SAND?

Beach sand would be too big in a dio-again check out model railroading stuff by Woodland Scenics-hopefully at your LHS.

If you have some craft stores near you, you could check them out, they usually carry different colours of sand, or you could go to your local home reno store, and pick up some sand coloured tile grout, either the sanded or non-sanded type, both will work fine. It comes in a ton of colours, I pretty much just use the stuff for all of my groundwork.

 

 

sspanzer:

If you look in your telephone directory or know of a pet store close by. (I know strange location to look for) but hopefully the store closest stocks this or will order it for you.

Ask if they stock Repti-Sand

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_list.jsp?ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030078&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775103&bmUID=1132248498499

It is superfine and best of all cleaned for infesting parasites. It works great for me.

Cheers;

Gregory

I guess normal beach sand would be too coarse, but since your beaches are black that would mean it's vulcanic, now I'm not sure but I think vulcanic sand is much finer than the usual yellow sand if so, just use it and airbrush or spray it in the right colors.  Another sand that would be fine enough would be from a coral beach (that would be white sand of course) which is available at any decent aquarium shop.

Dude, one thing that I've found is that you can never have enough real sand of any gradient.  I have a shoe box that is full of little baggies of all types of sand and dirt.  Kitty litter and broken pieces of concrete.  I've crushed it more, ground it up, mixed it and painted it.  There is always a place for it in some dio somewhere along the line of your hobbies carreer. Good luck and may the force be with you.

you can also use silica sand it is found in home or mason supply stores

one use you may be familier with is in  the big ash tray barrells in public buildings