Geodome Project

The Hubs The hub kit arrived after a few days and was roughly the volume of 2 shoeboxes. This is the 3V frequency option and can be used for all sizes....ie angles stay the same only the appropriate stick lengths change. (see calculator ) Core Hub Module llooks like this. (smaller than you'd think) Ball joint clips into the hexagonal / pentagonal connector and secured by screw, washer and wing nut combo. The ball joint is attached to your stick of choice via a screw that extends 3.2cm into same to end up coincedent with the flat of the ball joint arm. Takes a little force to clip the ball into the socket and a little play in the angle of the ball wrt the joint but generally feels good.  61 hubs in all for this dome and 360 ball joints to connect everything up......A lotta lotta work ...so need to get it right first time. (some trials required re ball to stick connectivity). The Poles The bamboo poles followed a few days later. Ordering is done in 4m lengths which you can have deliv

 OK. Having decided to 'go for it' various elements had to be considered.....function (of course), transportability, ease of construction/destruction, cost, weight of materials, robustness (it is Ireland with associated weather) etc etc After taking all of this into consideration and a having considerable history in starting projects and failing to complete them....I decided on bamboo cane as the main structural element. Bamboo is very light and very strong under compression and tension along its length (the key forces experienced in a geodome structure). Unfortunately it is not native to Ireland and sourcing oiptions are limited. In the end I went with delivery from a bamboo importer in the UK, who were both cheaper and far more responsive than the key source in Ireland.  To connect the poles to form the geodome you need something light and strong to accept the poles of choice at the correct angle. There are several design options on the web all having their pros and cons. In

 Geodome Project Dec 2020 Hi, My name is David Bain, born in Edinburgh, Scotland in the second half of the 20th Century. Currently living in a rural setting ~ 2 miles from the pretty village of Adare situated in the mid-west of Ireland.  Inspired, if thats the right word, by the Covid 19 pandemic, a slightly dystopian view of potential outcomes led to a new interest in growing vegetables. Anther development that transpired during the pandemic was the need for social spaces ...outdoors, where the risk of transmission would be acceptably low. And so, in the summer of 2020 I started to look around for a structure that could enhance the production of the range of fruit and vegetables given the coldish, wettish conditions in Ireland and also perhaps be compatable with sheltering people from the elements whilst remaining 'outdoors'. The nature of the Geodome seemed to be a potential fit....in that it can be of a temporary nature, is potentially adaptable in opening up sidewalls etc a