The Pitsco 36790 True Scale House Framing Kit provides students in grades 6-12 a hands-on activity to build a scale model house that demonstrates construction techniques and architectural concepts, and it includes the Pitsco 36595 Lumberjack Cutter for trimming balsa wood strips. The kit includes house plans for a two-bedroom model house, balsa wood lumber, an architect's scale, pins, the Lumberjack Cutter, a foam base, glue, and 100-grit sandpaper. Instructions are provided for building the model house with either a truss or hipped roof to demonstrate either construction technique. The model's finished measurements with either roof are approximately 10 x 27 x 21 (H x W x D). (H is height, the vertical distance from lowest to highest point; W is width, the horizontal distance from left to right; D is depth, the horizontal distance from front to back.) The kit reinforces engineering, technology, and math concepts as students build scale model house. A model house framing kit is typically used in an educational setting to demonstrate construction, architecture, and engineering techniques.

The kit includes the Lumberjack Cutter, a precise cutting tool for trimming balsa wood up to 1/8 inch thick and 3/4 inch wide for building model structures. The cutter has metal bars that block access to the blade to ensure safety during use. To help ensure accurately measured cuts, the cutter provides a built-in 12-inch ruler and angles marked at 10-degree increments from 0 to 90 degrees on its medium-density fiberboard (MDF) base. The cutter measures 8 x 14 inches, and requires standard single-edge razor blades (cutter is assembled with one blade; replacement blades sold separately).

Construction requires a hammer, needle-nose pliers, waxed paper, and masking tape (all sold separately).

Science education products incorporate applied math and science principles into classroom and homeschool-based projects. Teachers in pre-K, elementary, and secondary classrooms use science education kits and products alongside science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum to demonstrate STEM concepts and real-world applications through hands-on activities. Science education projects include a broad range of activities, such as practical experiments in engineering, aeronautics, robotics, energy, chemistry, physics, biology, and geology.

Pitsco Education develops K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum, educational kits, and classroom tools. The company, founded in 1971, is headquartered in Pittsburg, KS.

What’s in the Box?

• House plans (12 pages)
• 1/8 x 1/4 x 24-inch balsa wood pieces (20)
• 1/8 x 3/8 x 24-inch balsa wood pieces (20)
• 1/8 x 3/4 x 24-inch balsa wood pieces (20)
• 1/16 x 3/8 x 18-inch balsa wood pieces (20)
• 1/8 x 1/4 x 5-11/16-inch balsa wood pieces (20)
• Architect's scale
• Pins
• 20 x 30-inch foam base
• 100-grit sandpaper
• HD Bond II glue
• 36595 Lumberjack Cutter
• Instructions