Quicksand Fans

I know that there are a lot of things that can be used to make a QS pit for personal use. I made the real thing with sand, years ago, but, as everyone knows, a little over your stomach is all you will sink. I then tried a substance called vermiculite, works great, will literally engulf you like "Hollywood quicksand", BUT after about three days, it soaks up the water and turns into a glob that will not sink a person easily. I then have used another substance called perlite, it sinks a person like Hollywood QS, to, but the stuff is white, a little too gritty, and after a couple of months it does like the vermiculite did. I was curious if anyone has found a good, low density substance for a quicksand pit that works well and lasts? Also, has anyone tried to make a quicksand pit with regular sand and tried to lower the density of the mix, via detergent / soap in the quicksand, and then turn the mixture into a froth with the use of a high-pressure air line? If anyone is interested in discussing this, let me know. Thanks and happy sinking! ~Amanda

I've built pits using nine different materials, some of them mixtures. I will be happy to discuss these by direct email but not in a public forum as some of the materials represent a degree of trade secret.

Fred588@gmail.com

Thanks Fred...when it cools off, I need to redo my current pit which is peat. I like peat, BUT it can also, over time, turn into this hard gelatinous substance that, attempting a sink, will wear you out. If interested (of course I don't make films) if you haven't tried something that I have, maybe we can swap a secret or two.

I too have thought about making a mud pit. I live in the country and have enough land so that it would be hidden from the neighbors view. I personally like the videos of the creamy white, grey, or red clay. I think that it might be "kaolin" clay. I am sure that kaolin clay would be a little spendy depending on how much is needed and where it would need to be shipped from. One good thing is that the clay/mud is natural so you would not have a big mess to clean up. I am not sure about the need to keep the clay from settling or how to keep it hydrated. Would need to make a good cover for the pit just in case some one trespasses through.

I did run across a video of a guy making a mud pit in preparation for a photo shoot. He was dumping bags into a pit then he and a girl were moving around in it to mix it up. I have an old cement mixer that I would use for a more controlled mixture so that the texture comes out right. It would also be a lot less work using a mixer.

If digging a hole for the pit is not practical, you could make a pit using foundation blocks set on the ground and then back-filling against the blocks with dirt. You can purchase pond lining material to better hold the moisture in the mud/clay/whatever. You could make different levels in the pit by stepping the blocks.

All very interesting ... what's a reasonably "easy" way of keeping the mix hydrated for a long time? Digging out pits and remixing is hell of a lot of work.

Probably the best way to keep a pit-or natural mudhole-hydrated & easy to sink in is to use it VERY regularly lol

Re-mixing is completely unnecessary if you use the right materials, although water has to be added from time to time. Two of my pits have been there now for 17 seasons. The peat pit needed a new liner after 15 seasons but that is the only maintenance that required re-digging.

Sounds like a peat pit might be easier to redig, rehydrate and resink! What happens if you mix clay in with peat and should it be in low proportions?

maria wrote:Sounds like a peat pit might be easier to redig, rehydrate and resink! What happens if you mix clay in with peat and should it be in low proportions?

What "should" be for anyone's pit will depend on that person's preferences and intended use. Get a barrel, one bag of clay and one bag of peat and experiment.

maria wrote:Sounds like a peat pit might be easier to redig, rehydrate and resink! What happens if you mix clay in with peat and should it be in low proportions?

I had good success in the Philippines making 'mucky peat' by adding a small proportion of clay.

So, from my experience, yes.