Max and Min dimensions

Recommended size range

  • 23mm - 32mm width is a good range to work with.
  • The sticks won't be too heavy and they will look nice proportionately in relation to the hubs.

We want to ensure people have a good experience and the heavier the sticks are, the harder the build will be physically. It also increases the risk of a pop-out during construction.

32mm is a good max size as it keeps the weight manageable and maintains a nice proportional relationship between the hubs and the sticks.

Maximum dimensions

  • You can go larger 32mm.
  • We generally suggest tapering above this width but we have made domes using 19mm x 38mm batten which was fine without tapering, although the sticks do clash a bit more during the build (when the angles are acute).
  • 50mm is about right on the limit; any wider and you'll almost certainly clash at the hub and the sticks won't be able to sit in the correct angles to build the dome.
  • At 50mm x 50mm the sticks are chunky in relation to the hubs and would be getting quite heavy above about 3.5m diameter.
  • Theoretically you could use a larger dimension on one side with the other side within tolerance, and rotate the sticks as necessary, but we suspect that the sticks may clash a lot during the build.

Generally if you don't mind dealing with more weight or risking pop-outs during construction then you can go for it. Get a few more friends to help, and if a stick pops-out - just pop it back in!

Minimum dimensions

  • We recommend 16mm as an absolute minimum size as this is the diameter of the base of the ball connector.

Note that if you screw your ball connector on slightly off-centre then there will be a bit of an overhang and it might not look so nice. So a bit bigger is better to give you some room for error!