Balsa wood is an integral part of building model airplanes. To allow our visitors to learn more about this, we’re in the process of installing an exhibit in the hands-on gallery exploring the life cycle of balsa wood.
Here’s the how the exhibit progressed.
1. A stylized balsa tree graphic was created. During this process, various designs were projected onto the wall to get a sense of size and space.
2. The components of the trees were cut out of Sintra material, sanded and finished before being installed with the help of nails and Velcro.
3. A dome normally used for skylights was reinvented as an exhibit case. Care was taken to install it flush against the wall, but in a way that doesn’t make it obvious.
4. Shelving and mounts were created to hold various things inside the dome.
5. Intern Samantha Weaver researched how balsa trees grow and the various cuts and grains that are available from the wood.
6. She turned all of this research into fun facts for the exhibit and created labels.
7. Everything was installed. Inside the dome are pieces of balsa in different stages of processing and in different cuts for different purposes.
The future will bring a hands-on station where visitors will be able to experience building a wing by following a set of plans. Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to use real balsa wood for this, so Sintra pieces are going to be used instead. The idea of how assembling a model works though, will come across.
The exhibit adds a fun and colorful focal point to the continuing development of the hands-on gallery.
Want to learn more about balsa wood? Stay tuned for the post on 6/28/13.
[…] intern Samantha Weaver was doing research for the new balsa wood exhibit, she came across many facts about the life of balsa wood that were too extensive to put into the […]