Before you take a saw to square tubing, make sure the material and dimensions belong to your exact Sasquatch kit. Buying the right steel once is a much better start than trying to make a mismatched assembly fit later.
Our older general tubing and cutting advice is superseded. Do not use an old height-to-wall-thickness table, a blanket extra pole-length allowance, or suggested longer legs as a construction plan. We need to match the requirements to your kit and configuration.
Identify the kit before ordering material
A DIY kit, modular-pole system, Tilt-Up tree, and Legend telescoping tree are different assemblies. Write down the kit name, order number, purchase year, intended height, and any changes already made to it.
Take clear photos of the base, topper, pulley components, and pole connections. If you bought a used kit without paperwork, send those details to us before sourcing material. A similar-looking part in a photo may belong to another hardware revision.
Take a complete specification to the supplier
Our DIY Basic Sasquatch kit uses customer-supplied square steel tubing and additional components. Use the current instructions for your specific kit to establish the fabrication details.
A nominal outside size is only part of a tubing specification. Your materials worksheet needs all of these answers before you order or cut:
| Confirm this | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Kit and revision | The drawing must match the hardware in front of you. |
| Material, outside dimensions, and wall thickness | Two tubes with the same outside size can be different structural parts. |
| Required lengths and connection details | These govern fabrication; an unrelated blog or older drawing does not. |
| Base and support arrangement | The assembly needs to suit the documented system and installation. |
| Lights and accessories | The complete load belongs in the plan. |
Include required finish and hardware details too. If a specification is missing, ask us before the supplier makes an irreversible cut.
Check fit before committing to the build
Check the supplied parts against the specified material using the assembly instructions. A sliding component needs to move as designed. Forcing it onto an incompatible tube does not fix the mismatch.
If the topper binds, stop and photograph the contact point. Send us the measured dimensions and a clear view of the components. Do not grind the topper, remove structural material, enlarge holes, or substitute fasteners just to make it move.
Choosing a heavier tube also changes the assembly. Weight, dimensions, and connections need to work together, so get substitutions checked as a complete system.
Resolve the site before assembly day
Check space, ground conditions, underground utilities, overhead lines, access, and the required raising and lowering area. Use the support components and method specified for your kit.
A longer leg or improvised brace does not create a new approved height or wind rating. If the documented installation will not work at your proposed location, contact us about the constraints before building around them.
Use the instructions that match your hardware
Read the full procedure and lay out the parts before starting. Compare the kit with its parts list. Keep the correct instructions with you during assembly instead of relying on an old saved photo of one step.
Hardware changes over time. If your parts and instructions disagree, photograph the difference and ask us. Do not add something that appears only in an older drawing or leave out a required part because a general article skipped it.
Get the lights ready while they are easy to reach
Test and label the lighting separately. Keep a strand map with the first pixel, connector, controller output, and cable route. That gives you a known setup before the lights go onto the structure.
If you actually own a Sasquatch Legend, follow the Legend configuration: conventional pixels use 32 strands at 2-inch spacing around 360 degrees. A denser arrangement requires Kraken lights and a review with us. Those Legend details do not authorize a change to a DIY structure.
Send us a useful materials question
Email Support@Mattosdesigns.com your order number, kit photos, planned height, lighting arrangement, proposed materials, and site constraints. Ask which current instructions and dimensions apply. We can help you work from the correct starting point before buying or cutting the tubing.
Still deciding which system to buy? Use our Sasquatch MegaTree selection guide to compare the different families.
Keep learning
- Pixel Power Planning: Voltage Drop, Injection and Brightness
- xConnect vs M-Connect: Match Pixel Cables and Adapters
- Light Show Preflight Checklist: Test, Label and Back Up
Browse all Mattos education and support guides.
Reviewed October 29, 2026.
