Walt's Toy Box

Walt collects geometrical toys, especially modeling kits. This part will feature some of these kits.


Zometool

The Zometool is without a doubt the coolest modeling kit Walt has seen anywhere. It allows modeling many, many geometrical forms, including a wide variety of domes. The Zometool system is based on the symmetries of the icosahedron. Here's some pictures of Zometool models:

Photo of 6-frequency dome

Walt's friend Barak holds a 6-frequencyZometool dome.

Rendering of Zometool Triangles

This model was devised by Walt to illustrate the 16 types of triangles you can build with the basic Zometool system.

Note:this rendering was done by Will Ackel using his custom graphics software.

The Zometool connector balls are in the shape of a small rhombicosidodecahedron, and the 62 holes are shape-coded for different color-and-shape-coded types of struts. The blue struts are rectangular in cross-section, the yellow struts are triangular, and the red ones are pentagonal. Each color comes in three different lengths in the ratio of the golden proportion. The lengths of the yellow and red struts are slightly shorter than the blue ones so they fit perfectly into specific places of the various models.

Also see:


(return to Walt's Dome Page main page)