Fabrication Update---Construction zone

LeRoy, Facilities Manager, has provided an update on the fabrication work that has been taking place around the museum the last several weeks.

This week, as with every week, we have had so much going on in every area of the museum. I first want to say a special thanks to Jonathan, a volunteer from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, who drove three hours to help us for a week. With his help, along with our staff electrician and several others, we were able to complete five major electrical projects and we were able to save the museum a large expense by not hiring outside vendors to complete these jobs. There are so many individuals who have specialty skills that have helped build this museum by stepping out in faith to come and help.

The Consummation Theater sheetrock has been completed along with all of the electrical pre-wiring. The collections room has had specialized shelving installed to store the collection of fossils that have been arriving. The lighting and electrical were completed last week for this room as well.

The lobby tile is being laid and is scheduled to be completed, with the sealer, by April 2nd. What a difference the tile has made in the lobby! It has made the room come to life and is one of the finishing touches to the space. It has been a blessing to have Larry and Chris donate some of their work to see the museum completed. Some work had to stop so the tile could go down, but that was not a problem because of the large amount of work that has to be done in other areas.

The bookstore is really looking elegant. The workmanship is top-notch with excellent attention to detail. From the arched molding above to the lattice work, carved by the new CNC machine, to the herring-bone design made from solid white oak in the floor. The bookstore will be a place to remember. It is a real joy for the fabrication team to build the designs that Patrick has put together. A special thanks to the flooring crew for laying the bookstore flooring and giving much of their time to the museum project. Tim Patten and the other guys working with him agreed to come and donate their time to support the museum project by laying the final boards last week and they will be back next week to sand and put a finish on the floor so the bookcases can be installed.

We have a few more items to complete in the Special Effects Theater, but we are now performing sound tests since we installed the acoustic panels inside the theater. It is sounding great and I am confident that the shows that are played in the theater will be a quality performance.

The planetarium seats have arrived and will not be installed until the sound pad and carpet are installed in May. The HVAC and sprinklers are almost done and the ceiling with the lighting is being worked on.

Yesterday the fabricators started work on the Creation Walk. This was a milestone because the fabricators will finally get started on the 'Big Room' and it is a good feeling to finally start on the largest project of the museum. The artists have been busy for months working on the items in the Creation Walk area and now the platforms are starting to be installed. God has been good to us in so many ways. It hasn't been easy by any means but it has been rewarding.

Thanks again for joining us. We appreciate all of your prayers and support for the museum.