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Disclaimers: I've seen a few good ones in posts here so this is by no means the best design. I just wanted something quick and inexpensive and that's what I got. Also, this requires a little bit of welding so if you don't have a rig and don't know anyone who does, this approach may not be for you.
Total cost of materials: $10.30 from Home Depot
Total time to fabricate: 15 minutes
Also, I'm an IT nerd by profession and not by any means adept at fabrication. Therefore, I estimate the level of expertise to do this at simple/moderate difficulty.
The first photo shows the parts that I used.
1 ball bearing caster wheel
1 24inch x 1/4 inch coarse threaded rod
5 1/4 inch coarse threaded nuts
1 1/4 inch turnbuckle
1 piece of 2x2 angle iron
1. Remove the wheel from the caster and discard. I used a grinder to remove the axle ends and the wheel pops out.
2. Remove the hook end from the turnbuckle. Thread one 1/4 inch nut all the way to the end. Insert the threaded end into the caster axle hole but before continuing through the other hole, thread another nut onto the screw and fit the loop end of the turnbuckle over the nut. Now insert the hook threads through the other side of the caster axle hole and thread on another nut to tighten.
3. Screw the 24 inch threaded rod into the turnbuckle hole that is now vacant.
4. Spot weld the loop end of the turnbuckle to the nut that is between the caster axle holes. This allows the vertical dimensional rotation for the tool.
5. Thread two 1/4 inch nuts onto the other end of the 24 inch threaded rod. Estimate how much distance you will need based upon the inside radius of your dome. Don't worry about getting it exactly right because you can rotate the arm end after welding to move it to any distance that you need.
6. Spot weld the nuts to the piece of angle iron as shown in the picture.
That's it for the radius tool - now you just need to center and stabilize it in the dome when you are ready to start laying bricks.
Total cost of materials: $10.30 from Home Depot
Total time to fabricate: 15 minutes
Also, I'm an IT nerd by profession and not by any means adept at fabrication. Therefore, I estimate the level of expertise to do this at simple/moderate difficulty.
The first photo shows the parts that I used.
1 ball bearing caster wheel
1 24inch x 1/4 inch coarse threaded rod
5 1/4 inch coarse threaded nuts
1 1/4 inch turnbuckle
1 piece of 2x2 angle iron
1. Remove the wheel from the caster and discard. I used a grinder to remove the axle ends and the wheel pops out.
2. Remove the hook end from the turnbuckle. Thread one 1/4 inch nut all the way to the end. Insert the threaded end into the caster axle hole but before continuing through the other hole, thread another nut onto the screw and fit the loop end of the turnbuckle over the nut. Now insert the hook threads through the other side of the caster axle hole and thread on another nut to tighten.
3. Screw the 24 inch threaded rod into the turnbuckle hole that is now vacant.
4. Spot weld the loop end of the turnbuckle to the nut that is between the caster axle holes. This allows the vertical dimensional rotation for the tool.
5. Thread two 1/4 inch nuts onto the other end of the 24 inch threaded rod. Estimate how much distance you will need based upon the inside radius of your dome. Don't worry about getting it exactly right because you can rotate the arm end after welding to move it to any distance that you need.
6. Spot weld the nuts to the piece of angle iron as shown in the picture.
That's it for the radius tool - now you just need to center and stabilize it in the dome when you are ready to start laying bricks.
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