buckytube space frame joiners

thingiverse

Create a Bucky tube space frame by following the instructions on this link (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:263765). Each layer features eight faces, and when printed at full scale, it has 6mm holes. For demonstration purposes, plastic drinking straws were used to illustrate assembly; however, they aren't recommended. Instead, consider using wooden dowels for larger tubes. If scaled up between 2-3 times, sturdier materials like curtain rods or tent poles can be utilized for more substantial structures such as shade houses. The tube shape alone may not be particularly useful, but when combined with a dome and other shapes, intriguing projects can be achieved. I printed mine in PLA and used a 6mm drill to refine the holes. The ratio of long and short rods isn't exactly 2:1 but close enough; 100mm and 50mm were used in the example, with longer rods providing a more impressive result. Note that long rods are optional.