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Erin-

I will offer ideas for two of your questions:

1.  These boards are sold by office products companies as "magnetic
marker boards".
For the image on the board you might try a paper graphic
                        second-surface-mounted to a 5 mil
polycarbonate over-lam.

3.  Happ Controls at (800) 511-1796 sells robust buttons and switches.

Steve Grotenhuis
Project Production Manager
Science Museum of Minnesota
(651)-221-2564  phone
(651)-221-2544  fax
www.smm.org


>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>>  My name is Erin Ries and I am a senior in Graphic Design at Iowa State
>University. I am
>>  helping figure out some
>>  fabrication for an Environment Exhibit design with one of the
>>exhibit classes
>here. The
>>  exhibit is geared towards
>>  younger children and will be installed in a conservation center. I
>>have compiled
>a list of
>>  questions regarding the different
>>  aspects and part of the exhibit I am unsure about. If you would
>>like to me to
>post some
>>  images to help in understanding
>>  the exhibit better, let me know.
>>
>>  If you have any suggestions or answers to any of these questions
>>please let me
>know.
>>  Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
>>
>>  The Questions:
>>
>>  1. There is a large magnet board that the children will be placing
>>magnets on.
>How would
>>  we fabricate the actual board
>>  itself? Is there a metal that would work better then others? And more
>specifically we
>>  would like to have an image/scene
>>  on the board. How would we fabricate that? Would it need to be a digital
>printout attached
>>  onto the metallic surface or
>>  would that scratch too easy? Is  there a different way that an
>>image could be
>applied so
>>  that  it can still be used as a
>>  magnet board with the least amount of upkeep? How do we protect
>>the image from
>scratch
>>  abuse from the magnets?
>>
>>  2. One of the exhibits uses a balance scale in order to show how
>>certain things
>would be
>>  good or bad choices for the
>>  environment. So when tokens are placed in either side, the scale
>>would tip. Do
>you know of
>>  anywhere that sells or would
>>  create such as scale? Do you or anyone else you know have
>>experience with scale
>exhibits
>>  that would be willing to look
>>  at the image? As a second component for the exhibit, instead of showing the
>weight of the
>>  tokens it would change the
>>  smile of the persons face regarding which way the scale is tipped.
>>Can you refer
>us to
>>  anyone that might know how to
>>  make something like that work or be able to fabricate it?
>>
>>  3.Several of the exhibit designs require push buttons that either
>>light up or
>activate
>>  something. Can you suggest any
>>  good suppliers of such buttons? What type of button would be used
>>to activate
>rotating
>>  panels?
>>
>>  4. Another part of the exhibit uses a shingshot/pinball type mechanism to
>project a ball
>>  into a hole for an interactive
>>  aspect. Do you know of anywhere to purchase such a deviice from?
>>or do you know
>how we
>>  would fabricate a pinball
>>  device to project the ball? There is also a part in the exhibit
>>that blows wind
>so that
>>  light weight particles/balls float
>>  from one side of a inclined box to the other. What type of wind
>>creating machine
>would we
>>  use to blow the objects
>>  around? Can we buy it or would we need someone to create something
>>like that?
>>
>>  5. AND finally....... This last part of the exhibit uses fading
>>lights to show
>the changes
>>  in the numbers of wildlife found
>>  in the area. So there is a use of lights starting out bright and
>>diming as the
>years go on
>>  and then getting brighter again
>>  when the numbers increase again. It shows a timeline effect using
>>light as the
>graph of
>>  the data. Where can we get lights
>>  that we can control how bright and dim it is? Are there different
>>colors, sizes,
>shapes?
>  > Are there different kinds or ways
>>  of doing this same thing that might be cheaper or easier?
>>
>>  Again Email me and let me know if you would like me to post some
>>PDF images if
>it would
>>  help anyone.
>>  Thanks again
>>
>>  Erin Ries
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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