Greetings to all Museum-l types, We are looking into the feasability of building a quartz crystal model. The model sides would be of clear plexiglass and inside would be a model consisting of balls and rods to show the internal molecular structure of the crystal. I have several questions. First, I need a good source for suitable parts to build the molecular structure. I have seen "build your molecule" sets designed for teaching, but which are made of plastic and not suitable for museum display. I assume that there are parts for this purpose available somewhere. If anyone else has done a model like this could you send me pictures and offer advice. This will be a project done by a student who has not previously done something like this. We also would like to do this on a budget of $200 (or less) for materials. We are anticipating a model 1 - 2 feet all and a foot in diameter, more or less. Anybody who has information or advice can send to me directly and I will distribute this information to others who ask for it. Kevin McCartney, Ph.D. Associate Prof., Geology Director, Northern Maine Museum of Science University of Maine at Presque Isle Presque Isle, ME 04769