60 sided geodesic connectors

thingiverse

These parts form a sphere. Supplemental parts must be designed if a dome is being created.\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx12XUkmo3Q\nUPDATE: Pipe length formulas have been corrected.\nThese are connectors for a 60-sided geodesic. There are two connectors, one with five spokes and the other with six. Each is cut in half to simplify printing without support material. They can be glued together using some CA super glue. It's recommended that some 4/40 bolts be inserted into the holes to align it while gluing.\nThe connectors are designed to fit into 1/2 inch PVC pipe. The OpenSCAD file used to generate the STL files has been included in case modifications are needed.\nThe five-spoke connectors are 20 mm from the pipe end to the vertex, and the six-spoke connectors are 24 mm from the pipe end to the vertex. To calculate the necessary pipe lengths, use these functions based on the radius. Long members that connect six-spoke to six-spoke connectors: (radius * 0.7136442) - 48 mm Since it's a six-spoke connector at each end, it's 24 + 24 = 48. Short members that connect six-spoke to five-spoke connectors: (radius * 0.6408518) - 44 mm This connects a six-spoke connector to a five-spoke connector, so it's 24 + 20 = 44. To create the full sphere, you will need: 12 five-spoke connectors 20 six-spoke connectors 60 short pipes that connect five-spoke to six-spoke 30 long pipes that connect six-spoke to six-spoke The six-spoke connectors have a dot on three spokes. These are the spokes that connect to other six-spoke connectors. It's worth noting that PLA doesn't perform well in direct sunlight, so if you plan to display this outdoors, such as in a desert, you may want to print it in ABS instead. I personally used the parts to create a mold and cast them in high-temperature resin. Another tip is that printing each piece individually might make assembly easier if the halves are not glued together.