i was hoping to maybe find/use a heavier filler than sand, I was thinking about bb's or like lead (which would probably be more than i want to spend honestly) but yeah anyone use anything besides sand? TIA

you can go half and half.

Lead is not good for you. Not even a little.

Consider using two sandbags. It's a modular system that way.

steel shot isn't that expensive and is denser than sand. B&H sells that, i think, designed specifically for use in lightstand sandbags.

Herb...

I use BBs (copper plated steel) purchased at my local sporting goods shot for small bags (4-5 lbs), but for large bags (10-15 lbs) I use sand. Anything else is just too expensive in those quantities.

<Chas>

You can get used steel shot from shooting ranges for next to nothing. Works great.

Peace,

Todd

It's been many years since I bought mine but I found some nicely made weight bags in 1, 2 & 5 pound size at a dive shop. They are a nylon (or something similar) mesh bag with small lead balls inside, and from what I've read the lead is sealed inside a coating to prevent ecological damage. I don't remember prices, but they weren't expensive to me. They are easy to handle & transport, and even the 5 pounder is not very big.

wet sand

water or pea gravel

Barry Pehlman wrote:
water or pea gravel

I like the concept of using water bags, but don't want the possibility of a spill around electrical equipment, much less in my hardwood floored studio.

Shot or sand "borrowed" from a local playground for the bigger (15#) bags.

<Chas>

Silica sand is quite a bit denser than regular sand, and inexpensive.

Tomser wrote:
Silica sand is quite a bit denser than regular sand, and inexpensive.
Fine dust from silica sand can cause silicosis, bronchitis, and even cancer.

runamuck wrote:
Fine dust from silica sand can cause silicosis, bronchitis, and even cancer.

So does the air in any major city, what's your point ?
Seriously, you are plain wrong, unless you do sandblasting for a living.

Lead won't hurt you unless you eat it, or handle it and lick your fingers - again and again. I use lead shot from a local sporting goods store. Been casting lead fishing sinkers from old wheel weights for over 20 years and have no ill effects.

Tomser wrote:
runamuck wrote:
Fine dust from silica sand can cause silicosis, bronchitis, and even cancer.

So does the air in any major city, what's your point ?
Seriously, you are plain wrong, unless you do sandblasting for a living.

No, I don't think you quite understand the hazard. Silica sand is extremely fine. Inhalation of silica dust particles causes them to become lodged in the alveoli, where coughing cannot expel them. Over time, this damages the lungs, causing shortness of breath, reduced oxygen capacity, and increases risk of lung cancer, much in the way that asbestos does. Damage due to exposure is cumulative and irreversible. By your reasoning, one would not have any problem inhaling asbestos fibers.

As a ceramic artist who works with such materials, it is something that I had to educate myself about. Some notable ceramic artists such as Warren MacKenzie have developed silicosis in their later years. Granted, the level of exposure is many times greater than what I presume would occur with incidental usage in sandbags, but let's just put it this way--there are equally effective and less hazardous materials available, so why not use those instead?

Non-lead shot is commonly made from metallic bismuth, which has relatively low toxicity but is high density. This would be ideal for an indoor studio setting, where portability is not a major concern.

harrygilbert wrote:
Lead won't hurt you unless you eat it, or handle it and lick your fingers - again and again. I use lead shot from a local sporting goods store. Been casting lead fishing sinkers from old wheel weights for over 20 years and have no ill effects.

The problem with lead is that it is a very soft metal that leaves traces on everything it touches. You can wash your hands and be fastidious about it, but you are still exposing yourself to tiny amounts which, over time, accumulate in the body. If you had a blood panel done you may find that your lead levels are higher than normal. By the time you notice symptoms, your lead exposure is already extremely and dangerously high.

It's a bit like seeing jaundice as an indicator of liver failure. By the time the whites of your eyes turn yellow, you are already severely impaired. Many symptoms of heavy metal poisoning are not apparent until the concentration is extremely high, and by then it is too late.

In theory, everything you say is true. In practice, if you take normal precaustions, my experience is that risk is minimal. Because I cast lead (in a ventilated environment), I do have periodic tests, and have always come up well below any danger levels.

wickerprints wrote:
harrygilbert wrote:
Lead won't hurt you unless you eat it, or handle it and lick your fingers - again and again. I use lead shot from a local sporting goods store. Been casting lead fishing sinkers from old wheel weights for over 20 years and have no ill effects.

The problem with lead is that it is a very soft metal that leaves traces on everything it touches. You can wash your hands and be fastidious about it, but you are still exposing yourself to tiny amounts which, over time, accumulate in the body. If you had a blood panel done you may find that your lead levels are higher than normal. By the time you notice symptoms, your lead exposure is already extremely and dangerously high.

It's a bit like seeing jaundice as an indicator of liver failure. By the time the whites of your eyes turn yellow, you are already severely impaired. Many symptoms of heavy metal poisoning are not apparent until the concentration is extremely high, and by then it is too late.

Dried Beans......

One Cent coins cost a little less than $2 per pound, so that is an option. Higher cost than most fillers, but clean, and you can get your money back any time. One Cent coins are mostly zinc, and lead and zinc both cost about the same amount per pound as raw materials, at around $1 per pound.

wickerprints wrote:

No, I don't think you quite understand the hazard. Silica sand is extremely fine. Inhalation of silica dust particles causes them to become lodged in the alveoli, where coughing cannot expel them. Over time, this damages the lungs, causing shortness of breath, reduced oxygen capacity, and increases risk of lung cancer, much in the way that asbestos does. Damage due to exposure is cumulative and irreversible. By your reasoning, one would not have any problem inhaling asbestos fibers.

You are right that I'm by no means an expert in that matter; but when one uses silica sand as a filler for sandbags , he's not working with it, it is kept in a tightly sealed container (sandbag) all the time.
If the bag is leaking sand, in a photo studio, you will do something about right away, trust me.