Long-awaited Part 2!
The dome was completed a week or so after the first post and it is still standing over a year and a half later!
The family and I had an amazing time building this and it looks great in our backyard. While we haven’t set up some of the other projects around it we had originally planned, it is no less awesome for us to enjoy. below are some details about the build and I will be adding links so you can build one yourself if you want to.
The dome is made from 1″ schedule-40 PVC and 3D printed hubs I designed and printed. The hubs are screwed to the PVC using 3/4″ brass wood screws. This is a 3V 5/9 Flat Base geodesic dome using the Kruschke calculator with a 16-foot diameter. It requires the PCV to be cut into 4 different lengths with a total of 165 struts and 61 hubs. the hubs come in 3 styles plus 2 more styles for the partial hubs used for the base. All the files are available online on my Thingiverse page. The hubs were created with markings on them to note which size of strut (A, B, C or D) goes in each hole. They also have countersunk holes to fit screws.
In theory, the files could be scaled up/down to fit other sizes of PVC or any other material that fits the holes.
CAUTION: at this size, this diameter of PVC and the infill I used to print these hubs it is NOT strong enough to hold a person. while a child of under 50 lb could probably climb it without incident I would not recommend it.