How to build an acrylic dome

[gafftaper]

Don't you have any plastic dealers in your area? Out here on the west coast we have an awesome chain called Tap Plastic. The stock just about every thing you could ever want and if they don't have it they'll make it... for a price.

EDIT: OH... here you go. Google Search: clear "plastic sphere"

resulted in this page Clear acrylic lamp covers, round with a small hole on one side. The 20" model is $100... sounds like David paid too much.

[ship]

Many electrical supply or lighting supply stores can get such a dome made for pathway lighting for you given the lead time available. Might contact one of them.


Otherwise I would shop at some home centers and garden centers to see about lawn ordiments. This if not in some resale house finding a dome used for plants I forget the name to (Eco Dome?) during the 70's but Mom had one of of about the dia. that sat on a white stand and was so 70's.

[jcfalc01]

When we did Beauty we purchased our dome for just about $100. I then measured the refractive index of the dome and ordered 1/16 and 1/8 plexiglas rod to match the same index. The rod was inserted from below through the base and a petal was attached to upright end. The same petal fell each time, we just exchanged out the big rose, each time placing one with fewer and fewer petals until it was just a stem and the petal on the rod.

We also rigged up a low voltage light in the base that ran off a car battery, since our scenery moved all over the stage. The light came on when the scene called for it and the petal would drop. It was very hard to see even when just a few feet away.

Same concept as floating the bag of fish in the aquarium - you typically cannot see the bag.