Craft advice please!!!!

[Nicos]

,maybe get the person you are visiting to collect some from their nearest branch

Te he...I have visions of my 86 yr old MIL slinging a couple of bags over her shoulder

[Nicos]

...can't see sandpit sand in great demand from now on...cheers!

[bearded bloke]

(would gravel leach in the same way as sand i wonder???)

So long as it is throughly washed gravel or sand will be fine,the problems come from contaminants adhering to the surface,the two biggest being clay (which is what gives the colour stain) & salt (as before),the only other consideration is sharpness & given your application I would say soft as it is more dense for a given volume.Basically if you have a local quarry & your French is good,pop there & explain what you are doing & as for the finest washed sand they have.

[Nicos]

We're in a granite quarry area locally... a lot of the local builders sand apparently comes from some of the local beaches.

You lot are as wonderful as ever- thanks for all your superb ideas...lots of food for thought!

...my French BB????...

[lindyloo]

the centre which i trade from has a few dealers selling these type of doorstops, and so i have had a look- they all have a plastic liner, and some have removable cotton covers, some have the plastic and the cotton treated as one piece of fabric. i have also seen rice as a filler, as it is quite heavy too, but probably not a good idea if you live in the country, as it might attract mice?

[lindyloo]

what about pea gravel as a filler

[lizzylemon]

As every one has suggested - white soft sand...

or

dried mixed beans / lentils are always a good choice and I've never had a problem with mices.

But what you do use, do not use Builders sharp sand THATS the one that makes everything orange!

[bearded bloke]

We're in a granite quarry area locally... a lot of the local builders sand apparently comes from some of the local beaches.

Granite is rolled down to dust for the manufacture of granite resin kitchen worktops or do a google on .. SABLE BLANC QUARTZ .. then use the translate key it is deffo available from a quarry in Limousan (spelling) region

[Patchninja]

Nicos, try your nearest toy shop where they sell Bac à sable and say you want le sable. Also, Leroy Merlin sell them as do Carrefour.

[Nicos]

Thanks!...would prefer to get them finnished here- and then spend 'quality' time in the UK with friends and relatives!!

Looking forward to making them now!!

[Two_Sheds]

I just bought a new sewing book, and their door stops are filled with dried peas

[Nicos]

hmmm...lindyloo made a valid point...we're in the countryside with mice roamng around in our insulated walls...they may indeed be tempted inside the house with dried beans/peas/rice...hadn't thought of that previously...just that maybe sand would be cheaper

We do keep our food in metal tins- or the metal 'mouse cupboard' which they can't get in to...and of course we now have no Hewie pussy cat to watch out for us.


...so , sand or gravel at the moment then ....

[Two_Sheds]

Yeah, mice do love dried peas, little buggers

[Nicos]

...and my fresh ones

[Two_Sheds]

.. and the guinea pig's squashed dried ones, in a box with a lid (they took out all the peas and buried them in one of Mr TS's trainers)