I am looking for a good substitute for salt, one that resembles it reasonably well, but does not have the same corrosive effect that salt can have on metal machined props especially in a humid climate or when the salt has been left for some time. Anyone have any tips or suggestions on this please?

White Sand used for crafts: http://www.orientaltrading.com/bulk-whit......13705739

I tested the white craft sand it is 2 heavy, just dumps out very fast.

If you leave the salt in the cupboard it will last just fine. If you leave it in a shaker, then do as many restaurants do, put a little rice in the with the salt.

I just settled on a dawn dish liquid, when empty let wasted it out real well, then turned upside down and let air dry. I then put the popcorn salt in the bottle and it with the pop cap, and easy pour, it worked perfectly for me. Not rice needed if the cap and pop spout is kept closed.

If you do use it with metal, just rise very well as soon as possible. I found out the hard way, even if you just dust it out, it is there, spoiled a really nice brass clear coated bowl.

I use a large fold-able basket and line with a small waste can liner. I found the portfolio folder clips work best on the edge of the basket to hold the liner. I then place on a short fold-table.

My main concern is the corrosion sand on metal especially if it gets in some moving/sliding parts, for instance would love to be able to leave my Ring in Salt Shaker all set up and ready to go without having to take out the salt each day, rinse it, etc.

White crafts sand, interesting I'll check it out.

Yes, it would be nice to leave salt in the shaker with the coin. I guess you can ask mother nature if she would make non-corrosive rock salt.

I have a rare Roy Roth (from the U.K.) blown glass salt shaker with a 10 Pence coin in it.

There is potassium chloride, or Potassium bicarbonate, which are salt substitutes. They're at least LESS corrosive than salt.

Randi

Keep in mind you want a powder that will not become something that you (or your audience) breathe in and which does you harm. The advantage to white sand is that you can wash it and get rid of the smallest particles, leaving only the ones that fall and do not float when you pour it out of your hand. A good source for this used to be those little egg timers built like an hour glass with white sand inside. They are hard to find these days.

Quartz sand used for ashtrays

I looked high and low for ashtray sand, could not find it anywhere. Even restaurant supply outlets, cleaning companies for stores. At the time smoking was permitted inside, I was tempted to just steal steal it, but never did. So I could not test that fully. It did feel like it might work.

Jim,
The egg timer sand is a good suggestion.
Good to know

Go to Amazon and search for white sand. You get many sources and cheap.

The old cigarette ashtray sand is much finer then art craft sand. It runs through the fingers very nicely.


Found it finally!

CRYSTAL WHITE SAND FOR SMOKE URNS/ASH TRAYS

Ashtray sand or sometimes know as silica sand is used to properly extinguish cigarettes by choking to cigarette of oxygen. Ashtray silica sand enhances fire safety by preventing fires in entryway garbage cans and ashtrays. A well maintained ashtray system at the entrance to buildings will keep down cigarette littering.

Sources for Ash Tray Sand: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-1......Can-Sand

https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Commer......017D9ABO

https://www.blueribbonsupply.com/buy/cry......ays/3931 - Note: this last company also has BLACK ashtray sand. Pepper anyone?

@Bill Hegbli:
In an above post you are specifically mentioning popcorn salt. I never came across popcorn salt ( in Germany popcorn is almost exclusively sold sweet).
So my question is, if such popcorn salt has special characteristics, that make it more suitable for magic?

Thanks in advance,
Markus

Markus_M, Popcorn Salt is sold in Grocery stores here in America for people that like to pop their own corn at home. It has very small grins, why, I don't know, except maybe to flow through the bowl of pop corn more easily.

It is usually best used for the magic effect the "Long Salt Pour" like Fred Kaps performed in his manipulation act. Some gimmicks are metal, and need to washed after use.

I am only 1/3 German, and don't know much about the culture, as my Grandparents passed away when I was on a little toddler.

I guess this salt thing got a little off topic, sorry for the confusion.

Thank you Bill,
I did a bit of research and found that it is better known as 'powdered salt' or 'salt dust' here. I can see the value in using this over 'normal' salt (compression, flow etc.). Will try it.

Greetings,
Markus

If you need something lighter than sand, try expanded glass filler beads. These are used for (among other things) lightweight concrete aggregate for specialty concretes. You can also get them at hobby shops for mixing with epoxy for filling gaps. They come in a variety of finenesses and are not terribly expensive. Not as cheap as salt, of course.

Is there some reason you can't simply use sugar? It is less corrosive. It is also available in different degrees of fineness. And not very expensive.

-Patrick

I would think sugar clumps together, and is more effected by humidity then salt. I guessing the Original Poster is performing a Coin in Salt Shaker effect.

Exactly Bill, I have the El duco version which is precision tooled in metal and the salt tends to get into the sliding parts, creating possible damage to the pro0p.
Mr.Woolery I will check out that glass material you mention thanks, but sugar would not work ouit great due to the humidity here which would I imagine result in one sticky prop!

Being a scientist I took a look. What is needed is a clear/white-ish, crystaline material with both the granular density and bulk density of table salt. Granular density is the mass per volume of individual grains. Bulk density is the mass per volume of many grains together. Two substances with the same granular density can have different bulk densities because the shape of the grains determines how tightly they pack together. For example square grains will have less space between them then round grains. Once a match is found, then the material can be further refined by grinding to get just the propper pour rate.

Looking at the tables, what comes closest are various silica/silicon materials. Silica sand ground to about 140 mesh (~100 microns) seems to be ideal. This is used as foundry sand or molding sand. This is not easy to find on shelf. What is easy to find on shelf is 100% silicone (ie no clay added) Kitty Litter.



This will not be of the propper mesh but have grains more the size of rock salt. But maybe a little time in a coffee grinder may be able to fine tune it? Another source is desiccant packages.



The ash tray sand mentioned above is also the same type of material, but I cant find any details on the size of grains.