Hackerspace Whiteboard

Project Abstract

Whiteboards are awesome, Bigger whiteboards are more awesome. We have a large space and I think a large (wall size) whiteboard would be epic. However, I also think that having a whiteboard that we can move around the space would be nice and convenient for meetings.

Also, we are not restricted to just one whiteboard, we could make a wall whiteboard and also have a mobile one.

Project Research

There are several important issues to consider in researching obtaining or constructing a space whiteboard, the major ones that occur to me are:

• Location -- The location determines size, accessibility, and read-ability.
  • Mobile whiteboard with wheels
  • Mobile Whiteboard in an easel type construction
  • Whiteboard Wall -- Cover a wall with whiteboard material
  • Mounted Whiteboard -- Framed whiteboard that hangs on the wall
• Material
  • Whiteboard Writing Surface
    • Commercial whiteboard you go buy
      • Very Durable, Will not stain easily, Pre-constructed
      • Expensive for a medium size, let alone large board. (4'x6' @ $185)
    • Dry Erase board paint
      • Rustoleum makes a dry erase paint that is ~$25 per quart, this will cover a 7'x7' area. http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=128 (amazon reports that this is not a very good product for white boards. See reviews http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-241140-Erase-Brush-White/dp/B000PGBCOC)
      • Markee is another choice that was $97 for 1 gallon and did not state the area it would cover, however 4x Quarts = 1 gallon so it would probably be equivalent to 4 quarts of the Rustoleum. http://www.dryerasemagic.com/
        • In the boxed area entitled "How does Markee work?" it says that the Markee surface can't have writing on it for more than 24 hours (?).
      • Requires a smooth surface to paint, and we probably should prime the surface first.
    • Shower Board
      • Would need to go to a local Home Depot or other home improvement to check, but reports of $10 for a 4x8 sheet
      • Reports vary according to different manufacturers, some have a slight texture, others do not erase easily.
      • I found a good wiki page describing issues // cleaning methods: http://wiki.xtronics.com/index.php/Shower_Board_as_a_white_Board
      • This would probably be one of the cheapest // least work intensive methods of covering a wall, however we would need to really look into, and test, different brands // types to find the best one.
    • Glass
      • Easily erasable, readily available
      • Danger of breaking it, not sure on the cost. (glass is fairly expensive for large panes and is very heavy. Might want to get a quote from dickies glass or somewhere else in the area for comparison though.)
    • Plexiglass // Lexan