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C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:14 pm
by karlhorton
This is a repost of one of Peter's excellent models from the old Geomag forums.
It was originally posted on 21st November 2006

If you happen to own 1020 Geomag bars, 120 diamond and 60 square panels, here's how to build the big sphere with panels recently added to the Geomag Gallery.

normal_POL0378.jpg
The complete flower sphere
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It's basically a dodecahedron (a ball with 12 sides) made of modules that look a bit like flowers.

Below is one module. You will need 80 bars, 10 diamond and 5 square panels to build it. 12 modules are necessary for the large sphere.

normal_Panels_flower_sphere_-_module.jpg
The flower sphere modules
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If you don't have 1020 Geomag bars, at least try to build one module just for the fun of it. It will spin like a top on a flat surface.

Here is how you assemble the modules, 3 of them join together at the pointy ends. 3 bars for each connection (marked in red) provide extra stability.

normal_Panels_flower_sphere_-_assembling_modules.jpg
How to assemble the modules
normal_Panels_flower_sphere_-_assembling_modules.jpg (25.22 KiB) Viewed 21513 times


(My modules use five bars more and five diamond panels less than the ones used for the red sphere, but the shape is the same)

Have fun,
PJ

Nice. This twelve-module approach seems very productive.
Rafael Millan

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:44 pm
by PolyClare
Wow, that is so fabulous and beautiful!!! Inspiring!!! I hope I can find time to have a go at it. If I do I'll be sure to post a pic here.

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:42 pm
by karlhorton
we're building it .... it's tricky - small kids can't do it. And, as usual, Peter left
a few details unspecified.

The "clear petals" in the ball are a later addition, I think.

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:27 pm
by Peter Jepsen
What?! Unspecified!?
I even drew red circles and wrote x12.. :)

I don't recall now if the panels were added later but it's probable...
If you build a version with bars only it'll soon be very evident that you're not building a dodecahedron as the 12 flowers suggest, but in fact a smaller variation of this icosahedron:
geomag_model_team_big_icosahedron.jpg
Model by Geomag Model Team
[ www.flickr.com/photos/geomag_model_team/1400783855 ]

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:47 pm
by karlhorton
Hoorah - we did it! We found out the hard way that the "clear petals" in the photograph
significantly weaken the model: in particular the squares interfere with the rhombii, so
these panels hang in weakly.

The trick, of course, is to build the model with the specified modules (except
for the bottom face) and then pop the bars out and apply the clear petals at the end.

_DSC7912.jpg
The build crew: Sasha Niko and me.


I'm ashamed to admit that I completely missed the icosahedron until
the model was sitting in front of me: the coloring of the model is really effective
at disguising that.

I'll post some more detail shots in a minute.

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:17 pm
by karlhorton
Here's the build going up .... dropping the modules in place is always
exciting, because just one slip can break the model whilst in progress.

_DSC7880-2.jpg
Dropping a flower module in


Here's a detail before application of the red petals: look carefully and you
can see the icosahedron. Instead of 12 yellow stars, think of 20 triangles
4 geomag bars long.

_DSC7871.jpg
Fllower Ball detail


And moving on to next time .... I'm going to try a slightly different module:
this one has fewer bars, and no squares, and I really like the way the rhombii
tunnel under the pentagonal pyramid inside.

You do need 360 diamond panels for this - mine had been languishing
in a never used ziplock till this project, so it's good to get them out.

IMG_3027-3.JPG
Alternative floret module


Thanks again, Peter, visitors to the house were really impressed
with this model.

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:36 pm
by AFKAN
Exceptional effort there Karl 8-) 8-) 8-)

Currently been working on something a little special myself but I'll post that tomorrow ;)

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:19 pm
by karlhorton
I just came across this old picture: I think it's from
a Geomag trade show in 2006.

2006-flower-DSC_2618.JPG
From the old Geomag gallery: 2006 trade show, I think

Re: C061121 - The flower sphere (Peter Jepsen)

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:40 am
by musikart001
Once upon a time, when i had the time, I too was a geomag builder... back than, i made just a smal part of this:

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