Calcium carbonate sand.

[Beatnik cryptek]

 I just picked up a bag of fine pure sand to use as base material and it's calcium carbonate.  I don't see how it might be a problem but could it be? I want to use it for base material and dye it martian orange by soaking it in diluted dark orange acrylic paint and drying it.  Should this be ok? I looked up calcium carbonate  sand and saw nothing about using it in art projects.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Don't put it in acid. It's basic, and they'll start to counteract each other, which will likely ruin the model.

 

If you decide to strip the model in the future be very careful what you strip it in.

 

Quick searches don't show evidence that acrylic paint is acidic, but I'd do a little bit of your own research just to be safe.

 

Other than that, go for it. :tu:

[Beatnik cryptek]

I get so many answers on the net. Some say it dissolves in water,  some say it doesn't. I put some in a metal teaspoon and added water over t and it's not dissolving. I donct plan on putting it on a model, I want to dye it martian orange with diluted acrylic paint,  put ova glue over a base, put the base in the sand and let the glue dry to hold in in place they clear seal  it. 

 

I don't know how it could dissolve plastic,  people use it as stomach medicine in anotber form.  This s called calcium carbonate sand and has some small rocks in it. 

[Dusktiger]

im familiar with the stuff.  Its commonly used in terrariums and aquariums, particularly if you own pet lizards like bearded dragons.  its used like a supplement for them to naturally absorb calcium cause their body and diet doesn't produce much.

 

it's mostly made of small pieces of broken shells and precipitated calcium carbonate grains.  And in warmer climates, like the gulf of mexico, its more commonly known as white beach sand. 

 

It won't react negatively with anything in a hobby aspect, and it should take to being painted pretty easily.  and if you can manage to glue a suitable amount onto your bases, it'll also help to naturally weigh down the base to avoid wobbly model syndrome.

 

again, cause it's commonly used in terrariums and aquariums, you likely won't be able to expose it to any levels of cleaners that'll damage it; its not going to dissolve in water (or it''d be pointless for a fish tank) and it won't react to things like ammonia/bleach, because if it did, then the poor lizards would kill themselves every time they went potty in the tank.

[Xenith]

As per Dusktiger - calcium carbonate/CaCO₃ is essentially crushed limestone. Same used in buildings. It'll dissolve in water, sure (it precipitated from water) but over geological time, or in warm (30^oC) water for a long period (few thousand years). It will probably dissolve in vinegar.

 

Main issue would be the particle shape - if it's bits of crushed shell and coral it might not look right as a 'martian 28mm' terrain.

 

In short: Probably no issues. Give it a coat of watered down PVA glue to set it (as you should with most basing materials) and it'll be fine.

 

For your information, "sand" is not a compositional classification, but a size classification.

[Beatnik cryptek]

Ok, it is called sand, so I guess it's the right size. It is a little bigger than fine hourglass sand.