Source recommendations for sand for the Miniature Tabletop Zen Garden?

Anyone make a zen garden and find a great supplier for sand? I have found a couple of options on Etsy (but some of them have very pricey shipping).
I want some really soft, fine sand. :slight_smile:

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I have used baking soda in place of sand for some projects where I wanted a fine grain. you can buy it in bulk.

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Home Depot sells play sand:

Quikrete Premium Play Sand 25kg

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LOL I feel like you guys gave me opposite extremes… :rofl:

@mark14 Hmmm… I don’t think I want it THAT fine :smiley: but an interesting idea! Thanks!

@beerfaced Yeah - I know HD has play sand but isn’t that more course? Like for a sandbox outside or something, i thought.

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Actually it is fairly fine. I think that would work but yes it is for sand boxes.

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I guess I should have done some research about the topic of sand! lol
Going to go read this now… What is the size of coarse sand, medium sand and fine sand? Looks like a starting point anyway.

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Presuming you are not headed for White Sands NM, Florida beach sand has been rounded over the years and as there was never mountains for rivers to run to the shore so has the lowest percentage of iron, but might need processing to be rid of calcium carbonate sand. In any case, it would be easy enough to make a series of sieves so it would all be the same size.

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I would have used the play sand from Home Depot. But for something higher end… maybe buy one of those “create your own sand art” kits from Michaels or another hobby/craft store? Looks like they also have “unity sand” in the wedding aisle in white or tan.

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Pour mixed cement and Zen away until it dries. Don’t deal well with change. :slight_smile:

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@rbtdanforth I’m closer to New Mexico than Florida! :rofl: But yeah - not headed to either of these places anytime soon. haha I am not sure where I’d get Florida sand, either.

However, I went into a rabbit hole for a bit. Just dug around and saw the Kinetic Sand zen garden kit they have. Got me thinking about how if it still flows nicely with the tools, it might be nice because it’s so much less messy. (If I make one of these for myself, my kids will spill it within minutes I’m sure. lol)
I also found a recipe for kinetic sand.
So I ordered two things to experiment with. Some brown kinetic sand, and @dan84 some purple craft sand or unity sand or whatever they called it for this particular item listing.

I’m going to see how each works and maybe test a few things out!

Thanks for your feedback - it helped get my brain working.
I’ll come back later and let you know if I have any success. :slight_smile:
I just couldn’t bring myself to pay for the expensive sand I found on some websites … :roll_eyes:
I’m hoping to make some gifts, so… we’ll see how it works. If it doesn’t go well then my kids will just have some new sand to play with. :smiley:

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A vacation in the Bahamas would do as well, Then you could write it off as a business expense to collect sand :smirk:

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Bwahahahaha now that would be awesome! (minus covid of course)
I have never been to Florida or the Bahamas! lol

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Get blasting media (aluminum oxide, glass bead, walnut shell) at Harbor Freight

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Blasting media is judged by the sharp parts in the grain for most.

If you can find someone blowing their own glass the best sand they use is the lowest possible iron and smallest grain size for easier melting (some of the best in the world comes from central Florida due to low iron) but not something I can find being sold online.

I have so much sand (my grandparents named this place Sandy Ranch)…and a strainer. But shipping would be spendy. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I found this. Probably not iron-free as it is not much of a thing for potters and not beach wash so not rounded but specific as to the size of the grain. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I wanted to tell you that I think my puppy might have been from somewhere close to you! he was near Tyler :smiley:

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:rofl: You guys took this to a whole 'nother level!
I love this place. hahahaha

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How much do you need? The sand traps at my golf course have more sand than they need (in my humble opinion) so I would be glad to scoop some and send it your way.

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