How to create a geodesic dome in Blender 2.6

I've made a number of attempts at modeling a geodesic sphere or dome in Blender, but it has always ended in disaster.  It turns out that geodesic domes are more formally known as Truncated Icosahedrons, and that these can be created by chopping up an icosahedron.

Blender can create an icosahedron by adding an Icosphere with Subdivisions=1.  You can then Subdivide it with 2 cuts to split each edge into thirds.  Finally, dissolve the excess vertices and you are left with a geodesic sphere, and well on your way to that dome, soccer ball, Buckminsterfullerene, etc.

In more detail, for Blender 2.6:

1. Shift-A | Mesh | Icosphere
2. In the lower left, under Add Ico Sphere, set Subdivisions to 1.
3. TAB for edit mode
4. Mesh | Edges | Subdivide
5. In the lower left, under Subdivide, set Number of Cuts to 2.
6. Create the hexagons:
1. Select the vertex in the center of any large, flat triangle.
2. X | Dissolve Vertices
3. Repeat for every large, flat triangle.
7. Create the pentagons:
1. Select the vertex at each of the points.
2. X | Dissolve Vertices
3. Repeat for every point.