 10 foot white SCH 40 PVC pipes cut to
7 6 each (1) female threaded coupler (1) male threaded coupler
Requires: (1) 10 foot white PVC You can also use softer gray
electrical PVC On this arch. Not stiff enough for 15 or 20 arches.
Small: 10 ft arch length 3 Arch Sizes For You to Consider:
Requires: Slide 5 5 EXAMPLE: 8 Channel MEDIUM 15 ft arch length 9
ft 5 ft tall 7 6 SCH 40 PVC pipe MUST BE SCH 40! Channel #1 Channel
#2 Channel #3 Channel #4 Channel #5 Channel #6 Channel #7 Channel
#8 8 strings of lights Each string 100 lights Total # Lights: 800
Channels 9-16 To next arch Leave 4- 6 space at ends Slide 6 6 16
Channel Medium/Large 15 Foot Long Advanced Design:
LauderdaleChristmas.com Solution 2007 (2560 Lights) This is the 15
arch we built for our Christmas lights
displayLauderdaleChristmas.com Stats: 8 Channels of White LEDs
mixed with 8 Channels of blue LEDs Each Channel: 2 strings of 100
White LED lights (Costco) 2 strings of 60 Blue LED lights (Sams
Club) (Logistics & availability determined where we bought the
LEDs) Total # Lights Per Arch: 2560 Lights Channels 9-16 to Blue
LEDs 9 ft 5 ft tall 7 6 SCH 40 PVC pipe Channel #1&9 Channel
#2&10 Channel #3&11 Channel #4&12 Channel #5&13
Channel #6&14 Channel #7&15 Channel #8&16 Leave 4- 6
space at ends Slide 7 7 16 Channel Smaller 10 Foot Long Advanced
Design: LauderdaleChristmas.com Solution 2007 (1760 Lights) This is
the 10 arch we built for our Christmas lights
displayLauderdaleChristmas.com 8 Channels of White LEDs mixed with
8 Channels of blue LEDs Each Channel: 1 strings of 100 White LED
lights (Costco) 2 strings of 60 Blue LED lights (Sams Club)
(Logistics & availability determined where we bought the LEDs)
Total # Lights Per Arch: 1760 Lights 6 ft 3 6tall 1 Single 10 foot
long SCH 40 PVC pipe Channel #1&9 Channel #2&10 Channel
#3&11 Channel #4&12 Channel #5&13 Channel #6&14
Channel #7&15 Channel #8&16 Leave 4- 6 space at ends
Channels 9-16 to Blue LEDs Slide 8 8 Below are 2 of our blue &
white arches. On the left our medium sized 15 foot long PVC arch 5
tall, endpoints spaced 9 feet apart. On the right, our 10 foot long
arch 36 tall, endpoints spaced 6 feet apart. Slide 9 9 Step 1:
Build 3 of these wood PVC pipe support jigs out of 2 x 4 studs or
other thin wood and drill a 1 hole for the PVC to pass through. You
can make the hole as big as you like. These jigs will support your
PVC pipes as you wrap. Your lights. Nothing fancy, it just needs to
stand on a table and support the PVC. Upside down folding chair
works too. You can rest the PVC pipe on the X formed by the
crossing legs. Step 2: Clean both ends of your PVC pipe before you
start. PVC cement will NOT Stick unless surface is squeaky clean!
You can slightly sand it to roughen it up too. Step 3 (Medium &
Large Arches Only): Please note, I no longer recommend joining 2
pipe pieces together in this step for the larger arches, it puts
too much stress at the joint, and might only last a season. Better
to get a single 15 ft. or 20 ft. pipe from a plumbing supplier.
This will make a smoother arch too. Apply PVC cement to one PVC
pipe and slide on the threaded FEMALE coupler. Then get the other
PVC pipe and cement on a threaded MALE coupler. Now screw both
pipes together to form your 15 or 20 arch. Step By Step Assembly
Instructions Slide 10 10 Step 4: Get some 1 L-brackets, and put 2
together using a bolt and nuts. The stack of nuts is used to insert
this bracket assembly into the chuck of your drill so the drill can
grip the bracket to spin it CLOCKWISE To keep the nuts tightened
down. Making the coupler to the drill Step 5: Then drill through
the bracket and PVC pipe to create a cross section pass feed
through for your nut and bolt to secure the bracket to the PVC
pipe. Step 6: Attach the bracket to the PVC pipe through the holes
that you just drilled, using a nut and long bolt. The stack of nuts
you see allows the drill chuck to grip better. Tighten all the
nuts, and glue if needed or try a locking nut. Now you are ready to
insert this bracket assembly into your drill, set for motorized
spinning of your PVC pipes to help you wrap the lights onto the
arches. Make sure your drill is set to spin CLOCKWISE or youll
loosen the nuts on your bracket assembly. Slide 11 11 Step 8: Line
up 15 feet of tables and place your 3 PVC support jigs on the
tables. Then pass the PVC pipes through the Jigs until they are
supported. Duct tape the wooden support jigs to the table. Some
people use folding chairs upsidedown. Step 9: Connect your drill to
the other end of the PVC pipe to the bracket assembly that you
built. You are now ready to start wrapping your lights! Step 7:
With your PVC pipe laid out, mark off 6 from each end as keep outs
for the lights. For this 8 channel arch, get a magic marker and
mark off the PVC pipe into 8 equal segment lengths that you will
wrap your wires around: 20 ft arch: Use 2.37 feet per segment (28 )
15 ft arch: Use 1.75 feet per segment (21) 10 ft arch: Use 1.125
per segment (13 ) Marking the pipes for wrapping & assembly
setup No Lights here! Slide 12 12 Step 10: Start by taping the
first set of lights to the PVC pipe about 4 to 6 from the end. This
will allow clearance off wet grass in southern climates, or snow in
northern climates. Also pre-label plugs >> When wrapping
lights, always make sure they are on to make sure they still work
as you wrap them. Step 11: Have a second person operate the drill
at a constant, manageable speed, allowing you to feed the lights
into a tight spiral onto the PVC pipe as it rotates. Keep an even
tension while wrapping at an angle to avoid previous wrapped
lights. You should be continuously moving previous light bulbs out
of the way, so that you do not wrap over and block any light bulbs.
Every 10 wraps or so, stop and push the loops tight against
previous loops. You should not see white PVC shining through the
spiral loops. Ready to start wrapping lights! Slide 13 13..
Soldered on SPT1 or SPT2 green wire Cut enough wire to leave 5 foot
cord Tape wires to PVC pipe To avoid bulk extension cables, cut
your own thin SPT1 wire Step 12: Snip off the power plug from the
end of the first set of wrapped lights. We will solder on a length
of SPT1 wire running down the PVC pipe, and re-solder the same
connector back onto the other end of the cable. Step 13: Cut a
length of SPT1 wire long enough to run down the length of the PVC
pipe and providing a 5 foot extension past the PVC pipe as shown in
drawing at top. Solder this SPT1 wire to the end of the light
string where you cut off the plug. Step 14: Label plugs as you
finish each one. You connect them to your lighting controller
later. Example: White Ch 8. Try to use plugs that allow other plugs
to connect on top for future versatility, connecting multiple
arches to same channels. I used the wrong kind here. Ill re-solder
different ones on later. Slide 14 14 Tip: Wherever your lights or
wires might come in contact with a jig or support, wrap them in
smooth packing tape or duct tape to prevent damaging your lights
from rubbing against the support. Let the chafing and scrapes rub
against the tape, not your lights and cables. Tip: Pre-cut and size
all your custom made SPT1 cords ahead of time so youll have them
ready when you wrap lights, and minimize down time. Have all your
labels already attached to your plugs. Pre cut all your pieces of
tape that youll need. After the first channel or 2, youll develop a
good system to pull this off. Have one or 2 other people help you.
It goes fastest with 3 people. Tip: When splicing your SPT1 wire
pairs, make sure they are at least 1 apart to eliminate risk of
ever shorting together. So cut one wire longer than the other. Then
you can solder and wrap with electrical tape or use heat shrink
tubing. Slide 15 15 Heres our 15 foot long, 5 tall archEach
Channel: 2 strings of 100 White LED lights (Costco) 2 strings of 60
Blue LED lights (Sams Club) Total # Lights Per Arch: 2560 Lights
Slide 16 16 Each Channel: 2 strings of 100 White LED lights
(Costco) 2 strings of 60 Blue LED lights (Sams Club) Total # Lights
Per Arch: 2560 Lights Slide 17 17 Alternative Method For Wrapping
Light Strings: Tater Twister Some people use the base motor from
the Presto tater Twister instead of a power drill. The base motor
turns at a slower pace, and you can rig it up with a foot switch
for single person wrapping of lights. No longer sold in stores, you
can only get from sellers on eBay or Amazon. Slide 18 18 8 White
Channels 8 Blue Channels 8 White Channels 8 Blue Channels 32
Channels Total LauderdaleChristmas.com LauderdaleChristmas.com
controller hookup solution for 2 arches You can use the same
controller to control multiple arches, just plug them all in
parallel! Arch #1 Arch #2