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The Great Big Exhibit Resource List The idea for this list started with Kathy Krafft as part of a conference presentation she gave several years ago. Shortly after, I offered to host the initial collection of sources on my website. Over time, the list expanded with my input and that of the late David Taylor, and was included in the "Handbook for Small Science Centers" book. Now, the Great Big Exhibit Resource List has become a way to keep track of "trusted sources" for museum exhibit designers, developers and fabricators, and is freely shared with colleagues. The GBER List continues to expand with input from museum "makers" from around the world. If you have additions, corrections, or comments, please send them to: info@orselli.net and help this resource grow! LOCAL SOURCES 1. Visit your local stores, and set up accounts; you may get contractor’s rates. Check out plumbing and electrical and hardware and lumber and paint supply stores. Sometimes places like plumbing supply stores will let you behind the counters to look in their bins. Most stores are very supportive of local non-profit organizations, and enjoy the challenges of helping you when you are doing weird things in building exhibits. 2. Find out when it is quiet to get extra suggestions—not first thing in the morning when contractors are getting the parts they need for the day. 3. Never categorize or stereotype your stores—in exhibit fabrication you may well find what you need at strange, unexpected places. So visit, and see what is in stock at auto supply places (12 volt fans for your hand-powered generator, for instance) floor covering, fabric stores, office supply places, etc. THE BIG THREE NATIONAL SOURCES (If you don’t have these catalogs, get them! These suppliers have local branches throughout the country. Check the phone book or the website to locate your nearest outlet. Note: Addresses and telephone numbers often change! Use websites to confirm contact information.) McMaster-Carr: www.mcmaster.com 3500 pages of hardware, plumbing (including clear PVC pipe and fittings), electrical, materials (metal, plastics, etc. delivered the next day usually. AMAZING collection. Grainger: www.grainger.com/
ASSISTIVE DEVICES Enabling Devices: http://www.enablingdevices.com Flaghouse: www.flaghouse.com Maxi-Aids: www.maxiaids.com Patterson Medical: www.sammonspreston.com Special Needs Toys: http://www.specialneedstoys.com/usa/index.asp
BOOK BINDING Perma-Bound: http://www.perma-bound.com/ San Val Incorporated: http://www.sanval.com/
CHEMICALS AND LAB EQUIPMENT Cole-Palmer: www.coleparmer.com Fisher: www.fisherscientific.com Lab Safety Supply: www.labsafety.com Materials handling, safety, Sargent-Welch: http://www.sargentwelch.com/# Sigma-Aldrich: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com Unusual chemicals. DIGITAL AUDIO AND VIDEO PLAYBACK DEVICES BrightSign: http://www.brightsign.biz/ Digital signage solutions Eletech Electronics: http://www.eletech.com Medeawiz: http://www.medeawiz.com DIGITAL IMAGES AND PRINTING Beyond Digital Print: www.beyonddigitalprint.com/ 6401 E. Rogers Circle Boca Raton, FL (561) 922-5250 Corbis: www.Corbis.com Fotosearch Stock Photography: www.fotosearch.com 21155 Watertown Road Waukesha, WI 53186 (262) 717-0740 (800)827-3920 (Also check out the sister site, www.canstockphoto.com) Getty Images: www.Gettyimages.com MorgueFile: http://morguefile.com/ Free images for your use in your creative work. Stockphoto.com: http://istockphoto.com/index.php Shutterstock: http://www.shutterstock.com/ >> back to top EDUCATIONAL AND CLASSROOM SUPPLIERS Childcraft: www.childcrafteducation.com Creative Health Products: www.chponline.com Weight scales, other health products. Discount School Supply http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/ Educational Innovations: www.teachersource.com Edmund Scientific:http://www.scientificsonline.com/ Magnets, polarizing sheet, all kinds of science stuff. Edmund Industrial Optics: www.edmundoptics.com lenses, optical parts. ETA/Cuisenaire: www.etacuisenaire.com Math manipulatives, posters. Health Edco:http://www.healthedco.com/ TC Timber: http://www.haba.de/haba/home.htm Woodworks Ltd: http://www.craftparts.com ELECTRONICS Allied: www.alliedelec.com Anatek: www.anatekcorp.com Video and TV related electronics. BG Micro: http://www.bgmicro.com/ Digi-key: www.digikey.com Jameco: www.jameco.com MakerSHED: http://www.makershed.com DIY Kits + Tools + Books + Fun from the MAKE Magazine folks Markertek: http://www.markertek.com Cameras, cables, tools, audio equipment. Mouser: www.mouser.com Radio Shack: www.radioshack.com Ramsey Electronics: http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/ Solid State Advanced Controls: http://www.ssac.com/ SparkFun Electronics: http://www.sparkfun.com/ String Pots: http://www.stringpot.com/ Supercircuits: http://www.supercircuits.com/ Video and security equipment. Tapeswitch: http://www.tapeswitch.com/
EXHIBIT RENDERING TOOLS babyCAD: http://www.babycad.com/ Free online program geared toward tradeshows, kiosks. Goggle SketchUp: http://sketchup.google.com/ Excellent free rendering program.
EXTRUSIONS 80/20 Inc: http://www.8020.net/ "The Industrial Erector Set" MayTec: http://www.maytecinc.com/ MicroRAX: http://www.microrax.com Miniature extruded aluminum t-slot framing Octanorm: http://www.octanormusa.com/ Parker’s Industrial Profile Systems:
http://bit.ly/e8RBYm
FAKE FOODS Fake-Foods.com: http://www.fake-foods.com/ Incredible Inedibles: www.incredibleinedibles.net Forbex: www.forbex.com Fake grass.
Real Faux Foods: http://www.realfauxfoods.com/
(Childcraft also sells inexpensive collections of fake foods.)
FIBERGLASS AND MOLDMAKING
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty: http://www.aircraft-spruce.com/ Fiberglass Coatings: http://www.fgci.com/ (in St. Petersburg, FL) A great source for Fibre Glast: http://www.fibreglast.com/
Polytek: http://www.polytek.com/ Rubber moldmaking supplies, casting materials.
FLOORING Gerbert Limited: http://www.gerbertltd.com/ Recycled flooring materials.
Lees Carpets: http://www.leescarpets.com Many sustainable flooring choices. NeoFloor is especially good for children’s areas. Pirelli Flooring: http://www.artigo.com/ Interesting flooring products.
FRAMING AND MOUNTING MATERIALS
ATD-AMERICAN: www.atd.com Community Playthings: http://www.communityplaythings.com/ DEMCO: http://www.demco.com/ Gaylord Library Supplies: http://www.gaylord.com/ Mockett: http://www.mockett.com Worthington Direct: http://www.worthingtondirect.com/ GEARS, CLUTCHES, SHAFTS Emerson/Morse/Browning: www.emerson-ept.com
GLOW-IN-THE-DARK STUFF ABET Laminati: http://www.abetlaminati.com/ Lumiphos laminate material. Educational Innovations: www.teachersource.com Check out their glow-in-the-dark pigments. Flinn Scientific: www.flinnsci.com Small sheets and paint. Glow Inc: http://glowinc.com/ Hanovia: http://www.hanovia-uv.com/glow.html Jessup Manufacturing: http://www.globritesystem.com/ Shannon Luminous Materials: www.blacklite.com
GREEN EXHIBITS MATERIALS Green Exhibits: http://www.greenexhibits.org Yemm & Hart: www.yemmhart.com Recycled building materials.
HARDWARE AND TOOLS Carbide.com: http://www.carbide.com/ Router bits, etc. Enco Tools: www.use-enco.com Tools, general selection & large tools. Fastenal: http://www.fastenal.com/ Industrial and construction supplies. Grizzly: http://www.grizzly.com/ Large and small tools, bits, supplies, wood samples. Hafele: http://www.hafele.com/us/ JC Whitney: www.jcwhitney.com Automotive supplies. Klingspor: http://www.klingspor.com/ Lee Valley: www.leevalley.com Woodworking tools, also cheap source for small neodymium magnets. Lehman’s: http://www.lehmans.com/ Old time tools, blacksmithing supplies. Northern Tools: www.NorthernTool.com Roberts Plywood: http://getwood.com/ Curved plywood, large wooden tubes. Small Parts Inc: http://www.smallparts.com/ Bearings, hardware, small tools. Southco: www.southco.com Latches, cabinet hardware. Tool Parts Direct: www.toolpartsdirect.com Parts for tools- with diagrams for identifying the part! West Marine: http://www.westmarine.com/ Marine supplies. Woodcraft: http://www.woodcraft.com/ Tools and supplies. Woodworker's Supply: http://woodworker.com/ LIGHTING AND LIGHTS Bulbs.com: http://www.bulbs.com/ Bulbman: www.bulbman.com Interlight: http://www.interlight.biz/ Topbulb: http://www.topbulb.com/ UV SYSTEMS: http://www.uvsystems.com/ A great source for UV lighting and components. MAGNETS Adams Magnetic: http://www.adamsmagnetic.com/ Kling Magnetics: www.kling.com Magnetic Paint. Force Field: www.wondermagnet.com METALS McNichols: http://www.mcnichols.com/ Perforated sheet metal, steel grating. Murphy-Nolan: www.murphynolan.com OnlineMetals.com: http://www.onlinemetals.com/ Stocks and sells a variety of metals; including small orders
MISCELLANEOUS Archie McPhee / Accoutrements: http://www.mcphee.com/ Wacky products! Bry-Tech Distributors: http://www.bry-tech.com/ Upholstery Materials & Supplies Displays 2 Go: http://www.displays2go.com/ Small sign holders, stands, displays. Engineered Etchings: http://www.engineeredetchings.com/ Etched granite and marble plaques and displays Ecospheres: www.eco-sphere.com Self-contained ecosystem spheres. Freund Cans: www.freundcontainer.com Containers of all sorts. Hobby People: http://www.hobbypeople.net Small motors, controllers for models. Hobby-Lobby International: http://www.hobby-lobby.com JML Direct Optics: www.jmloptical.com Parabolic mirrors. Just Plastic Boxes: www.justplasticboxes.com Plastic boxes of all types. Library of Congress: American Environmental Photographs M. Jacobs & Sons:http://www.mjacobandsons.com/ All sorts of bottles and jars. Rheoscopic Fluid: http://www.kalliroscope.com/ Rhode Island Novelty: www.rinovelty.com Sand & Solutions: http://www.waupacasand.com/products/perma-cover-rubber-landscaping-mulch.html Scent Machines: http://www.scentair.com/index_flash.html Stella Color: www.stellacolor.com Images on carpet; interesting mural wallpaper. Strapworks: http://www.strapworks.com/ The Game Store: http://www.thegamestore.com/ Game Parts & Supplies Toysmith: www.toysmith.com
PLASTICS AIN Plastics: http://www.ainplastics.com/ Curbell Plastic: www.curbell.com Outwater Plastics: www.outwater.com United States Plastic: http://www.usplastic.com/
SAFETY RESOURCES AND MATERIALS MSDS on line: http://www.msdssearch.com/
Acorn Naturalists: http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/ American 3B Scientific: http://www.a3bs.com/ Arbor Scientific: http://www.arborsci.com/ Ben Meadows: http://www.benmeadows.com/ Forestry/Outdoors supplies, surveying equipment C&A Scientific: http://www.cnascientific.com/ Carolina Biological: www.carolina.com Microscope slides, fruit flies and NASCO: http://www.enasco.com/ A site for multiple supply catalogs. PASCO: www.pasco.com Excellent physics supplies and materials. Pitsco: www.pitsco.com Kits, meters, etc. Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories: www.sciencekit.com SEIDAM: http://www.seidam.com/ Steve Spangler Science: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ Ward’s Natural Science: www.wardsci.com
SCROLLING IMAGE SIGNS AND LIGHTBOXES Bowman Displays: http://www.bowmandisplays.com/ Dick Blick: http://www.dickblick.com/ Warwick Products Company: http://www.warwickproducts.com/ Store fixtures, displays. SURPLUS SUPPLIERS
THEATRICAL SUPPLIES/FABRICS Ahh.biz: http://www.ahh.biz/index.htm Specialized Textile Outfitters. Dazian Fabrics: www.dazian.com/ Theatrical and Outdoor Fabrics Rose Brand: http://www.rosebrand.com/ Theatrical Supplies Seattle Fabrics: http://www.seattlefabrics.com/ Theatrical and Outdoor Fabrics |
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