So it seems my led spire concept is becoming much larger than the idea in my head… about 12ft high. If my idea goes as planned this will be one of three. Still trying to find a good way to stop the strip from twisting inside the acrylic tubes.
@Randal_B I only use dowels because I have a bunch from an old project and the thought of ripping a 2x4 (or any other size of dimensional lumber ) lengthwise does not appeal to me - kickback, splinters, dust, noise, heat in Houston.
Ah, right - rods. Sorry - a weekend spent huffing acrylic dust while sanding down a double sided 6 foot acrylic disk makes the brain soft 
@Michael_Sharnet thanks for the link. I don’t need any right now but that is certainly a good price.