Anyone know how to colour sand?

[plabebob]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm doing a show which has to have grey sand on the floor. Does anyone have any experience of colouring sand or know of any suppliers who sell in large amounts?

 

Thanks!

[brainwave-generator]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm doing a show which has to have grey sand on the floor. Does anyone have any experience of colouring sand or know of any suppliers who sell in large amounts?

 

Thanks!

 

Try here: http://bit.ly/P9xBBN

 

There's no real problem getting hold of grey sand.

 

 

[Robin D]

If you want bigger quantities look for Limestone Powder from a aggregate supplier which is an industrial sand.

 

Fine granite or slate shale are also options.

 

It's very difficult to colour sand as effectively you are trying to stain tiny pieces of stone. Some builders sand carries a stain to change the colour of the resultant mortar, but ask any mum who tried to get it off clothes when little treasures have played in the sand on a building site, and you will know its a wet treatment to the sand that rubs off on clothing.

[ramdram]

Just a thought (usual BR embroidery to topic) ref H&S; exactly how much sand do you want and where is it going?

 

You might not be too popular should the sand start off on the stage and overnight has mysteriously migrated into the orchestra pit, together with a bit of stage...sand, especially damp stuff, is surprisingly heavy if you are not in the building trade, ** laughs out loud **. I noted you mentioned "large amounts".

[kerry davies]

I made myself exceeding unpopular with a silver sand circle on one set. At the Rondo in Bath, half of it went down the cracks in the floorboards which meant the tour kept chasing round builders yards. We could not afford a stage cloth which would have been one solution.

 

Robin has the gist of the answer and stone dust from quarries and builders merchants might do but it is "dirty". It WILL track everywhere and that needs to be considered and WILL be heavy. Wet stuff is messy and dry stuff flies around the place, experiment before settling on final results.

[andy_s]

Garden Clever. Playpit sand (as clean as you're going to get) £80 a tonne including delivery (though this probably depends on where you are - is this in Manchester or London?). It's not grey, but it's a very very pale colour - practically white. I had 6 tonnes off them last season. they were really helpful, they supply a few theatres in London when the need arises. They have a ready reckoner on their website, so if you know the floor area you need to cover and the depth you want to cover it to, there's a multiplier to tell you how many tonnes that amounts to. They offered to dry it for me for an extra charge, but it dries out pretty quickly indoors anyway, we found.

 

there are very small risks attached to inhalation if you are moving it around especially once it's dried out, coshh sheets are available, just google. It's not seen as a major risk to health unless you are seriously exposed to it, but you may find performers complaining of dry throats etc, so spraying it down every so often can be a good idea.

 

you will also find if laying it straight onto a stage floor that it will have an abrasive effect on your paint.

[danburns]

A spade and a ferry?