This is the design for plastic hubs to build an example 2V geodesic dome with wooden dowels.

This makes for an approximate 56" diameter (4' 8"), useful as a fun project or an explanation of geometry.

2V Bill of Materials

edges

I started with bamboo dowels 3/8" x 17.5" (amazon - (100) 3/8" x 17.5" Inch Bamboo Dowels, $37 July 2024) and cut down the items that needed to be shorter.

• A: (30) 15.475in (15 3/8") (88.4%) - 15.86º
• B: (35) 17.5" - 18º

vertices

these items are 3D printed and contained here

• (10) 4-way
  • (5) BABB
  • (5) BBAB
• (6) 5-way (AAAAA)
• (10) 6-way (ABBABB)

Description

My original starting point was the SCAD file Geodesic dome hubs by meirm on Thingiverse - i changed it quite drastically. I both abstracted the code to better support parametric modification, and change the design from minimal spikes to more puck-like.

I used for reference this geodesic dome calculator. There are many on the internet. It has some nice diagrams. Beware, my A/B terminology is flipped from theirs.

I used my SCAD file, manually edited it, to generated the 4 unique types (6-way, 5-way, 4-way A, and 4-way B). Then I laid them out on as few multiple plates as I could. I colored the 5-way vertexes to better visualize the original icosahedral geometry.

Whether you buy the exact same dowels, or others, I highly suggest you print a single one and test the tolerance to confirm it's good for you. You can tweak the diameter in the SCAD file if you need to adjust it. Then you'll need to re-setup all the slicing settings.

If you want to change the geometry at all, you can start in the SCAD file. Some values are nicely parameterized, some aren't fully tested.