Introduction: Periodic Table Display
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About: A materials scientist gone electrical engineer my hobbies include experimenting with electronics and making fun and interesting things. I rarely know what I'm doing when I start a project, but learning new ski…
"Chemistry... offers one of the most powerful means towards the attainment of a higher mental cultivation... because it furnishes us with insight into those wonders of creation which immediately surround us." Justus von Liebig.
While chemistry is not my major field of study I am no less interested in the subject. In fact, my undergraduate research position is with the chemistry department. One day I had the idea to start an element collection. I realize, of course, that I will probably never complete the collection (for the obvious reason that some elements will just be impossible to acquire) but I have already procured several and I figured I needed a nice way to display them as my collection grew. A periodic table shaped display seemed the most appropriate, so I ran with the idea.
I wanted a display that wouldn't be too big, but not too small either. I settled at about three feet in length and about a foot tall. I used popular boards I picked up at Lowes and miter saw (definitely not the ideal tool for the job, but I worked with what I had). The pieces of wood were notched and then inserted into each other and glued. I think this weekend project turned out great and I'm extremely happy with the results. Now just to get all the elements on the appropriate shelf!
While chemistry is not my major field of study I am no less interested in the subject. In fact, my undergraduate research position is with the chemistry department. One day I had the idea to start an element collection. I realize, of course, that I will probably never complete the collection (for the obvious reason that some elements will just be impossible to acquire) but I have already procured several and I figured I needed a nice way to display them as my collection grew. A periodic table shaped display seemed the most appropriate, so I ran with the idea.
I wanted a display that wouldn't be too big, but not too small either. I settled at about three feet in length and about a foot tall. I used popular boards I picked up at Lowes and miter saw (definitely not the ideal tool for the job, but I worked with what I had). The pieces of wood were notched and then inserted into each other and glued. I think this weekend project turned out great and I'm extremely happy with the results. Now just to get all the elements on the appropriate shelf!
