How To Build a BIG Lego Geodesic Dome -- Instructions

[DLuders]

On his Flickr photostream, JonPalmer shows how to build a BIG Lego geodesic dome. His instructions and insights appear beneath each picture:

"Geodesic domes are awesome. They were invented by Buckminster Fuller, who was also awesome and could probably disintegrate Chuck Norris just with his brain.

They house your corporate sponsored educational-funtime rides at Epcot and protect the last forests of earth, floating free in space.

In the future, the futuristic skin of geodesic domes will be the only thing that comes between the computer-controlled utopia you call home and the irradiated wastelands beyond. They're nice on the moon too.

It was a great LEGO model to make; it could be packed down relatively well, transported and set up at a show without too much trouble."

DIFFERENT STRUT LENGTHS: "After I had the lengths of the struts for my dome from the calculator, I ran over to Dave Eaton’s awesome LEGO Scale Converter and turned everything into LEGO units or stud-lengths.

This wasn’t quite as easy as that though, as there was some trial and error with the actual LEGO model’s struts to really nail down the right lengths for them. Ultimately I ended up with only 5 strut lengths for my dome because 2 of them were so close in length it was easier to fudge it than try to build the difference.

These are the 5 different struts that make up my dome:

In total from small to large, I needed to build:

- (30) 16-stud long struts (A)

- (30) 16.5-stud long struts (F)

- (60) 17-stud long struts ©

- (100) 19-stud long struts (B,D)

- (30) 20-stud long struts (E)

To make the 16.5 long struts I used Technic part 32124 and jumpers to get the half stud offset. I’m sure there are other ways to do this.

This is a total of 250 struts. You would double this to make a sphere."

HUBS: "Learning the dome geometry was one thing, but building it with LEGO parts as cheaply and efficiently as possible was a totally different problem. After a few months playing with different parts I came up with a solution that (I think) is about as inexpensive and cleanly built as you can get with LEGO elements.

If I didn’t lose you a few paragraphs ago here’s how I built the dome.

Each hexagonal hub is made up of (1) LEGO part 2695 and (6) of click hinge part 483. There are 85 of these hubs on my dome. Most have 6 of the click hinge/pins in them, though the hubs at the base only have 4 pins each."

PENTAGON HUBS: "The pentagons (there are 6 on this dome) are built differently. I started with five no. 5 Technic angle connectors, held together with five 3-length axles. This build is fudged a little. You have to slightly force them to connect to make a pentagon, but I haven’t had any problems at all with them."

["Gambort" noted that "I may be wrong but I reckon you'd be able to pull this off with technic click hinges 30552 and 30561 too which might even be a bit nicer...."]

TRIANGLES: "Here is a shot of 3 of the longest (20 stud) struts forming one of the 10 largest triangles on my dome. This triangle is represented in purple (E) in the diagram from Desert Domes. It’s also worth noting that these 10 large triangles are the only equatorial triangles on the dome."

A STAR SECTION: "The same pentagon, with (10) 17-stud length C struts added. This forms a 5-point star shape and I usually keep all 6 of these stars together and stacked when I pack the dome.

I hope this is at least a little helpful for other builders. I would love to see more domes or spheres be built. Experiment with different strut types, lengths and dome sizes.

If you come up with a more elegant way to make the basic construction please post your idea or model. Good luck! If anyone has any questions at all please let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer you."

Well, andy_0306uk did just that on HIS Flickr photostream! You can build a Geodesic Dome as big as this one:

Edited November 12, 2010 by DLuders

[Zerobricks]

These are awesome! I also assume they are quite strong?

[Flare]

Oy, that makes my head spin I don't think I'll be trying one of these in a while.

Still pretty awesome though!

[JunkstyleGio]

Let's hope it sturdy enough to keep the kids in.....

[freakwave]

Hello,

Here's another example of a similar dome, not using less struts, more the "football-turned-building"/"soccer ball-turned-building" version of it!

read more about it (in German) here Galaxie Der Steine

The joints used in this sample are also great and effective solution:

[Masked Builder]

That's pretty epic! I don't have the parts for one that big though.

[Physix]

Wow, that's really awesome. I will remember this construction for use in the future (when I have more bricks )

[Tobbe Arnesson]

Woa! That's amazing! Super neat really!

Let's hope it sturdy enough to keep the kids in.....

...and that the futuristic sound proof skin has already been installed! Kids should be seen, but not heard.

[DLuders]

Since all of the dome's strut "spokes" are in compression (except for the bottom-most ring, which is in tension), I believe that one could make the dome out of these elements. The axles should not "pull out" from their connectors, due to their light weight. Pictured left-to-right and top-to-bottom, they are:

2695 "Wheel 30mm D. x 13mm (13 x 24 Model Team)"

41532 "Hinge Cylinder 1 x 3 Locking with 1 Finger and Technic Friction Pin"

30553 "Hinge Cylinder 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers and Axle Hole On Ends"

2 ea. (typical) Technic axles, such as the 3737 "Technic, Axle 10"

6538c "Technic, Axle Connector (Smooth with x hole + orientation)", placed between the two axles

Edited February 4, 2012 by DLuders