From the business end of a Mossberg 500!
Check your local shooting supply store, they should have it, Dick's would as well. Get smallish shot, typically the higher the number the smaller the shot, #8 or better would be my recomendation, thus occupying more of the space and displacing more of the air. Select shooting stores offer lead "dust" shot, which is super cheap and probably the way to go if you can find it. Good luck. |
bonjo (is that, like, a banjo played between your knees?) ;o): tireguy's right re: the best sources for lead shot. i'd suggest you NOT use lead shot alone, however, to fill your stands. a 50/50 mix of lead shot (i prefer #8-#12) and high-quality silica sand provides better damping. and it's cheaper to use such a mixture. my tt stand is loaded with 250 lbs. of lead shot/sand; don't know what i'd do if i ever sold or replaced it. -cfb |
You might want to consider steel shot if you have (or expect) children in your home. Not as heavy but quite a bit safer. Lead dust is a serious health hazard for all ages but expecially the young. The dust is the problem, so be sure to seal all the openings after you get through. |
Listen to Rhard...lead shot is a problem looking for a place to happen.
The lead-based-paint thing is no accident. Federal law requires any home that was built prior to 1978 have a Lead Based Paint Disclosure available to any potential buyer(along with other notices and/or disclosures that may vary by state) when it is placed on/in the market. There is even a 10k fine if the seller/broker doesn't do this. ...
Lead shot may not be as known a concern as lead based paint is..but why take the risk?
Why?.., lead paint is a serious health concern for young childern.
Sorry, but this is not subtle...look it up on the "net". |
Lead shot IS NOT in the same category as lead paint. The hazard of lead paint is twofold: 1) Sanding old surfaces produce lead dust, even if the original lead paint is sealed under several layers of non-lead paint. Inhalation is EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS FOR CHILDREN! 2) Bright paint chips and flakes are naturally attractive items for young children to taste/chew on. I also understand that lead paint chips have a sweet taste (couldn't say personally). Steel shot is quite a bit lighter than lead. If you choose lead, be sure to seal ALL OPENINGS as Rhard suggests. Happy Tunes! |
Anyone tried iron shavings?
KP |
Why would you want to shave an iron? |
albert: the more relevant question is, why would you want to iron a squid? -cfb |
The best product I have found is on the audiopoints.com website. It's called Micro-Bearing Conductive Steel Fill Material. Works great, I have been very impressed with the sonic charateristics. |
NO IRON SHAVINGS!!! Get just one 'of em into your electronics, and you're asking for trouble! |
It comes in 25lb bags at your local shooting supply store. Costs between $12-18 depending on the hardness, brand, and state of the lead supply. If you are really ginky about the lead issue (I believe it is a red herring) you can buy bismuth shot (ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) that is non-toxic but will cost you 3x that much. |
We all know that lead is very dangerous and no matter how good we will hide it there always be a harmful dust.
Police department is using steel bullets and steel shots for their shotguns when they shoot in the training range.
And my question is will I improve my speakers if I drop into the load hole steel balls instead of lead shots?
Steel tends to vibrate and create a resonance like a cooper. I believe that I can load my stand with steel balls but the price of 100lB is arround $700. |
Call your local Trap club and ask for reclaimed shot. It's a lot cheaper. Good Luck. Shoemaker |
Good point, Fatparrot. I had not though of that!
KP |
Police use steel shot so as not to produce a toxic biohazard (lead) which can leach into the ground water supply! At indoor ranges, nobody would use steel shot because of ricochet problems. The lead can be a hazard because of dust created by impact of the bullet with the backstop. Also, dust can be given off at the muzzle due to the forces generated from the gunpowder explosion. Indoor ranges are heavily ventilated, and some lead bullets are nylon clad to prevent much of the dust. I've gone through this lengthy explanation so that people won't have mis-information resulting in an unfounded paranoia about lead. Filling a stand with lead shot IS NOT GOING TO GENERATE LEAD DUST!!!! Remember, many people were at first afraid of electricity in the house because they feared that it would leak out of the outlets and electrocute them! |
Lead is not a hazard as long as it is sealed in the stand. This is one of those environmental alarms that is wildly overblown in many circles. It is a very stable metal which must be ingested in order to cause harm. Short of eating it or inhaling lead dust, it isn't going to hurt anyone. Lead dust inhalation IS a serious health hazard in closed shooting ranges, but most people don't use their listening rooms for target practice. And it was removed from gas for the same reason-- dust inhalation. As an aside, anyone who still has amalgam fillings (lead/mercury) in their teeth is strongly urged to have them removed and replaced with epoxy-- this is a real health threat.
As far as a damping material inside a tube, lead is vastly better than steel shot but not much better than sand. Damping is a function of how much kinetic energy is dissipated as frictional heat, and steel isn't going to absorb much energy at all. Both lead and sand do, though. If you're really concerned about the health risks of lead, use sand, but WEAR A MASK when handling it and then seal the stand-- inhaled free silica is a cancer agent (at least in the case of long-term exposure), and without a mask I would say it's probably more dangerous than just pouring in lead shot. |
I deeply appreciate Karls and Fatparrot for their great answers to my inside-the-thread question. |
Lak,
I second your suggestion. I use the Micro bearing in my Audio Point Sistrium Rack, with excellent results..quieter background and noisefloor, rack stability and greater image focus.
Ken |
Ken, I'm glad to hear there are others out there that have tried it!
Larry |
That's just great Fatparrot! First I'm worried about the lead dust, and NOW I have to avoid getting too close to my outlets for fear of getting zapped by leaping electricity. Is there anything else I should be concerned about? I've already lined my baseboards with aluminum foil to keep government agencies from spying on me with microwaves. |
Herman, remove all fillings from you teeth. Aliens use them to broadcast mind control siganls into your, well, err... mind.
KP |
Herman, to paraphraze a famous quote, "We have nothing to worry about except for worry itself!" Worrying cause additional stress and worry. So I would be worried about worrying! |
