For Crystal's birthday she got a kit for building a geodesic dome for a greenhouse. I searched long and hard for an affordable set of hubs to build this thing out of. The kit I settled on trying out a set from http://domeconnectors.com/xlarge.php . It's pretty cool, they offer several different sizes to work with. The instructions are fairly clear and we'll do a set of pics as we put it together.
In an interesting aside.... I was all ready to order a kit and then checked my local craigslist. As it turned out a town I was visiting contained a nice fella that was moving and had the exact kit (value $150) to give away for free. He had even printed a full set of color instructions. He got his kit from www.domeclimber.com
Following that I visited my local Home Depot and for 2X4's. Less than $300 later I had all the needed 2X4's. We're debating now about location and final covering material. I've found some sources for both shrink wrap plastic and double wall polycarbonate materials. The plastic is vastly less expensive but will shred out in just a few years. Other folks experiences point to 2 or 3 years.
We'll make this part of the blog and update as we move forward, right now we have a pile of 8' long 2X4's to cut up and a big old pile of plastic hubs.
Great article! I have been considering creating a dome structure for my vacation property as an extra sleeping area for guests. This could make a really good framework for my project. I'll just have to figure out how to raise it on a platform, and to close off and insulate the walls.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!
Refugia Stein @ Container Domes