DAY 21 - A short work session after dinner

I went over to the workshop Monday after work.   Something about that gap in the dome made me want to get that out of my head before I left for another week.

I had cut the inner dome yesterday in order to make the inside and outside dome surfaces contact each other and seat properly.  If this was not done, the bottom dome of the dome had a 1/4" gap that would not bode well for the doors on the lower rim of the dome.

The inner dome was cut, creating a seam that allowed for expansion of the inner dome.  I then used Captive Studs to fabricate a "Band-Aid" like strap to hold the dome in its new form.

The captive studs have a serrated surface on the underside of the head that grips into the metal.  The head is ultra than, and requires very little counter-sinking..... counter-sinkness.... counter-sinked ????

Here is a shot of the two straps I put in on the top and bottom sections of the inner dome.

The Captive Studs are really cool to work with.  Drill a hole, counter-sink with a 120 degree counter sink bit (it is almost flat), pop in the captive stud.  Find a wrench small enough to fit a 4-40 nut and twist.  The result is a very, very flush mounted screw.  This needs to be done as any protrusion of a bolt head would interfere with how the outer dome sits on the inner dome.

When all was said and done, the top pie panels sit flush in their respective grooves.

 Aint it pretty ?  You will notice that the bottom of the dome fits tight where the access panels are cut open along the perimeter.  This is where the 1/4" gap was previous to this little operation.

Close-up of the seam poking out from the bottom of the dome.  Again, without this seam, the inner dome was "too small" and did not fit flush with the outer dome.

Top view of the lip left for the dome panels to rest on.  I still need to take these down a little bit.  I foresee much filing in my future.

Just 'cause they are so darned pretty - here's two panels exposed.  I am not really sure why I draw cut lines.  I am such a chicken-s^$% when it comes to cutting these things that I stay FAR away from the actual line.  I think my motto is "Measure twice, cut once at least 1/4" from the line, then file and sand down to the line".  Ultimately, I am happy that I am taking this slowly - better safe than sorry with the aluminum, as you can't glue a piece back on like you would with styrene to correct a boo boo.

BAM ! - all access to the top of the dome.  I am not 100% sure if I am going to hinge the top center circle.  Some builders have, and it is cool when it opens, but nothing ever really comes out of that hole in the films.... We shall see, that is a decision for a later day.

Oh yeah, and the bolt in the top of the dome is there to hold the inner and outer domes together as the parts are being prepped.  All in all - in about 6 hours of work, I am further ahead with this dome than with my previous version.  I realize that final finishing of the aluminum dome will take longer in the end, but I feel this is a step in the right direction for my build.

Stay tuned for more updates - next week I plan on mounting all of the flashy lights in the dome... after I cut out the side door panels.  OK, maybe two weeks before the flashy things get mounted.