Hello From Central California

[Dino_Pizza]

Casting your own pieces for a geodesic dome sounds awesome! I say enjoy the challenge and go for it. Principals are the same, outcome the same. I'm getting tired of looking at all of my rectangular bricks. And Sketchup is a blast once you get the hang of it and spend the extra few minutes to make a block (or group for the non-autocads) for even the smallest part. It really helps you visualize things especially if your spatially dependent (I made that up). Good luck, looking forward to your design an build, Dino

PS: did you really agree with your wife that it wont cost anything? DO NOT LOOK AT MY COST SPREADSHEET!

[dmun]

I pre-assembled my two types of triangles into pentagons and hexagons before I built the dome, and this made for huge chunks of masonry hanging, unsupported, in mid-air. Working with the smaller triangular units will make it easier to assemble, and you can more easily manage any small fit cuts that you need to get things to fit.

[EADavis]

Les, Dino,
Thanks for the support!

Dave,
Good point. That looks like the approach (two types of triangles) tiomarquito took last year, as well as edschmidt before that (and they also went with a 2V dome). I wonder how their ovens are holding up...
Thanks,
Ed

[exceloven]

Ed, James,
Its been a long time since I have been back to the peninsula. Is David Ave. elementary still there by the PG gate. I lived in that neighborhood till I was fourteen. I need to get back there and see al the changes. I must admit I don't miss the fog. You can't beat the golf though.
I'm really looking forward to see the direction you go with your oven. Its sounds like you will have your oven built entirely in your head (or on paper) before your first brick is laid.

Mark

[EADavis]

Mark,
Good question - I have been out here only two years, so some of the local landmarks are still new to me. I can tell you that it looks like they spent a lot of money redoing the athletic fields over at the high school.

It is thanks to the marine layer that when we bought our house, it was in Hollister (though I still work in Monterey). My wife hated it being overcast for four months of the year. That, and we got a great deal thanks to someone else's financial misfortune.

With everything going on now (work, doing my taxes, the NCAA tourney - go Huskies!), I probably WILL have every brick laid out in my head before I get started! But I promise to post pictures once I do get started.
Thanks,
Ed