Foam board

I have been asked by our exhibition design department to find a
rigid, light-weight opaque panel that can be used to form the front
wall of a large vitrine which will have windows cut in it for
viewing the objects.  The vitrine will form a large  (14 feet long x
4 feet high) "peep box" through which albumen photographs and
hand-painted prints sitting on easels on shelves will be viewed. The
back and sides of the vitrine will be constructed of a composite
board covered with black Melamine as a vapour barrier.  The top will
be plexi, and the objects will be lit from above the plexi.  The
designer has determined that, for logistical reasons which he hasn't
told me, the front of the vitrine should be constructed out of a
lighter material than wood composite board.

What we need, I think, is a material similar to Gator board (which I
been told may release formaldehyde). The panel must be able to take
paint well on the exterior side .  We will either paint the other
side (on the interior) with black latex paint (if we have enough
drying time left in our schedule) or cover it with black fabric or
matboard.  It must be durable enough to remain in good shape after 3
or 4 months of viewers leaning against it and bumping into it.  It
must be easy to cut so that we can make equal-sized window openings
which would be closed with plexi panels (which we would probably hot
glue in place on the interior surface of the panel, rather than
setting right into the openings).  And, though light weight, the
panel must be able support the weight of the plexi ceiling of the
vitrine. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Karen Potje
Head, Conservation/Preservation
Canadian Centre for Architecture
1920, rue Baile
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3H 2S6
514-939-7000
Fax: 514-939-7020


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:17
                Distributed: Tuesday, September 12, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-14-17-020
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