Hi everyone. I think I already know the answer to this but thought I would pop on and ask your opinions please.
I purchased some small glass beads off ebay for weighting babies. Its arrived today and its not nice! Its gritty, almost like sand, sticks to my hands and gets under my finger nails.
The listing said it was safe for reborns and teddy’s. And it wasnt cheep, 100%feedback on ebay. Instincts are telling me not use this stuff. What do you think?
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I get mine from Abrasive Armory on eBay. They do static cling to everything. They have to be encased in something to put in the bodies of reborn dolls. For limbs, I pour them in about halfway then pack tightly with polyfil and seal the openings with Dr. Scholls’s moleskin. Many people glue plugs on to seal. What size grit did you order? I buy Mil 3 (20-30) grit.
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Thankyou for your reply
I’m not sure about it, Its very dusty
PARTICLE SIZE : 0.2mm - 0.5mm ( 200 to 500 Microns)
I copied and pasted that from the listing. I did have an idea to funnel it into balloons. Would that work? Or I could make little cotton bags, it goes through the nylon. Even doubled up I cam see a fine dust when I shake it. I might bin it, I dont like the feel of it and even from just looking at it again just now I feel like it’s on my lungs
Those are very small and most likely used for sandblasting. I wouldn’t use them. They’re too fine and could leak out. It’s probably not a good idea to be breathing the dust, either. I wouldn’t put any of the glass beads in balloons because latex deteriorates over time. Some people use vinyl glove. I’d try to return them and exchange for the right size. The ones I use, and that BB sells are 600-850 microns 24-36 grit. 10 lbs. for $19.95. They’re still small, but not nearly as fine and dusty.
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It sounds like the grit you can get from harbor freight. I use that for the limbs and never had a issue. But, the few times I’ve used for the body/head, I had to literally (whatever the word is for doubling 8 times lol) the stocking, and it was a thicker stocking just so it wouldn’t leak out.
Thank you for your replies, I’ve contacted the seller. I’m not making to sell at the moment but I still dont feel comfortable using it.
You most likely got sandblasting glass, it looks like sugar almost. You can get that stuff really cheap at Harbor freight if you like it. I accidentally purchased it and used it only for limbs and head, not for the body because I was worried about the dust.
I also got a good deal on a couple bags of recycled crushed glass and I have been using that until it is gone, I know a lot of reborn artists who use it. I personally won’t be re-0rdering. I like the idea of recycling, it is super pretty, it is less expensive and I can pass that savings on to clients BUT, it’s messy in my studio, once in a while you can get a sharp bit and step on it. I always worry it will wear through the stocking (so far it has not).
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