There are still a few pieces I’m missing from the best opener, and have been wondering if anyone ever put a positive ID on the kit or pieces used on the dome. I really wish there were a way to sit Trace down and talk him through a few of these objects… 
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maybe some kind of scale model jungle gym?
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That was my thought. Was trying to google around for where it might have come from.
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It looks like pieces of straws glued together. I just did a search for “geodesic dome model straws” and found a variety of DIY options that look pretty cool.
The pieces have common end connectors and don’t align properly to the hubs, which makes a case for it being a diy job, but they’re also regular in their shapes; both struts and connectors, with the connectors looking like they have openings for the tubing and slots to connect to the hubs even if they don’t align well. The hubs may have some center detail that is regular too. At any rate, each matches the others, so the bits could have been straw or old buildings sets or… and the hubs made for the model. None of the industrial plastic manufacturers had a pre-made dome set or kit, and I’ve never seen a kit this size from the '80s. It’s a tough one to crack.
If I had to guess, with my vision deficits + 80s TV resolution and lack of kitbashing experience, it’s q-tips, hot glue, and silver spray paint.
The dome is over 2’ in diameter… Qtips aren’t large enough I’d say.