As a journeyman sheet-metal worker best way to do that is with a pair of red and green Aviation snips but mark your angles don’t cut them yet. leave some material on one side and cut the angle on the other to allow for an overlap when you bend your joint closed if anything sticks out or gets in the way open it up and alter. this will help Prevent Visible gaps the cut on the angle is the outer Layer in the overlap
Jason - you are so correct. Looks some much better and no need to be super accurate matching two cuts to each other and the over lap is barely visible. Great advice.
BeUnknown2 anyone in my trade will notice the technique if looking. I have been looking for a way I could give back, being a newbie to the led world. I am happy that you tried it out.
Could sheet metal worker replicate this product? I’m curious because I think I can just have these made by anyone with a sheet metal-bending brake in their shop. What do you think?
I' think for the end caps I'd cut to use a side. Cut it about 1/4 longer than you need, bend a 90 degree flap on the side, then bend into position. Drill a small hole in the flap and body then pop rivet the end cap in place.
Love Dr ZZs stuff! He makes it so simple. I just picked up my first set of led lights for my house. From him. He has an all in one starter kit this year thats way simple compared to so many that ive looked at from others with falcon controllers and hix pinks. If your new to holiday lighting, check out his all in one kits/bundles.
I usually find a small rotary Dremel (not one of reciprocal type ones) is a bit better for small cuts. Being small you can be more accurate and it gives a clean cut. Thanks for a great demo/tutorial.
Regarding Tin snips, they come in Green (LH), Red (RH), and Yellow (Straight). The Green lifts the waste material up on the RH side of the snips so good for the LH cut of the mitre and the red ones are good for the RH side cut of the mitre lifting the waste material on the LH side of the snips. You can use both together to get the waste material to lift up out of the way. Ie start with the Green snips in the middle of the mitre and cut to the mitre peak and then use the Red snips for the RH finished mitre cut then grab the Green's again to finish the LH cut of the mitre. Great video too by the way Doc!
Sorry forgot the Yellows are for straight and slightly curved cuts on flat sheet. They have slightly longer jaws and a lower angle of attack and as far as I know only come in RH, so lefties you're better off using the Green ones for the straight cuts.
Great info. When I bought my set many years ago, only came in a 3-pack. The store owner explained he only sold them this way to prevent bad results from using the wrong one. He even took the time to explain why, and that's how I learned this. Seems to be that the "fail" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CplCtU2_Udg.html is due to using "right-handed" shears in the left hand. Not "RH" as you indicate for how they cut, but "for use in the right hand. As a lefty, I am well aware of how poorly "right-hand" scissors (the vast majority I've ever used) work in the south paw. I've never seen "left-hand" sheet metal shears, only scissors, and they're rare. As always, great video @DrZzs !
Please make sure check the speed of your saw and the metal cutting blade match! Some miter saws spin faster than the blade should. Those blades can explode and cause serious damage
This is great, looking forward to ordering and installing some this spring. Question, why don’t you produce some already formed 90 degree corners and end caps? People could buy them in addition to the straight channels. Also some connectors to seal two straight channels butted together for longer runs.
Love your product, that said I have been in HVAC for 40 years. Watch a video showing how to cut metal using left and right snips as it’s very easy and makes a clean cut without making it look like a amateur did it.
Awesome videos. Keep'em coming. Dumb question here the though. What provides better visibility for people driving/walking by your house, lights down, or facing the road?
Depends on your house and where they’re being placed. For the first floor of my house, I would need the outward facing because of the way the gutters rest and for the rest of my house I could use either but I think I would like the look of the lights shining on my house. It would give a nicer glow. But honestly, you can’t really go wrong with downward facing in most scenerios.
I would recommend that after making your cuts to de bur/file the edges smooth so you don't cut up your wiring when installing them. Other than that great video!
I like the idea but really think it was rushed out. Would have been nice to have end caps and at least 90 degree junctions available. I'll stick with the plastic channel and drilling just to keep the clean look for now.
I was wondering how you manage water/ice with the permatrack. The product is amazing, but I would imagine water gets into the channel, freezes and expands, especially with the corners and cuts just as shown. How this is resolved would be a great addition to your amazing youtube videos.
The idea behind this system is really to house, hold, and protect the pixel lights from sun damage. The light should already by IP67 rated. Condensation will build up in the channel but not to a significant degree. IP67 would only fail under water for a set amount of time but not from condensation alone. Even if water pools in the low points, you should be okay.
I thought you said holes were every 3" . From the WEB PAGE .... "Each box includes a Ten 59 inch light tracks with 12mm holes every 2 inches and 30 mounting plates".... So which is right ? LOL.. LOL.
I've got another video in the works that'll show it installed. It basically holds the lights on your house, but it's easier to install than previous DIY options, without being too expensive.
Would the lighting effect still look right if using the holes on the side with the LEDs pointing away from the street (so you can't see the pixels directly from the street)?
They look great, but they appear to be a little pricey. Any suggestions on a cheaper alternative? I don't mind drilling a few holes if it will save me hundreds of dollars.
Where my fascia board meets my soffit is about 6" so the fascia board would obscure the lighting. The height of the permatrack needs to be taller. Also very surprised that it doesn't come in black! Awesome product otherwise!
What size is the channel at the very top and how big are the brackets? I'd love to put this on my house but I have a really odd overhang that I'll be attaching it to.
Fair enough. You can use the old vinyl j-channel and drill your own holes. Or use LED strips instead of strings and use the aluminum channel. Those are less expensive options.
Hi Carlton... there are so many different angles it would be difficult to make them all BUT I am sure the good Doctor will sleep on it and think of something amazing! :)
Thanks!! true, it is similar. The perforated U channel I've seen is usually really heavy thick gauge stuff and the holes are smaller than what I needed. The holes in the permatrack are just the right size for WS2811 Pixels to fit nicely.
Saw these on your site when I purchased the wled modules. Will you be installing these on your house to update your current setup? I ask because the size of them looks like it could take away from the facade.
At first I will install them in just places I don't already have lights on my own house. I have helped a friend install this channel on his house and we videoed it. I'll be putting out a video about it to show what the install looks like.
@@DrZzs Awesome ! Looking forward to seeing it! Maybe you can sell sample tracks vs having to buy the full set so that people can get a sense of what they will actually look like on their homes. I hope to buy a few hundred feet after I get over how it will look. :-) PS: Love the work you have done !! I had no idea what HA was until last October when I stumbled onto your channel. It is becoming a scary obsession. Thanks for all the time and effort !
we are working on version 2 that will have LEDs every 2 inches. We don't have a way to get them distributed in the UK yet, but if we want to at some point. Hopefully soon.
Good question. We've been looking at making the channel more narrow to save space. We want to make sure there's enough room for the leds and wires, but we could probably shave it down some.
I purchased 4 boxes of brown Permatrack on October 17th, 2021. When I opened the boxes, 2 boxes were one shade/texture of brown and the other 2 were a totally different shade/texture of brown. It was very noticeable and there wasn’t any way we could use them. I reached out to request a replacement, but he clearly was not going to correct the mistake. I asked how I return the boxes and even offered to drive to Lehi, but no response. I would stay clear of purchasing anything from him. I ended up having to find paint that matched as closely as I could and repaint 100 feet of track. Stay away at all costs!
How about you contact your local A/C and HEATING GUY And take a section of your channel to them . Ask them what they would use , since they Work with that type of metal ALL DAY LONG Making Heating/A/C Ducts ...
Instead of a sliding bevel why not use a Protractor/Angle finder? Example: www.homedepot.ca/product/empire-protractor-angle-finder/1000812859?rrec=true
I would try a real pair of nibbles. I know that you can get electric or air powered ones for not too much money. In my experience they leave a pretty good edge and are pretty manageable.
