Sandbags

Using sandbags

I’ve been using a jeweller’s sandbag for some years to avoid damaging metal figures when I’m cutting or drilling them.

However recently I had a situation where I needed to get up close to a large figure which was too heavy to mount on a holder. The trouble was that the paint was coming off from all the handling. I thought of my sandbag but it was too tough to support the figure without damaging it.

So I filled a couple of plastic bags with soft builder’s sand and it worked brilliantly. Providing you’re sensible and let the paint dry a bit – the plastic is quite forgiving and doesn’t stick. (Of course this wouldn’t work with oils!) Later I made two ‘sausages’ to give me a bit of flexibility. I can see myself using this to prop up joints while they dry.