Go to any gun store....Kmart has it in the sporting goods section... |
Find a shooting range or gun store in your area. The shot comes in various sizes. I would get the smallest (more dense) that they have. It usually comes in a 25lb bag and is not cheap. You'll be surprised at just how small a 25lb bag is!
The Arros are pretty small (that's an understatement) so you probably won't need too much to fill the compartment. I would DEFINITELY go with the shot instead of sand. Since these are floor-standers and the fill material is actually going INSIDE of your speakers, I wouldn't mess around with sand at all. The granuals are too fine and could find their way into your speakers.
Think about going to the beach. The sand finds its' way into every orophus. Don't mess with it! |
There have been a number of posts on this topic, so you may want to check the archives.
Some gun stores that sell re-loading equipment still have supplies of lead shot. Lead shot is not prohibited for use in shotgun shells used to hunt waterfowl (a poisoning issue), so it's not as easy to find as some years ago. What you want is a small shot size, in the #7 to #9 range. |
ALWAYS wear rubber gloves when handling lead. It is toxic and is absorbed through the skin. Don |
If you are really concerned with toxicity, there are dive shops that sell copper coated lead as ballast for scuba divers. I am not certain about size choices, but you would certainly have the ability to add and remove at will, without risk to yourself or others. |
Curtis- Checkout www.starsound.com. They have a product called Micro-Fill that is purported to be superior to standard fill materials. I've ordered some to fill an equipment stand. You might find it an interesting alternative as well. Good luck. |
Sand from your local wall mart will work well too. |
mahe sure that you are not pouring the leadshot down the rear port of the speaker. most totum's are rear port speakers. |
whatever your choice of heavy metal (i use spent uranium; kinda' cool havin' all my led's change overnight from orange to green), mix it with silica sand or kitty litter. really. these mixtures are sonically superior to lead alone. -cfb |
hi, thanks for all the great suggestions. i didn't know that i need to wear glove to handle lead so thanks for the headup. i will look into this micrefill material. also you are right that the totem speakers are rear ported so there are two holes back there in each speaker! thanks for pointing it out for me. there is nothing in the totem instruction sheets talking about any of these. thanks again, audiogoners. curtis. |
Curtis,
Please remember that lead is toxic to children and pets (both dogs and cats). If you have never dealt with it before put a light colored sheet or towel under the speaker that you are filling so that if a few pellets fall you can pick them up ( shot is very small and you may not see it but your kids and animals will). |
i second the sand idea. it would work better anyway. |
you can also email totem and ask for instructions for filling. |
If you decide to use sand, don't use generic play sand. It will hold moisture. Go to a home improvement store and ask for silica sand. It's usually found by the cement. |
A dealer freind told me a true story of a customer. The stand manufacturer of 10 years ago recommended filling the stands with leadshot to tighten up the base response. His customer then went out and bought 50 lbs of lead at his local gun store and rather carelessly started to fill the stands. He spilled shot all over his carpet and as it was of a very small size was unable to pick it up. Neither would his vacuum due to the weight. The man then called my friend as to what he should do. He told him to contact the state EPA. To make a long store shorter after 10000.00 in clean up fees and a lawsuit against the dealer and the stand manufacturer his carpet is now clean. |
Let's see......
Lead has been banned from paint since 1978.....a 10k Federal fine if homes built prior to 1978 don't have a Lead-Based Paint Disclosure provided to potential buyers when marketed.
Lead has been banned from auto fuel for many years...
Several states have banned lead shot because of water and waterfoul polution/health concerns...
Try to find a different solution rather than lead shot. |
As a alternative to lead shot, use steel shot. Lead shot was banned by the Federal Governemnt for duck hunting several years ago. Steel shot has been used since then. It will also be available at the local gun store. |
