Don't use steel shot as it will resonate. I use a 50/50 mixture of dried sand and lead shot ( #6 is good). Use as course of sand as you can find. Sand used for concrete is good. Masonry sand is too fine.
A few days before you want to fill your stands start drying your sand. The simplest and least messy way to dry sand is to spread it on a piece of plywood or other flat surface. Do it in your garage if you have one. Spread out the sand and rake through with your fingers, creating a lot of furrows and ridges (more surface area). Do this raking as often as you can to hasten the drying. I use a fan also. You want the sand bone-dry. (Beware of silicosis).
Other things you'll need:
plastic funnel
a 1-cup measuring cup
coffee can or similar container to mix the sand and shot
latex gloves- rubber gloves are too bulky
a simple cloth dust mask
My Dynaudio stands came with long plastic bags to be used as liners for the columns. I think any manufacturer of stands should include these, but many don't.
Scrape the sand into a pile. Mix 1 cup sand and 1 cup shot in the coffee can or container. Don't mix batches larger than 4 cups as the shot will separate from the sand. Start pouring the mix via the funnel into your stands. I fill completely to the top. Cap off and wipe down. Discard everything correctly.
For you people that don't think lead can't be handled safely: Do not go to service stations or battery stores as there are battery carcasses containing lead plates laying around everywhere; In fact, do not own a car as you are perpetuating the use of lead-acid starting batteries; Do not go to boatyards as 95% of all those sailboats there use, God forbid, lead keels. My boat has a 7000 lb. hunk of lead hanging under it (Damn I'm feeling guilty); Do not live in a house built prior to the mid '70's' as it probably contains lead-based paint and lead solder in the plumbing.
Carry your stands and your guilty conscience into the house, set those speakers on top and start rockin' (but your stands won't).
The 50/50 mix is based on my experimentation over the years. All lead was too dead. All sand wasn't enough mass. Steel rings. Empty stands blur the mids and bass (probably Doppler effect from the speakers moving fore and aft).
And for a nice little touch, throw some Herbie's Fat Dots between your speakers and stands. Now crank up the music and let that guilty conscience melt away.
