The Portable Hole II allows for the mega tree to be mounted anywhere in the yard. So if I want to change the location of the mega tree I simply install the portable hole, tree frame, and ground stakes to a different spot in the yard next year.
TIP: Building a portable hole is not a last minute project, the concrete takes a month to fully cure/strengthen. So this is a project best built 28 days before being needed and before temperatures drop below 50 degrees at night (unless curing in a heated building).
I have always said that creating a Light Show is a “master hobby” but who knew you needed to be a structural engineer as well? There has been a lot said on the topic of mega tree’s and how to keep them from failing, the following video’s summarize the topic well.
A properly built and secured to ground 130 lb. portable hole is a great foundation for building a strong wind resistant mega tree; however, its just one piece of the puzzle. The Portable Hole as designed by Walter Monkhouse* of Magic Christmas does work. We had strong winds up to 60 mph gusts that rocked the new mega tree in 2022 but it never failed. The main pole would flex an inch or so forward and back in the strong wind, but it never showed any signs of tipping.
The instructions work as written with the exception I swaped a 2″ x 4″ galvanized pipe nipple for the 2″ x 3″ one listed. Without the longer pipe the 2″ Receiver Assembly would not stick up above the top of the form. Fortunately, I caught and corrected this before mixing and pouring the 120lbs of concrete! In this picture you can see the top of the galvanized coupling is 3/8″ above the top of the form. One other deviation from the instructions I used wood screws to attach the backer board to the form. This made it easier to move around the garage while also helping me straighten a warped section of the 2″ x 6″ wood used for the frame.
I did not know anything about curing concrete and there wasn’t
anything mentioned in the instructions. A quick Internet search led me to what is known as the “water curing” method. I covered the form with a plastic sheet secured with a bungee cord. I removed the sheet each day to water the top of the concrete with a spray bottle and then re-cover with the plastic sheet and bungee cord. The idea is to slow the drying process by introducing water each day while also restricting airflow. After 28 days of curing the concrete reaches maximum strength. I kept the form in my heated garage where the temperature never dropped below 50 degrees. Concrete is dusty stuff, so besides wearing a mask I also used a garden hose to rinse the form clean after removing the backer board. I also used a paint scraper to remove any loose concrete from edges of the form, prior to air drying, and then painting the portable hole black.
TIP: The portable hole weighs ~130 lbs. so I found it easier to build and move using a heavy duty / shop dolly.
* You could say Walter Monkhouse is the inventor of the modern Christmas light show mega tree! Walter is known for inventing the portable hole, several revisions of the modern telescoping mega tree pole (JUMP, ASAP Jr. ASAP, and ASAP Sr.), and the Color Motions tree.
See the other pages in the Build menu to learn more details about each display element or click here to see the Mega Star.