A CAD tutorial for making a ball using Buckminster Fuller’s principle. The ball is constructed by 12 pentagon and 16 hexagon equally. The downloadable pdf file on the link below contains demonstration videos.

1. How to make a sphere using Buckminster Fuller’s ball (it comprises 12 pentagon and 16 hexagon equally)
Step 1 – Create hexagon and pentagon
Step 2 to 8: get the right rotation of pentagon and
hexagon
Extend this
line, the end
point is
Step 2 – Create circle with the ref point and line as
parallel to
point on A. shown on picture
Then make a
circle
A
Extend this
line, the end
point is
Step 3 – Repeat step 2 for hexagon
parallel to
point on B.
Then make a
circle
B
Yudhi Ariadi – 16 Feb 2010 – yudhidayak@yahoo.com

2. Step 4 – Create the reference line by connecting
circles intersection (point C) to end point of
D hexagon (point D)
C
Step 5 – Now you have the reference line for rotating
pentagon and hexagon
D
C
The rotating
centre line Step 6 – Rotate the pentagon using side of polygon to
the reference line
The reference line
Yudhi Ariadi – 16 Feb 2010 – yudhidayak@yahoo.com

3. The rotating
centre line Step 7 – Repeat step 6 for hexagon
Lazy to make this step? Just take the ready to use file:
sphere-basic-07-rotate_hexagon_to_ref_line-result.igs
The reference line
Step 8 – Now you have proper position for pentagon
and hexagon.
(you can take a rest and go to fylde to take a cup of
tea or coffee…)
Step 9 – copy rotate (array rotate) the pentagon and
hexagon.
Congratulation, now you have one-fourth of sphere…!
Don’t have a time to follow this step? Just open the result file:
sphere-basic-09-now_you_have_1-4th_of_sphere-result.igs
Yudhi Ariadi – 16 Feb 2010 – yudhidayak@yahoo.com

4. Step 10 to 12: get the half of sphere
Step 10 – Copy the one-fourth of sphere.
If you find the difficulties of the next step? Don’t hesitate to import this:
sphere-basic-11-rotate_2nd-1-4th_of_sphere-result.igs
Step 11 – Rotate 1800 the 2nd one-fourth of sphere
and join the 2nd one-fourth to 1st one-fourth
by connecting 3 points as shown.
Video step 9 to 12
Step 12 – Congratulation
again..!
Now you have half of sphere.
You can compare your creation with this file: Note: the way of making half of sphere depends on CAD and skill, in
sphere-basic-12-now_you_have_half_of_sphere- NX you can copy one-fourth and connect to 1st one-fourth in one way.
result.igs SolidWorks may have same capabilities as well. The way shown in
Yudhi Ariadi – 16 Feb 2010 – yudhidayak@yahoo.com this tutorial is to make easy to understand.

5. Step 13 – Copy the half of sphere.
Step 14 – Rotate 1800 the 2nd half of sphere and join
the 2nd half to 1st half by connecting 3 points
as shown.
This tutorial makes you got headache? Take aspirin and open this file!
sphere-basic-14-rotate-2nd-half_of_sphere-result.igs
Video step 13 to 15
Are you extremely busy today? Skip all step, grab the following file
and relax…
sphere-basic-15-now_you_have_(basically)_full_sphere-result.igs
Step 15 – Congratulation..!
Now you have
(basically) full of
sphere.
You can create anything that constructs the sphere (spokes, wires,
cylinders or whatever…) with this pattern, see the next tutorial)
Yudhi Ariadi – 16 Feb 2010 – yudhidayak@yahoo.com