The original Hexadome support ring was 90" in diameter and consisted of six segments. I decided to make the dome base ring exactly the same size. Using one of the existing segments as a pattern, I "copied" it with a flush cut router bit until I had enough pieces to make the ring base and most of the ribs. Except for the the two main ribs, they all have the same radius of curvature.
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Surprisingly (to me at least), the wood (mainly sheets of 1/8" masonite and 1/2" plywood) was only about a third of the cost. Most of the money went into "little things" like paint, trim, caulking and hardware. You can do most of the work by yourself with a few good tools (primarily a jigsaw and router), but some aspects will require help from others (i.e., tracing out the gores and lifting the dome in place).
I would highly recommend pursuing such a project. The three weeks of hard work will reward you for decades of use. If you want to know more or would like to have a tour of the new observatory, please e-mail me. |