Sometimes vZome let you design interesting models, until one realizes that in a real Zometool model, multiple struts cannot be put in the same hole. The left of the picture for instance shows a pentagonal hole is supposed to be entered by 1 red strut and 5 green struts of different orbits:
To tackle this problem, the right side of the figure shows that a modified green strut foot has provided a solution: instead of bending towards a pentagonal hole, it bends in the other direction, passing the rectangular holes, into the neighbouring triangular hole. Moreover, the modified strut is excavated, so that it does not interfere with blue or red struts, if present. The tips of the struts are generated by vZome’s 3D Printing Starters.
This technique is applied here to build a physical model of the Eight Stellation of the Icosahedron. It is a one of the 17 fully supported stellations, but it is not shown in an earlier post, since, without modification, it cannot be build with Zometool. The model is constructed around a icosadocahedron with edge length hb0. As these are extremely short, it is easier to connect the vertices of the icosadodecahedron to the centre (pink hb1 struts in the building instructions). The hg0's and b1's in the model are standard Zometool struts. The modified hb2's have been 3D printed in PLA. The small black line on each of the struts is a residu of black PETG which was used as support.
