I have long admired the beauty of Geodesic Domes. As structures they exhibit a certain purity of form and function that is particularly appealing.
Plastic Geodesic Dome Models
This attraction led me to create a Plastic Geodesic Dome Model – that could be assembled, disassembled, and then reassembled again and again – and I thought readers might enjoy making their own versions. I created these Plastic Geodesic Dome Models by printing the (two triangular) part templates out onto Avery labels, sticking them to plastic sheets (like the kind you put at the front and back of bound documents), cutting each piece out with a scalpel/hobby knife, scraping off the paper label, scoring the “teeth” along the join/fold lines, connecting these pieces into pentagons, hexagons, and half-hexagons, and then building these parts into the completed model as the attached instructions show. These Plastic Geodesic Dome Models are fully self-supporting, and can be pulled apart and remade another time, again and again!
Please find attached (below) pdfs for a Paper Geodesic Dome model, a Plastic Geodesic Dome Model (like those pictured above), and photographs of some of my Plastic Geodesic Dome Models.
creating-a-paper-geodesic-dome1
creating-a-plastic-geodesic-dome-model
I would be delighted to hear what others think of these dome models. Enjoy MAKING them for yourself and with any children you know!
If you like these designs, why not come visit my store on CafePress!
2 responses so far ↓
Geodesic dome modeling | Abiyaa // Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 11:39 pm |
[...] Geodesic dome modeling Greg Babic sent us a link to his excellent plans for building geodesic domes out of paper (or plastic). When I was a teen, I worshiped Buckminster Fuller and geodesic structures. In my attic, I still have the “Tensegrity Modeling Kit” that I bought with my allowance money (think: hippie Tinker Toys). Looking at these PDFs, the “great circles” call to me. Domes [...]
Jon Schull // Monday, August 4, 2008 at 4:24 am |
The teeth are a nice idea!
I’ve been wondering whether a dome along these lines constructed of a material like lexan scale to shelter-size, or larger.
By “along these lines” I mean
* no struts
* or struts produced by folding the skin into triangular “tubes” (your teeth might be amenable to this)
* or “struts” of tape applied to the seams (the tape would also provide waterproffing.
The point is, the materials could be efficiently shipped flat, rapidly assembled onsite with no special tools, and be extremely lightweight.
The applications I have in mind include emergency and temporary shelters, bike tunnels (in an elongated mode), greenhouses, etc.
A mechanicial engineer’s input would be most welcome.
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