The Leaping Light Arches are based upon a design by Matt Johnson which I first saw on ABC’s Great Christmas Light Fight in 2014. I love the look of the diffused light.
For lights I used Smart / Pixel RGB LED Strip 60 LEDs/m 20 Pixels and cut them in half so each arch uses half or 8′ 2″ of light strip or 50 pixels / 150 leds per arch, for a grand total of 300 pixels / 900 leds across the six arches. The 60/20 Pixels give a higher density, but do use more power, so each arch is powered from its own dedicated 12v port from a HinksPix Flex Expansion Board System SMART Long Range Receiver. I purchase pixel lights, decorations, and controllers from HolidayCoro.com.
I followed Matt’s design for the most part, but found 3D Base for Leaping Arches (pair) by TheMellosDesigns on Etsy.com. The bases can be ordered in a variety of colors and angles to make building the arches fast and simple. I opted for green color and PETG 89 degree, nearly vertical, mounting angle for the HDPE pipe. The bases have holes for mounting 1/2 EMT cross-bar, large hole for passing through pixel extension cable (male and female ends both fit through), and also a hole on the bottom for attaching one end of the bungee cord. The 2″ HDPE pipe fits perfectly snuggly over the top of the base and I used pipe clamps to ensure the pipe and base stay attached. Included with the bases are a pair of plastic backers to ziptie to the end of the pixel strip so that you can easily attach a bundgee cord on each end to keep the strip taught inside the tube.
TIP: If you paint the 1/2″ EMT cross-bar pipe first wipe it down with special de-greaser or white vinegar to prep the galvanized surface, then prime, and finally paint. There are special paints for galvanized metals also.
In the U.S. its now possible to purchase the 2″ HDPE pipe from both McMaster-Carr and in 2022 also from HolidayCoro.com. While HDPE pipe is more difficult to find and is a bit pricey, it is more transluscent than the sometimes used alternative PEX pipe which can be purchased at almost any home improvement store.
TIP: Matt recommends laying the HDPE outside in the sun to warm it up to make bending the tubing easier. If you are doing your build later in the year and live in a cold weather state I was able to amplify the suns power by putting the tubing inside my SUV (aka the “Jeep Oven”) and letting it cook in the sun. Turning on the heater to its highest setting also helps make the tubing easier to bend.
See the other pages in the Build menu to learn more details about each display element or click here to see the Mega Tree.