heavy paperweight? where to find?

[97tbird]

where can one find a very heavy, simple square paper weight about 5"x 5" ? (granite, marble, whatever...main thing: as heavy as it can be for the size)
all the ones I see online look too funky.

 

[Shannow]

As you wander around, pick up some wheel weights.

Melt them down, and cast into a 5x5" block.

Or freeze a similar quantity of mercury.

 

[Dave Hess]

I'm sure any tile store will give you a piece for free since they are always cutting tile and have scraps in the trash.

 

[salesrep]

Landscaping bricks.

 

[MarkC]

A nice, smoooth rock. And it's free!

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: MarkC
A nice, smoooth rock. And it's free!


First thing that came to my mind. Just wash it up with a scrub brush and it'll be real purty, too.

 

[97tbird]

I need the bottom surface to be absolutely flat and smooth, so no rock

 

[1sttruck]

A box of bullets for reloading. Typically 100 bullets, sometimes 50 for fancy ones. Pick weight desired.

 

[Pablo]

How about a 1" thick piece of brass or other dense metal?

 

[Tosh]

You need to do this during a full moon, but see if there's any recently vandalized tombstones around your local cemetery.

 

[Papa Bear]

Methinks a crown gear out of a '55 Nash Metropolitan would be a propos...

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Methinks a crown gear out of a '55 Nash Metropolitan would be a propos...

That would be a rare find. Maybe even a collectable..

OTOH: I think he specified flat bottomed.

How about one of those scented candles in a jar from chinamart? Cheap, quite heavy and can be lit to clear the air after using too much curry in the previous meal....

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
where can one find a very heavy, simple square paper weight about 5"x 5" ? (granite, marble, whatever...main thing: as heavy as it can be for the size)
all the ones I see online look too funky.


Is this about keeping receipt from being gone with the wind? Don't do your taxes on the porch.

Most paperweights are round, because they are easy to grab. I don't know why you want them to have a huge 5x5 inch footprint and why they have to be ultra-heavy. To what are you up?

 

[97tbird]

secret project.
actually 4" x 4" would be fine, too..(approx)
great suggestions, btw.

keep them coming anyway.

 

[GMGuy]

Local metal supplier and cut a chunk of bar stock of the metal of choice, or some 1/4" wall square/rectangular tubing.

Surely something usefull at HF or similar store... A nice wooden box of number punches, a mini anvil, a stainless steel box (filled with rock, nuts, screws, ball bearings, sand...) maybe even a numbered drill set if its container is suitable manufactured to give you a flat bottom of the correct size.

Fancy kitchen supply place and look for a marble container of the dimensions you want.

If you have time to kill, local landscape stone supplier (one with large piles of materials to pick from) find the flatest and wear it flat on the sidewalk (or kitchen counter top maker who'll run it on his stone wheel). =-)

Alex.

 

[mechtech2]

A roll of $100.00s works well.

 

[97tbird]

well a friend of mine made some heavy coaster with ceramic tile, and attached adhesive felt to it, and it's the right size and weight he says...he's gonna bring me one...
...total accidental find

 

[tom slick]

I've always had "stuff" hanging around that made good paperweights from unlikely sources. transmission parts (gears are great), turbine engine parts, milling machine parts...

 

[moribundman]

I think my car's old wheel bearings make very good looking paperweights.

 

[Shannow]

Bearings are good paperweights, as are blocks of orgonite, broken turbine blades (one under my boss' desk is nearly 40 lb), piston from a 323i, books with impressive looking titles and pieces of boiler that have failed.

A good paper weight should have history, and be a discussion piece.