ADJUSTMENT OF A SAND PICTURE

The size of air bubbles which support the sand has crucial impact on working of a sand picture. On the size of air bubbles depends speed of pouring the sand as well as the final effects. Due to properties of silicone glue, which glues the panes together, quantity of air in a picture can change. These changes can occur in a long period of time (from a few weeks to a few months) and are caused by pressure, temperature and humidity of air. In order to enjoy a sand picture for long years, a simple adjustment of the picture should be made. Sand pictures should be adjusted according to the following guidelines. We will obtain the best effects when air bubbles support the sand on the whole length and allow grains of sand squeeze themselves through the air bubbles. As it is seen in the middle picture below.


If your sand picture looks like this one, it means that there is too little air inside	If you obtain similar effects it mean that your, sand picture has optimal quantity of air insid.	If your sand picture looks alike, it means that there is too much air inside.
Adjustment- how to add some air?		Adjustment- how to decrease the quantity of air?

Adjustment- how to add some air?

	If there is too little air inside the picture, the sand pours down too fast and doesn’t create any interesting compositions. In order to obtain proper quantity of air and thereby proper operation of the picture, the following actions should be done.
	In order to carry out adjustment of the sand picture, a syringe (of capacity 5ml the best) and a sharp needle (of thickness 0.5 mm) are needed.
	You must find an opening in the side of the sand picture.
	Take the syringe with the needle. Take in a little of boiled, cold water and make sure that there is no air in the needle (it prevents blocking up the needle during piercing silicone).
	Pierce soft silicone, which joins panes, through the opening, gently probing by the needle (you should be careful if the opening inside isn’t covered with sand). Next, suck in by a syringe about 0,5 ml of water.
	Remove the syringe from the opening. Through the needle, in place of sucked water, the air should get in.
	It’s necessary to check whether the pressure in the sand picture is the same as the pressure outside it. You can check it by gentle pressing panes of the sand picture with your fingers.
	If you think that the quantity of air is correct, you can remove the needle from the sand picture, you put the sand picture in initial position and pour it down a few times. If there is still too little air, you have to repeat actions from the 2. point. If it turns out that there is too much air, you move on to option: Adjustment- in case of too big quantity of air .

In case of too big quantity of air

	If there is too much air inside the sand picture, sand can’t pour down and the picture actually does not work. In order to obtain proper quantity of air and thereby proper operation of the picture, the following actions should be done.
	In order to carry out adjustment of the sand picture, a syringe (of capacity 5ml the best) and a sharp needle (of thickness 0.5 mm) are needed.
	You must find an opening in the side of the sand picture.
	Take the syringe with the needle. Take in a little of boiled, cold water and make sure that there is no air in the needle (it prevents blocking up the needle during piercing silicone).
	Pierce soft silicone, which joins panes, through the opening, gently probing by the needle (you should be careful if the opening inside isn’t covered with sand). Next, add by a syringe about 0,5 ml of water.
	ERemove the syringe. Through the needle, added water should displace the air.
	It’s necessary to check whether the pressure in the sand picture is the same as the pressure outside it. You can check it by gentle pressing panes of the sand picture with your fingers.
	If you think that the quantity of air is correct, you can remove the needle from the sand picture, you put the sand picture in initial position and pour it down a few times. If there is still too much air, you have to repeat actions from the second point. If it turns out that there is too little air, you move on to option: Adjustment- in case of too small quantity of air.