If you are going to try for a geodesic roof with all the inherent custom triangles and struts, it would be easier to just make a regular dome. Of course some people don't like domes, even some who have actually been inside one : )
My impression is that the kit comes as a pile of assorted flat wire panels that will need to be assembled, a pile of liners for the wire cages, and a canvas roof with aluminum frame. In reality a geodesic dome is less complex, and with fewer unique parts. There are two sized triangles in a 3v dome, and three strut lengths. You only need two molds, which can be used over and over as soon as the pc drains a little, usually less than ten minutes. With a helper I can make all the triangles for a 17' dome in two days, and the frame in one more day. Cost would be around $1,000 not counting labor, for around 200 sq. ft. Depending on the weather, the triangles can be ready to use in a couple of weeks.
I'm certainly not trying to talk you into a geodesic, just pointing out that first impressions of complexity can be misleading. A typical quilt is magnitudes more complex than a 3v geodesic.
It's costing me $1,200.00 to ship a 350# frame to Italy. I wonder how much the freight from UK to here would be for one of these kits.
Spaceman
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, T Phillips <canineaficionado@...> wrote:
>
> Well, because we have zero experience building anything. ( Well, Mike 'builds' firmware; I 'build' quilts.) This kit comes with all the parts except the fill, and instructions, and all we have to do is assemble and fill- with a rented machine. No thinking required. We can call it an 'accessory building' and skip loads of code issues.
>
> What we'd get from it is the ability to spend more time on the land, observe weather patterns, figure out where to put the house (it's a big, mostly flat piece of land). We live 2 hours away, and with no shelter to be even slightly protected in, it is no fun being there. (Yes, we are spoiled city folks.) It seems like it would take a long time to build a dome. And we're wanting to do the pay-as-you-go plan.
>
> We are hindered by a lack of experience and the distance to the land. More and more and more ideas are welcome. Perhaps we can synthesize a bunch of ideas into a cohesive whole. Thanks!
> Tina in Colorado
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