Instructions for Building the Hooker 100-inch Telescope Model

General Instructions

Be forewarned: This is not a beginner level paper model. But it can be built at a number of different levels, by omitting certain steps. For instance, you could just build the telescope with-out the dome (which requires the most skill). You can also omit details on telescope, the pier, or leave off the dome shutters or railing, although these details add considerably to the finished appearance.

Paper: If you are printing the model, you will need white card stock. 65 lbs or 110 lbs will work. Be sure that all the pages are printed to the original size. You do not want the printer to scale each page to the margins or “to fit.”

Scoring & Folding

Preparing the pieces properly before assembly is most important. Cut out pieces only as you need them. Use good craft scissors to make clean cuts. Some cuts may be better made with a sharp blade like an X-acto knife or a box cutter. To get a precise fold, you need to score the pieces first. In many cases, the pieces are easier to score before you cut them out, particularly the smaller pieces. Most folds are scored on the front (the printed side of the paper), but a few “reverse” folds, indicated by red lines, are scored on the back.

To score the paper, lay a good straightedge next to the line to be folded and lightly run a hobby knife blade along it. (I use a metal T-square or the edge of a credit card, and make the score with a slightly dull knife blade). The idea is to weaken only the uppermost layer of paper so that it will fold easily and precisely along the score. To avoid missing reverse folds, flip the sheets over and hold them up against a window (or light box if you have one) and mark all the reverse folds with a pencil where the score is supposed to go. It is a really good idea to mark all the reverse folds on back BEFORE you cut out the pieces. If you forget whether or not a piece has been scored, simply drag a knife edge across the area in question and, if it catches in the groove, it has been scored.

Before scoring and folding, study the pictures of the model to see how the piece will look. To make the folds, bend the scored lines of each piece against the edge of a metal ruler or credit card. Pinch the paper against the corner to bend it, or by running the back of a fingernail against the paper to initiate the fold. Once the fold is started, finish it by pressing the folded sides all the way together against a flat surface. Then open the fold to the angle needed for the piece.

Gluing

Most important! Make sure you try fitting the pieces together first without glue, so that you will know exactly where they go and where best to apply the glue.

There are many glues that you could use, but some like the common white glues (Elmer’s) may cause the paper to get too wet, causing it to warp out of shape. My favorite glue is made by Tombow and is called Aqua Mono Liquid Glue. It is worth ordering on the Internet if you cannot find it in a store. For gluing together several larger pieces of the dome that are doubled up, use

a glue like Elmer’s rubber cement, which is a little harder to work with, but any excess glue rubs off when dry and it will not leave the large pieces all warped.

Whatever glue you use, apply a thin, even coat on the tabs to be glued—too much glue will get messy and may warp the paper. Use whatever works to apply the glue. You can cut out triangles of waste card paper or use toothpicks dipped in glue to coat the tabs.

If you do use Elmer’s white glue or equivalent: Before gluing, squeeze a small pool of glue onto a piece. By letting the glue dry slightly and get tacky before applying it, it will set almost instant-ly, with minimal holding. Sometimes, you will want to apply fresh glue, so you will have more time to adjust the alignment of the piece before the glue sets.

For some of the smaller pieces and tabs, tweezers are helpful for holding the paper as the glue dries.

Go slowly. It takes time. For the actual telescope, George Ellery Hale ordered the 100-inch mir-ror in 1906 and it did not see first light until November 2, 1917. George Willis Ritchey took six and a half years to grind and polish the mirror into perfect shape. So be patient building the model, which should go a little faster! It is often best to glue one tab at a time and let it dry com-pletely before preceding to the next. (If you are working on several items at once, this won’t slow you down.)

Items you will need to build this paper model:

1) Quality craft scissors for cutting out the pieces. 2) A knife for scoring the folds and for making a few cuts that are more difficult with scissors.

Any hobby knife or box cutter will do.3) A second knife for cutting out the centers of the rings on the telescope will be helpful, such

as an X-acto knife with a small chisel blade for this.4) A wood board to cut on is very helpful. Tape a plastic card to one edge, this will make folding

the scored easier. 5) A second plastic card is great for use as a straight edge for scoring the folds. It can also be

used to press the folds against the edge of the other card taped to the board. You may also use a metal straightedge, but the card is easier to use for most of the scoring.

6) A sharp pencil for marking the back of some of the pieces, for instance when reverse folds are needed.

7) Tweezers are helpful for holding some of the small tabs while the glue dries. 8) A chopstick (or other slender piece of wood) to help reach inside on occasion to make sure

the tabs you are gluing are pressed down. A flat ended chopstick works best.9) Spray adhesive and foam board for mounting the base. 3M’s General Purpose adhesive

#45 is good.10) Glue that will not warp the paper. Tombow’s Aqua Mono Liquid Glue is really good and

makes the job much neater than a typical white glue like Elmer’s.11) Elmer’s rubber cement, however, is great for glueing a few pieces that are doubled up for

strength. It will not warp the paper.12) A hole punch that is the right size to make the holes for the telescope axis is really helpful.13) Clear tape that is relatively easy to peel off and reposition. I use 3M Scotch Magic Tape with

a matte finish.

To avoid mistakes read the instructions for each step before proceeding for tips on as-sembly.

Step 1: The Base

You must glue the base sheet to a rigid surface that will support the model—no flimsy card-board. Half-inch-thick pieces of foam board (available in most art supply stores) work best. The base for the model should measure 11 x 8.5 inches, the same as a letter-size piece of paper.

For the best results, use a spray adhesive to glue the telescope floor plan to the rigid base. Take special care (the spray adhesive I use (3M’s General Purpose Spray Adhesive #45) essentially allows for no repositioning once the paper is pressed down. Get one edge of the sheet lined up correctly and pressed down, then smooth the rest of the paper down so that air bubbles won’t be trapped under the paper.

Step 2: The Lower Dome Walls

Cut, score, and fold the 4 wall sections, found on SHEETS 2 & 3. Each one has a tab marked with its position corresponding position the base (SE, NE, NW, SW). These are also indicated on the base.

It is critical to place the outer wall pieces on the base so that they just cover the dark lines mark-ing their position. By gluing one tab in the middle of each section and letting it dry, it will be eas-ier to position them exactly. After the one tab is dry, glue the two on either side, working your way outward. If these walls are not positioned correctly, pieces added later will not fit properly.

In tight places, it may be helpful to use the end of an unsharpened pencil, or other similar object, to press down a tab as it dries to the base.

Once the four sections are glued into position on the base, go ahead and glue the interior vertical tabs between the sections.

Next, cut out and score the 11 interior wall pieces found on SHEETS 3, 4, and 20 . Note that they are not all the same size. Letters on the base indicate where they should go. There are two each labelled A, B, and C, in descending widths on SHEET 3. There four labelled D on SHEET 2. And one labelled E on Sheet 20 which has different tabs, so it can fit next to the spectrograph on the western side.

Spread rubber cement evenly on one side be-tween the folded halves and press them to-gether until dry. One at a time, glue each wall in the proper place, by putting regular glue on the bottom tabs and those that will touch the outer wall. Make sure you are applying the glue to the bottom tabs and not the top. Leave the top tabs without glue for now. Carefully glue each one in position so that these sections hold out the outer walls at one end, while the other end just aligns with the small crosses marked on the floor.

(There are small crosses marking where additional supports are located. Optional: Print out more and add them, but eleven are really enough to get the idea across.)

Step 3: The Spectrograph

Cut out, score, and fold the spectrograph (SHEET 5, S1 ) then glue the edge tabs together, be-ginning with the top. Then glue the long, sloping upper surface. Once dry, put a little glue on the edges of the bottom and glue it in place on the base.

Step 4: Lower Dome Deck and Spectrograph Shed

Cut out the lower dome deck (SHEET 4). Note that it will be cut into sections along the black lines and these will be glued in place around the dome. Cut the sections one at a time and glue each one to ONLY ONE corresponding tab on top of the walls, lining them up precisely (see images below.) Once dry, glue the other tabs one by one. These deck sec-

tions will hold the outer walls in proper position. Make sure to align each section evenly with the next.

Finish the base of the dome by gluing in place the shed that covers the spectrograph (SHEET 5, S2). And then glue the roof (Sheet 5, S3) in place over it.

STEP 5: The Telescope Pier

Cut out, score, and fold the pier (SHEET 6, the largest piece). Then glue together it together into a box. Cut out the bottom of the telescope “bullring” (SHEET 4, P1) and lay it on a flat surface. Put some glue on the edges around the top of the pier and press it down onto P1. At this point you can be finished with the pier or you can add more details (see below).

Optional: If you want the pier to appear more realistic, cut, score, fold and glue together the four long side elements (bottom left of SHEET 6). Making the folds where the sides taper near the top is tricky, but using a credit card to make the fold against a straight edge will help. The small tabs at the bottom can be held in place with tweezers as the glue dries. When there four pieces are ready, apply a little glue to the top and along the edges where they will make contact with the pier. Press each one into place where the two black lines indicate, making sure the bot-toms are flush with the bottom of the pier. Hold until dry.

The supports for the deck of the pier are next. They are found on SHEETS 4, 5 & 6. Cut, score, fold, and glue them into shape. They are numbered for position as most are different sizes. When dry, glue supports 1-8 into place by gluing them first only to the pier and then, once dry, to the pier top. This pulls the pier walls out so that they will be at right angles with the top when glued down. Note that there are two #8 supports and no #3.

Next come the two pieces that form the equipment area around the south end of the pier (SHEET 5, P2 & P3). Cut, score and fold the two pieces, and then put a curve into the portions with the small triangles on the edges (see the image below). Glue these two pieces in place un-der the deck where indicated.

And finally, glue the last four supports (numbers 9, 10, 11, 12) in place as indicated.

Step 6: The Bullring

Cut out the round upper surface of the bullring (SHEET 7), and the inner sides (SHEET 7 Inner East & Inner West) Cut these out only as needed, as the marks for where the cuts and scores are to be made are indicated on the surrounding paper. Put the appropriate curve in these walls by running the paper through your pinched thumb and forefinger. (See below)

After preparing the inner east wall, put glue on one of the small triangles and glue it in position, aligning in with the small line at the north end of the deck. Then start the other one (see image above). Once one tab is dry on each piece, you can glue five or so triangles at a time, making sure the inner walls are wrapping neatly around the circle. Once you have finished gluing all the small triangles for both pieces, apply glue to the vertical tabs at the ends of the strips, making sure they are vertical and properly positioned, hold them until dry.

Cut, score, and fold the six pieces (SHEET 7, BR 1-6) that will go around the edges inside the bullring (see below). These pieces are a bit complicated. There are lost of reverse folds and pieces that have to be glued together before being glued into the bullring. Start with the largest, the wall that goes at the south end (BR 1). And start by gluing the top, as shown in the image

below, centering it. Once dry, glue down remaining tabs onto the deck and the side tab to the inner wall.

Next cut, score, and fold the piece that goes on top (BR 2). Note that a short cut needs to be made to free part of the railing. Also you will need to fold and glue the stairway (BR 3) and glue its small tri-angle to BR 2 (as shown) before gluing this assembly onto the top of BR 1.

Next, cut out the two stairways that will go on the sides of the bullring. Start by cutting out, scor-ing, and folding the one that will go on the eastern side, where the space for it is marked on the deck (BR 4). Don’t forget to make the short vertical cut above the door that frees the rail from the small square that will form the landing above the stairs. Put a curl in the part where the stairway curves (see image).

Double over the stairway railing and glue. Then glue the small triangles on one side of the stair-way to the wall just below the inside railing. Once the piece is prepared, glue it in place, making sure it is vertically aligned against the wall before it sets.

Next prepare the stairway that goes on the western side (BR 5 & 6). After curling, fold BR 5 in half and glue. Then glue BR 6 to BR 5 in a similar manner to the other stairway. When the as-sembly is dry glue in place in the bullring.

(Optional: Cut out and fold the telescope control desk (BR 7). It is small, making it a bit tricky. Note that it has one reverse fold.

Finally, cut out the two exterior walls of the bullring, (SHEET 7, outer east and outer west). Put the proper curve in each wall by pulling it through your pinched thumb an forefinger. On outer east free the small square with a short vertical cut and fold it down (this will fit between the space in the interior wall. Glue one end of each in place making sure it is lined up right and flush with the top and bottom of the interior wall. Once dry, apply a small amount of glue along the upper and lower edges and press them into place, making sure they wrap around snuggly.

Step 7: The Telescope Mount and Mercury Floats

There are 6 pieces here, all from SHEET 8, that need to be prepared. They will be assembled later, after the telescope is ready to install.

Start with the easiest piece, the base of the north mount, M 5. Glue the tabs one by one until its box-like shape is finished.

Next cut, score and glue together the upper, north, mount (M 3). There are two holes that need to be punched before assembly! One hole needs to be slightly larger (oval-shaped) so punch it twice, so each hole overlaps a bit. Also there are two small tabs that need to be freed along the central strip with two small scissor cuts, and one reverse fold. Start by gluing the tab that completes the square shape of the base. Then work up one side (the one with the reverse fold) gluing the tabs (see photo on right).

Then glue the tab on the white section that goes across the other side. Then, after putting a slight curve into the remaining strip glue the grey tab at the end of it to its base, reading up from the open bottom to press the tab down while it dries. Once dried, put glue on the remaining tabs and cross section (see image at left) and press the strip down. Hold until dry.

Once this is finished, glue the north mount (M 3) to its base (M 5), making sure that it is oriented

properly. The curved side should be on the same side as the long side of the M 5. (Not the side with the three facets, which will face the north.)

Next cut, score, and fold the lower, south, mount that goes directly on the deck (M 1). This piece has two holes that need to be punched out first, along with a small square that needs to be cut out. There is also a reverse fold. Start this piece by gluing the long tabs on either side of the piece to the side flaps with the black triangles. Using a thin pencil or other sim-ilar object put a curve across the rectangle at the end, just beyond the hole. Then, working up from the bottom on the other side, glue the two sets of tabs on either side, letting each dry first before doing the next. The rectangle between the red hole and the square should also have a curve put in it as before. Finally bring this curved end with the square cutout down over the hole and glue it down.

There are two mercury floats, the bigger of the two (M 2) goes at the bottom (south) and the smaller one (M 3) goes at the top (north). These must have holes punched in them before assembly! The lower one gets two holes punched and the upper one only gets one. These holes are best made with a hole punch matching the diameter of the holes (3/16ths of an inch). After the holes are punched and the rest scored and folded, put a curl in the straight section of the floats and glue the triangular tab at the end to the other end so that they form a cylinder. Once dry and properly shaped, apply glue to the tabs on one side and press down on one of the flat lying circles. Adjust the tabs around the edge before the glue dries. Then glue the other circle. (Note: For the bottom float, you can reach in with a toothpick from either hole to push out the sides as needed for position. With the top float you can only do that with the one hole, so glue the solid side down first.)

The last part of the mount to be prepared is the telescope yoke (M 6). Score and cut out this piece. Be sure to make the two short cuts needed to free the one interior flap, as indicat-ed. Cut in as far as the first black line. Do not forget to punch out the two holes. In addition there are two smaller holes through which a round toothpick (or similar thin wooden dowel) will be inserted to allow the tele-

scope to move (the declination axis). These holes should be started with a sharp, pointed object like an ice pick in the middle of the black circles with the small white dots at the center.

Once the holes are made, you can start folding the yoke up and gluing the tabs by starting with the long sides.(See below.)

Continue gluing the sides of the yoke, by moving to the two ends. The next step is to fold down and glue the top surface of the yoke, making sure all the sides are brought into proper alignment before the glue sets. Start at one end as shown below.

Finally, glue the tabs at the four corners to finish the yoke.

Step 8: The 100-inch Telescope and Assembly

Score the telescope tube (T 1) so that it will fold neatly into an octagon. This is best done before cutting it out. Make two holes in the tube where a round toothpick or other material will act as an axis to support the telescope and allow it to move in declination (north-south). This must be done before gluing the tube into shape. These holes are to be made in the two ”bullseyes,” as indicated on SHEET 8. (Also see the image below.) Once the holes are made, go ahead and fold the tube into and octagon and glue the tab down the length, making sure it is properly aligned for top to bottom.

Next, make the reverse fold scores on the back of the telescope top interior (T 2). Fold into an

octagon and secure by gluing the tab. Once dry insert T 2 into the top of the telescope tube, by collapsing it as shown below. Once it is well in the tube, expand the octagon to fill the inside of the telescope tube. It will be snug. Secure with a small amount of glue.

Next, cut out five rings (T 3) to go around the outside of the telescope tube. (These are optional as they are a little hard to cut out and delicate, but they add a lot to the overall appearance of the telescope tube.) It is easiest to cut out the interiors first. I use an X-acto knife chisel blade to cut straight down on the interior edges of the octagon, all the way around. Once the interiors are cut out, go ahead and cut the outside of the rings, leaving a small area uncut where they join.

Put glue on one half and the fold, so that the two rings line up with each other. Make sure the doubled ring is flat as the glue dries. As the rings are completed, slip them onto the telescope tube as shown below, working them carefully over the end. They should be a snug fit. It looks better if all the edges of the rings are blacked with ink (a thick Sharpie pen works well for this) and this is easiest to do when all five rings are stacked together, so that only the edges are ex-posed. After the spider is installed (see below), you can slide the rings into their final positions on the white bands between the black lines. There is one ring that rests around the very top . as close to the edge as you can get it.

Slide the lowest one way down to hold the bottom of the tube in shape while glue the mirror cell on (T 4 mentioned below).

Before sliding the rings into their final positions put tiny drops of glue on each of the eight cor-ners. Then push the rings over the glue and line them up carefully between the lines.

Next built the “spider” which holds the secondary mirror. There are two copies of the two spider arms (T 6 & T 7), just in case you need extras. Score and cut out the two cross arms, then fold in half and glue. Once dry, cut a slot in each using a sharp blade. Make two cuts, one on either side of the thick black cen-ter line, and remove the paper in the middle. Put a small drop of glue in the slot and fit the two pieces together (as shown in image below). Then align the cross arms with cross on the spi-der base T 8 ( the secondary mirror) and glue them together. Once dry, fit the spider into the upper end of the telescope and secure with a little glue.

The bottom of the telescope requires three pieces, T 4, T 5, & T 9. Start by cutting out T 4. Shape it into a cone and glue the white tab to the complete it. Once it is dry. Cut out T 5 and af-ter putting a little glue on the four tabs, set it in the middle of T 4.

Once the cell is ready, put glue along the lower edge of the telescope tube and press it into the cell, aligning and holding it until the glue sets. The mirror cell should stick out a little past each of the eight corners of the tube.

Cut out the edge of the mirror cell (T 9) and put a curl in it. Then glue one end of it to the tele-scope tube just above T 4 (see image below). Also note the position in relation to the hole punched for the telescope axis. Once dry, put glue on the eight corners and wrap T 9 around the tube and secure. With the rings glued in place, the telescope is done.

Assemble the telescope and mount:

Begin by gluing the mercury floats to their supports. First cut the two short sections of wood dowel or other material that will be the equatorial axis of the telescope. Any stock 3/16th in di-ameter will do. The templates for these section of dowel are printed on SHEET 8. Cut the longer of the two dowel sections, the axis for the lower mount & mercury float. It looks best painted black. Gently work it through the two holes of the lower support (M 1) and then through the holes on the larger mercury support (M 2). The fit should be snug between the holes and the dowel; if the holes are made too big the telescope will move TOO freely. Check that the mercury float is in proper position against the lower support. The circular side with the cross bracing should face away from the lower support and the cross bracing should be at the bottom. Make sure the cross bracing is level across relative to the lower mount. Glue the two to-gether, making sure the dowel does not get glue on it. When dry, glue the lower support in place on the deck, and push the dowel through until it touches the sloping south wall. (see im-age.)

Do the same for the Upper telescope mount. Fit the shorter dowel section you have cut though the upper support (M 3) and then through the one hole in the smaller upper mercury float (M 4). Rotate the float until it is in proper position, with the black line across the back of the float hori-zontal. Glue it in place. Do not glue the upper support and its base to the deck yet.

Set the telescope in its mount. You will need something to use as a declination axis. A rounded toothpick with at least one pointed end works best. Pained it black. Work it first through one hole in the side of the yoke box (M 6) and then one hole in the telescope tube. Make sure you have the telescope right side up in relation to the yoke. The face of the yoke with ladders run-ning up either side should face the top of the telescope. Work the toothpick through the other side of the telescope and then the yoke. Once the tough pic is all the way through both, trim of the ends, leaving a doc amount protruding on either side.

Install the yoke its lower section of equatorial axis mount should be ready for it. Make sure you have the southern part of the yoke oriented properly so that it is at the lower souther end, Slide the yoke onto the dowel protruding from the lower mercury float. Finish the assembly by putting glue on the tabs at the base of the northern, upper support (M 3). After sliding its dowel into the upper hole of the yoke, press the upper mount into position on the deck. The telescope should now move freely (but not too freely) in two axes.

Step 9: The Eastern Half Dome Interior

Start with the eastern half of the dome. The model looks great with just half a dome, but if you want to finish it and make the complete dome, you will just repeat the steps below for the west-ern half.

First prepare the deck and arch that will be needed for the interior of the eastern dome. Cut out the deck (SHEET 11). Fold it in half and glue together with rubber cement (this kind of glue will not wet the paper and warp the deck). Wait until the two halves are glued and dried before scoring the tabs around the edge. To score the tabs, which are reverse folds, simply run a knife carefully along the edge of the deck as a guide to score the tabs.

Next prepare the arch. Cut out the eastern arch one SHEET 12. Make a short cut on both sides (near the middle of the arch) to free the two tabs that will be used to anchor the arch to the side of the dome. Wait to score the reverse fold on the edges of the tabs until after the arch is glue together.

Score the arch on the short horizontal line in the middle on both sides. Fold and glue with rubber cement or other non-warping glue. Adjust quickly before the glue sets so both halves are lined up. Lay flat to dry. Once dry, rub off any excess rubber cement and score the backs of the two side tabs, so they will have reverse folds. Use the edge of the upper side as a guide for the score.

There are two small pieces that go on either end of the arch to help secure it in proper position to the deck and side of the inner dome. They are found on the same sheet (12) and are labelled EA 1 & EA 2. After giving them each two scores for reverse folds, cut them out, fold and careful-ly glue the white portion to the corresponding white rectangles on the arch bottoms. Make sure they are properly aligned and flush with the bottom of the arch. Once dry, glue the small tab to the side tab of the arch.

Next prepare the two sections of the eastern dome interior found on SHEETS 10 & 11. Start by scoring the folds before cutting them out. Note that the major folds between the sections are reverse folds. So flip the sheet over and using a light box or holding it up to a window pane and a pencil mark the reverse folds. Also you will need to mark on the back where the tops of the vertical walls end and curved dome begins. This will not be folded, but will be used as a guide to glue the bottom “boxes” in proper position. Draw a horizontal line across the piece into boxes

Once you have marked up these two pieces and scored them, cut them out. Be patient and careful cutting around the gores (the curved sections that will go together to form the dome). The more precisely you cut out the gores, the better they will fit together. It takes a little time.

Beginning at the top of the vertical portion of these pieces (see photos below) put a curl in the gores that approximates the shape of the dome. As before with other pieces this is done by pulling each gore between pinched thumb and forefinger repeatedly until the curl is sufficient.

Make all the folds and reverse folds on the two pieces. Then make the “boxes” that will give the lower part strength. Start by gluing the top of each box carefully in position so that they are aligned with the pencil line you drew on the back of each section. (see image below). Make sure that these first tabs are perfectly positioned between the edges of the gores, along the horizontal line. This is critical to insure the proper fit of the rest of the dome. Reach in from the sides with some narrow, flat object (a squarish wooden chopstick works well) to press down the tab against the side of the dome.

After all the tops of the “boxes” have been glued down in proper position, the remaining tabs can be glued, but make sure each one is as precisely positioned as possible. Finish each box by gluing ONE side tab at a time. The first one is the most important as it should be glued to the side of the dome in a way that leaves the upper and lower sides of the box square with the bot-tom edge of the dome. Holding it edge down on a flat surface helps to make it square. Once you have in position reach inside and with something and press the tab down to make sure it is glued properly. You will not be able to reach in for the last tabs, one on each box. Do not yet join this section to the deck or to the other section of the inner dome.

Taping. Once you have all the tabs glued down it is time to switch from glue to tape. Tape is the key to making the dome. Use a clear tape that is relatively easy to remove and reposition. 3M ’s Scotch Magic Tape with a matte finish works well.

Pick one of the two sections of the inner dome and start taping the gores together to form the dome, working from the bottom up. With small pieces of tape, 1-2 inches at most. carefully work up between each gore, closing the gap between them and taping them together from the back. This is a skill that will improve as you go. Try to leave no gaps or overlaps. (It also depends on how carefully you cut out the gores.) If you are not happy with the how two gores are joined, peel up the necessary tape and redo it. This can be done constantly as you work work to hold the gores in the best position and tape them. Since the dome surface is not flat the tape will get wrinkles in it as you go, pressing it down tight once you are satisfied with the positioning. It will not look beautiful, but no one will see it (see image below)

Once one section is all taped. Move on to the second one. Do not join the two halves yet.

Note that there is a short section of one gore (NE on one tab) to be taped onto the loose gore on the end of the NE section. Put a curl in it, fold the tabs and line up the white lines and tape the gores together as you did with the others.

When both are finished, take the NE section and begin gluing it to the deck. Start by gluing just ONE tab from the deck onto the NE section. (Note photos are of the Western dome, but the idea is the same.) Pick a tab in near the middle of the section that will attach to a dome section that has no box behind it. This will allow you to better position the tab firmly in the correct place by pressing on both sides. The first tab is important get it right! The two images below show how the first tab looks from above and below. The deck should be just at the level of the black line at the bottom of a thin white band (often with dots.) From below, the deck tab should line up with the pattern on the wall especially on the two edges for horizontal positioning.Once the one tab is well aligned and dry, go ahead with the other tabs on either side, making sure they too are properly positioned. It works well to skip tabs and glue only those with no box on the other side. Then after those are dry, glue the rest.

After one section is glued to all its deck tabs, start on the second one.

When you have glued all the tabs of the second section, you can go ahead and tape the two dome pieces together joining them as with all the other gores, as close and precise as possible.

At this stage the top of the dome is not supported, so it won’t look right. It is time to put in the arch. Do one side of the arch at a time. Glue it in place, on the side and bottom. Hold it in the right position up against the dome wall and floor while it dries. There is a line on the deck floor to indicate where the bottom of the arch goes.

Once the base of the arch has been anchored on both sides, and it is dry, go ahead and start gluing the tabs at the top of the dome to the inside of the arch. Start with the two at the top cen-ter. Getting these lined up in the center is important. All the rest can be glued one at a time to the arch working outward from the top. Try to keep the base of each tab on the black line in the middle of the arch.

Score, cut and fold the cross beam that goes across the top of the eastern dome (SHEET 12 at the top). There are two reverse folds on the ends of the lower part. The upper part is the rail that the dome shutters will slide on. After the reverse folds are made, fold the piece in half vertically down the middle. Then glue the two halves together and let dry flat. When dry, test position the curved end tabs on the top middle of the arch. Make marks on the upper and lower edge of the arch where the middle is. Put glue on the part that contacts the arch and glue in place making sure it is vertical against the arch in the right position. Glue the tabs of the loose gore in place on the crossbeam. Position the lower edge of each tab at the black arch line in the middle. Make sure the outer tab is flush with the outer end of the crossbeam.

If rail atop the crossbeam is not level, you can pull it into level with a short section of tape at-tached to the arch next to the crossbeam on the side that will be covered by the outer dome. Attach the other end of the tape to the dome gores so it pulls the rail level.

Optional: If you want to be sure your dome will be dark inside with no light filtering in, you can put a second layer of black masking tape over the Scotch tape of the inner dome. It should go between the boxes at the bottom too.

Step 10: Eastern Half Dome Exterior

The two halves of the eastern outer shell are found on SHEETS 13 & 14. Make scores for regu-lar folds vertically between each section and the tabs. Then cut out the pieces, taking your time on the gores. Put curls in them as shown below. Then start taping the gores together, using tape form the inside. Once both sections are finished, join them together by taping the two edges of the bottom vertical wall first, then tape up between the gores.Fold all the tabs into position, in-cluding all the triangles along the northern edge.

Cut out the Outer Dome arch (OD E on SHEET 10). Score and fold only the four triangular tabs. The glue this arch into place on the outer dome shell, starting by gluing the uppermost triangle to the top of the white arch. Line the ends up flush. Let dry, then work your way down, a few tri-angles at a time. Finally glue the rectangle at the end to the edge of the straight dome wall.

Wrapping the outer shell around the inner dome is easy, but you have to do it methodically. Start by lightly taping (with removable tape) the bottom row of vertical walls sections at either end to the inner dome. It should fit well across the bottom. Glue down a few of the panels in the middle by sliding glue up between the outer and inner surfaces. Use a piece of card stock to work the glue in. There is no need to glue down the whole panel, only the lower edge. Always do your best to make sure the edges are flush and that the panels are well aligned on the boxes of the inner dome. Glue the two end panels very carefully to their “boxes” on the inner dome. Make sure they are flush with the bottom of the inner dome. Glue down the tab ends all around the bottom edge of the structure.

Now glue the tabs at the top of the outer dome. Start with the two in middle (at the top) and fold them over the edge of the arch. Lining them up with the center line on the arch. Later these tabs will be covered over with another section of arch so they won’t show. work your way down the side of arch. Put some glue between the crossbeam and the tabs at the top of the outer dome and gently push them together and hold until dry. Finish by gluing the four tabs of the outer dome arch to the surface of the inner dome.

On SHEET 17 you will find a section of the arch (O D E) that you should now glue to the arch to cover up the tabs of the outer dome shell.

The Roof

Cut out the roof top for the eastern dome found on SHEET 20 and the short wall that goes along the edge to the dome found on SHEET 13 labelled SE. Flip the rooftop over and a light box or by holding it up against a window pane, trace on the back the line that runs around the edge and make little marks where the lines cross it at the corners. Then after you have put all the folds in SE start gluing it to the underside of the rooftop. Start by gluing down just one tab, the

short one that goes at the north end. (see image). Put a curve in the end of the roof section, where it dips down towards the dome. This is where the tapered end of the low wall goes.

The Sail

Next comes the sail on the north of the dome. This was added by the designers to compensate for the wind drag of the shutters. The bottom of the sail is on SHEET 13 and is labelled “Dome Fin Underside.” The two sides are on SHEET 10 and are labeled FE and FW. Once all the tabs are scored and folded, begin by gluing one of the end side tabs of the underside in place on the edge of one of the sides. Once that is dry, go ahead and glue down a few tabs at a time working your way to the other end. The do the same for the other side. Once both sides are dry, put glue on all the tabs that will hold the two halves together along the out spine. You will have to hold these two pieces carefully together in proper alignment until dry. It helps to hold it down on a flat surface to press them together. But it is an arch so you will have to move it around a bit. Lastly, glue the two triangular ends up to completed it. The lower end has a fold near the middle.

Once the sail is finished glue it in place on the Eastern dome half. Note that half the bottom of the sail will stick out and this will overlap over the Western dome edge when that is in place.

The Interior details

All interior details are optional but nice. First, glue in the three interior railings that go on the Eastern deck (see the middle of SHEET 11). To make railings fold properly, they are folded lengthwise in half, but they are also scored with reverse folds and regular folds that go halfway across at corners. A s usual these are marked on the paper. These especially should be scored before cutting out.

Start with E Deck 1. This will match up with a similar section of raining on the other half of the dome. When you have folded and glued the two halves, glue it don in position on the far right of the dome deck so that it lines up with the outline of the rail. The grey tab will face right towards the outer wall. Next do the same preparation for E Deck 2. This will wrap around the outer out-line of the red winch, with the grey tab facing the wall. E Deck 3 will go on the left around the black square on the deck, which represents the hole through which the mirror was originally lift-ed in. The gray tabs for this piece will face away from the black square.

There are two support brackets (SHEET 11, E Deck 4 & E Deck 5). Theses need two reverse folds. When ready, glue E Deck 4 to the north (left) side of the dome interior underneath the deck. Glue the top tab first and align it to the long black line that lies in the same plane as the arch above. Match up the lines on the tap with those on the deck. When dry, glue the lower tab to the dome wall. Repeat for E Deck 5 on the other side.

More optional: The newtonian platform which was used to lift astronomers like Edwin Hubble up to the telescope’s bent Newtonian focus near the top of the tube. The platform is found on

SHEET 12. It is a bit complicated to fold and score this piece, so look at photos of the real thing first. There are two little pieces that need to be added on either side of the interior of the plat-form. Two folding mounts are also included, but these may need a little design work. There will be more information on this posted soon on the model page. A good way to attach the platform to the arch on which in rides up, has not been completed by the model designer, but soon! Check the model webpage for an update.

The Catwalk

The catwalk looks a bit complicated, but really it’s not. And it is optional, but adds a lot to the appearance of the dome. Start with the inner sections that glue to the dome. Then wrap the longer outer railing around the inner sections. Then finish by added the remaining pieces to the underside.

All the catwalk pieces are on SHEET 15, except for one section which is on SHEET 3. Start with the 3-section inner pieces at are on the left of SHEET 15. Those near the bottom labeled RE all go on the easter dome section (R for railing). They are all the same except for RE 1, which goes on the north (or right edge of the outer dome). See photos if you are unsure. All the railings and tabs that are to be glued to the dome should be scored for reverse folds. There are no regular folds for these pieces. Start with RE 1 and put glue on the four triangular tabs and very carefully glue them to the dome, so that the lines on them match up with the lines on the dome. Also make sure that the surface of the catwalk is level with the black line that indicates its position. This is the lower of the two lines that are close together (or the second one from the bottom).

Once one section of inner catwalk is anchored to the wall, move on to the next. working your way around. Try to get these tabs set just right. And keep the catwalk level.

Next start adding the outer railing pieces, R and R E 2, which matches up with the extended balcony of RE 1. There are a few reverse folds here, mostly for the support brackets under-neath. All the rest are regular folds, except for two in the railing of R E 2. Once these pieces are prepared, start by gluing just one outer section of R E 2 to its inner counterpart. Start with the one in the middle, making sure they match of precisely. Once dry work around, gluing together all the railing sections that need it. On the sides and the bottom. It works well to glue the sides and bottoms of sections to the inner catwalk at same time. When R E 2 is all attached move on to one of the sections labels R. and work your way to the south (left), starting once again by glu-ing just one railing section to its counterpart.

Once all the outer railing is finished, add the catwalk panels (unmarked short sections) that go in the gaps underneath. These all have mostly reverse folds. The bigger R E 3 goes under the ex-tended section of the catwalk on the Eastern dome.

Fold and glue together all the brackets underneath as needed. These brackets can be left as is or glued to the dome wall with a small drop of glue.

Note that when doing the catwalk for the Western dome, all the pieces are the similar ex-cept for R W 1 which goes on the southernmost (right) section of the dome under the shutter. The one tab that is different matches up with the catwalk door.

The Shutter

There are two main parts to the shutters, the rails that they move on and the shutters them-selves. Start by making the Eastern dome shutter. The two sides of the Eastern shutter are found on SHEET 21. The top surface is on SHEET 20. When cutting out this three pieces, there multiple small triangles to cut, some of which are very narrow. It works best to make all the cuts in one direction and the work back make all the cuts in the other direction. Make sure all the slivers cut out are free. Put a curl in the top section as with other pieces. Score and fold all the tabs. Fold and glue the short section of the inner wall that is at the bottom of the top shutter piece. Note that there are two folds at the lower end of the shutter. (See photos on how the folds look.)

Now start gluing the top of the eastern shutter to the outside (white) piece. Make sure the two tops are at the same end. Start by gluing ONE tab near the middle of the shutter. One on each is marked with a small dot so you can match them up. The tabs from the side piece are glued UNDER the tabs on the upper surface. Once the middle tab is dry, work your way in both direc-tions allowing tabs to dry before doing the next. Try to align each one so that it is centered with the tab above and that the edges of the upper surface tabs are parallel with the bottom edge of the tabs on the side piece. Glue loose tabs at both ends.

After folding all the tabs on the inner wall, start at the top and work your way to the bottom, the side piece is glued under the piece that is near the bottom of the shutter.

Now the shutter assembly is ready for the two pieces that attach to it that will move on the rails fixed to the dome. These are found on SHEET 19 and are marked as to east top and east bot-tom. Note that theses have a lot reverse folds. After scoring and folding. glue the top piece in position on the shutter. Start with the tab at the top most end of the Shutter top east rail (oppo-site the writing.) Glue the tab to the interior of the vertical edge at the top of the shutter assem-bly. The glue the two side tabs in position so that the rail rests centered between the two gaps on either side. Do not glue the small tabs at the end of the piece until the sliding rail has been glue it (the next step).

Glue the Shutter bottom east rail in position by putting glue on the back of the tab with the two small squares. glue this tab to the bottom edge of the shutter assembly.

Now find the lower shutter rail East on SHEET 2. Score the piece with one reverse fold and several regular ones. fold the rail in half and glue the two sides together. Make sure they dry straight and flat. fold the rest of the piece up and glue the long tab that completes the triangular shape beneath the rail. Glue the small triangle at the end in place. When dry, glue this rail piece onto the dome. Put the glue on the tab with the writing and press it onto the east dome just be-low the opening of the dome slit where you will find an area with the same shape. Make sure it is flush with the top of the dome wall and that the rail is level.

Now you are ready to make the parts of the rail that will slide against each other. This is a bit tricky, but you will be surprised how it lets the paper shutter open and close. There are four pieces marked with an R on SHEET 21. You will only need two of them, for now. Cut them out and make a regular fold down the middle of each. Give the folds an open chevron shape. Care-fully put a SMALL amount of glue along the rail sticking out of the top of the eastern dome and make sure it just wets the the top of the rail. If you put on too much glue it might mess up the

sliding mechanism. If the rail has become bent, straighten it. Now put the piece R on top of the rail chevron down, and hold it until the glue sets. From the end it should look like an upwards arrow. Repeat this for the lower rail on the dome.

Not cut out the two pieces marked with an R 1 on Sheet 21 (there are two more for the western dome on SHEET 19.) Score and fold the regular folds on these pieces so that the ends resem-ble a “V with two flaps bent into the interior at the top. Carefully slide these over the chevron shaped rails on the dome. One on top, one on the bottom. The hard part is getting this done be patient and keep the folds of R 1 from unfolding. Once you get the ends on, they should slide on with minor resistance. They should slide back and fourth with a little effort.

With the two sliders on the rails, you are ready to attach the shutter to the eastern dome. Put glue on both sides of the sliders, (just enough to coat the surfaces, be careful not to get any on the inside). You don’t want to glue the sliding part. Now one at a time, press the shutter “rails” down over the sliders and squeeze the sides together until the “rails” are set on the sliders. Make sure that they are aligned at the ends and horizontally. Do this for both to and bottom. Only when it is completely dry should you try to slide the shutter on the rails. Slide each one a little bit at a time. They will slide but need a little force.

Finally fold over the tabs at the ends of the rails and glue down, being careful not to get glue inside.

The Dome Trim & Ventilator

The trim for the bottom of the dome is optional but makes it look much more realistic. The four pieces are found near the top of SHEET 13. there are four strips. Score each one lengthwise for a regular fold. Make little cuts on the top of each one where indicated. Note that each one is different. The ones that go on the bottom edge of the Eastern dome are the two on the top. When the two strips are cut out fold the upper edge down. (The curved parts go up.) Start with the uppermost one with the larger tab on the left side. This trim will go around the bottom of the the NE section of the dome. Glue the tab on the left so that the rest of the trim will line up properly. Once dry, put a drop of glue on all “corners” and hold the trim in place until dry. Cutting out the second trim piece from the top of the page, prepare it as with the first. Attach the small tab on the left to the south bottom edge of the eastern dome. Wrap the small tab around the corner and secure it so the strip is level across the bottom. Once the tab is set, put a little glue on the rest of the “corners” around the edge of the dome and hold it in place until dry.

Cut out the two little circles of the top of the ventilator on SHEET 14 (the one with the center dot goes on top.) cut out circles of white poster board or some other thick material and glue the cir-cles on the top and bottom. If you can’t find any suitable material, cut out a bunch of circles and stack them to make a thick top. Cut out one of the two white strips next to the circles on SHEET 14 and wrap it around a 3/16th inch piece of dowel and glue it into a small cylinder. cut of any extra part of the strip and glue down the end. Slide the cylinder of the dowel when dry and glue it to the circle on the bottom of the ventilator top. When dry, glue the ventilator to the small circle on top of the shutter.

Now you are done with the half dome. You could stop here, or continue to complete the other half.

Step 11: Western Half Dome

Repeat all the steps for the eastern half of the dome. There is no sail on the western half as it is shared between them.

If you want to join the two halves of the dome so their rotate as a unit, simply use magic tape to join the two near the base.