Geodome

Astronomy enthusiast Paul wanted to build a geodesic roof to cover his telescope enclosure. He used an off the shelf frame kit to provide the geodesic shape and then laminated between the frame to form the panels.

To give the project a more environmentally friendly twist, the panels used a mixture of natural fibre for the skin and corrugated cardboard for the additional stiffness. This was laminated using our LB2 bio derived epoxy resin.

There were a few challenges on the way as the natural materials behave differently to traditional composite materials. The cardboard did require multiple coats of resin to ensure the outer surface was fully sealed. Cardboard becomes soft and flexible when wet with water so a couple of minor leaks meant a few panels needed more coats than expected to ensure it was fully water proof.

Once the exact technique was dialled in, Paul was able to finish the project to give the impressively large geodesic dome you see in the pictures.