Making my own earring stands

Hello to the group,

I am making my own earring stands and the base is a large
hemisphere. My DH casts his own bullets using lead and we have been
filling the hollow base with the molten lead which works great and
gives it weight. I would like to find another material which would
weigh them down but be a little safer to use. I have thought of using
two part resin, but it is so expensive that I have nixed that. I have
also thought of using concrete like some people already use in
jewelry but after reading a tutorial about using it, I am not leaning
that way either. If any of you have any ideas of something that would
do this and not be too expensive to use, I would be forever grateful.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Lona

If it’s just the fact that the lead is molten, rather than the
actual lead itself, then how about using lead shot in
plaster-of-paris?

Regards, Gary Wooding

If any of you have any ideas of something that would do this and
not be too expensive to use, I would be forever grateful. 

Sand

Aileen Parmenter
aileensart.com

Hi Lorna,

If any of you have any ideas of something that would do this and
not be too expensive to use, I would be forever grateful. 

A steel block/s would work pretty well, and steel is relatively cheap.

Regards Charles A.

Sand.

Get a covered plastic bowl which will fit into your base, fill it
with sand, seal it, then glue or otherwise fix it into the base.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with lead, unless you’re planning
on eating it.

Elliot

Lona,

Once the lead is cast into your bases it is not dangerous. The only
time there might be a slight concern is when your husband melts and
pours the lead. You can use the lead-weighted bases in complete
safety. There is no danger to you nor to your customers.

John

Good ol plaster of paris?

Hi Lona I haven’t posted before, so I hope this works. Elemental lead
is really not that dangerous, but if you wanted a non toxic version,
you could go to the plumbing store and get some no-lead solder. It’s
principal component is tin.

Cheers, Scott

Elemental lead is really not that dangerous, but if you wanted a
non toxic version, you could go to the plumbing store and get some
no-lead solder. It's principal component is tin. 

I just want to say “thanks” to Scott, John and all of you who gave
me the reassurance that it’s o.k. to use the lead in the bottoms of
the earring stands. It does work so beautifully and my hubby had told
me the same thing but he isn’t afraid of anything much so I just
wanted to check with you guys to see if you agreed with him or had a
better solution.

Lona

Just don’t rub your fingers on the surface of the lead and then eat
finger food.

M’lou