Geodesic Dome Media Pod

Step 14 Conclusion

This entire INSTRUCTABLE Lesson on Building the Media-Pod was done with Thousands of words and 168 individual pictures, it's quite a project. You will find that it is WELL WORTH the effort, both for your Mental and Physical well being.

There is NO OTHER DOME ON EARTH LIKE IT!!!!! and I know by making the Media Pod you will learn many valuable lessons and discover new things in the process.

HAPPY BUILDING!

Comments

[Cretnor]

Please try to respond to the following questions: How did you come up with the measurements? How long did it take you to get the measurements? How long did it take you to build the dome? Thanks for posting this instructable! It's been fun building it so far!

[greg0594]

The measurements are derived from math calculations from a 3 frequency geodesic structure, there are dome calculators on desert domes web site, desert domes.com , the measurements can be calculated in les than 1 minute. It took me about 1 month of trial and error to figure out the fine details and photograph the entire process for the instructables web site so everyone could follow along. You could expect to make an unpainted dome in one weekend if you have all the cardboard ready to cut up in front of you.

[kylechristianquinn]

Greg, Off hand, do you know angle of the cuts if you want the inside bevels (i.e. for the 'A' sides to match flush)? I'm wanting to scale this up and adapt the design for a greenhouse project. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Kyle

[greg0594]

The angles are not the issue here, the side measurements are more important, if you want to make a larger dome, go to the Desert domes web site and just use a larger radius to get a larger diameter dome, 6ft, 7ft, 8ft etc. The dome calculator will figure out the correct side lengths. If you use angles you will be off, and the mistake will show on the dome parts.

[kylechristianquinn]

well, i was going to make the structure of 3/4 in plywood and i want the sides to rest flush with one another (so the epoxy will have a solid contact surface.

[IchadBuns]

Since my math is too questionable, I recommend mocking it up in cardboard and getting a protractor and using the angles from that to do it correctly.

[IchadBuns]

My calculations may be rough (read: completely and utterly wrong), but here's what I have: There are 540 degrees in a pentagram. I cut the isosceles triangle in half (14.52 base is now 7.26) and used the one side and Trigonometry to figure out the angle (inverse cosine of 7.26/12.55 (degrees, not radians!)) and multiplied it by 10 (I got 546.55 and subtracted from it 540 to get 6.55, divided by 5 sides gets us 1.31 degrees difference... that's eyeballed close to perpendicular, but make the cut if you feel it's necessary. The same math applied to the hexagon (has 720 degrees) is up by 1.68 degrees per side. (730.08 was our excess.) I have no idea what it would be between the hexagons and pentagons. I wouldn't trust my math too far, as this doesn't seem very right and it seems like we'd be overlapping, not gapped, but you might make something out of it.

[greg0594]

Hey Guys!, You don't have to do all the scarry math stuff, just go to the Desert Domes web site:

http://www.desertdomes.com/dome3calc.html

and put in the radius in inches for the desired size of the dome you want, remember that a Radius is 1/2 a circles diameter, example: a 10ft dome would be a 5 foot radius, 5 X12 = 60 inches ( 5 foot X 12 inches = 60 inches).

The calculator at this link will figure out the hard stuff for you, it's really quite easy. I have built lots of cardboard domes, and am currently turning the dome in theis instructable into a GIANT IPOD STEREO SYSTEM, I'm getting rid of the Laptop and game chair and adding a Giant Round Bean Bag Bed, It's working out GREAT SO FAR!!!!!.

I've just finished the IPOD stereo system hook-ups so I can just go inside the POD and plug in my Ipod and Blast Away my tunes!!!!!!!!!

Yipeeeeeeeeeeee

Greg - Media Pod Designer

[IchadBuns]

Yeah, but math isn't scary to me, it's the 3D math that loses me.

[articcross]

I was wondering how strong it is I need the support I a rough a tumble gamer

[greg0594]

Glue all the pieces of the Pentagon & Hexagon shapes together with Construction Adhesive or RTV Silicone Rubber and the Dome will support the weight of a 200 pound man standing on the top.

[airsoft_is_fun]

I was wondering if there is a way to make a dome that comes apart

[greg0594]

YES!, Read the other comments here, my "Flap Design" version is listed here as well. Greg - Media Pod Designer

[chandler7]

Well, it looks like my free time just got spoken for. Thank you for posting this, Greg!

[greg0594]

Yes, it will be well worth the time spent, and Many Years of Great Fun to come after it's built. Greg - Media Pod Designer

[Sirplus]

Outstanding!!!

[greg0594]

Thank you Sir for your kind comments! Greg - Media Pod Designer

[Pandroe]

Dude, this is bad @$$!! I'm thinking one for my son and one for my very own! Great job and great quality!