For bracing, framing, and other woodwork, white pine is strong, light, easy to work, and unlikely to warp if seasoned properly.
Hinges, washers, bolts, nails, or screws which will be painted may be of uncoated steel. Otherwise, you may find brass, stainless steel, aluminum, or chrome-plated steel better.
If your exhibit proves to be a winner, you may need to erect and dismantle it at several fairs. A little ingenuity and foresight in the selection of removable-pin hinges, wing-nut bolt assemblies, and the like, may save a lot of time later and help keep your exhibit structure in good condition.
Figure 3
CUTTING 4′ × 8′ PLYWOOD OR HARD BOARD FOR MAXIMUM ECONOMY BACK WALL PANEL 34″ × 48″ TITLE BOARD OR “HEADER” 6″ SIDE WALL PANELS (2 ea.) 28″ × 48″ OVERHEAD PLAN OF TYPICAL SCIENCE FAIR EXHIBIT STRUCTURE BACK WALL PANEL SIDE WALL PANEL SIDE WALL PANEL BASE UNIT 30″ (allowable) LIGHT BEHIND HEADER 48″ (allowable) SIDE PLAN OF SAME STRUCTURE CONCEALED LIGHT HEADER BACK PANEL SIDE PANELS ELECTRICAL OUTLET BOX BASE UNIT TABLE
Lighting and Wiring. Fluorescent lighting is bulky and hard to conceal in the average science fair exhibit. Incandescent showcase lamps work well, take up less space, and are less expensive. If you need shielded light, consider inexpensive clip-on bed lamps.
Most fairs have rigid rules on electrical wiring and you should study them and those of the National Science Fair-International. If you will install a fused entry-outlet box on your back wall or base unit, as shown in [Figure 3], you can run all fixture cords to that one location. Most fairs provide power cords reaching to the exhibitor’s electrical inlet, but don’t depend on it. Procure 25 to 50 feet of heavy-duty extension cord and keep it handy, just in case.
PRESENTING INFORMATION
After determining the shape and size of your structure, you can decide how best to present the information needed to explain your project. Some exhibitors prefer to build their structure first, so that they may try out different arrangements of illustrations and three-dimensional items on the finished display space. Or, you can measure off your back wall, side walls, and interior base areas, and then “try out” the size and placement of your display items on matching-size sheets of tracing paper.