If occasionally the field seems thin toward the berm, rather than trying to craft a rho>1 track that returns some sand to the field, and instead of wrestling with the glass on the 36" table, simply place a small bit of stainless bar stock on the cloth, and use a ~25lb magnet to manually plow some sand back to the field. I cover the magnet with cheescloth to avoid scratches. (Don't forget to pull the bar stock well clear of the berm when you're done).
It only took me 3 months to figure that out!
Thanks for sharing your findings. Although it's taken us considerably longer to take the idea of using a "magnetically coupled rake" through the glass seriously, we've recently begun to test this idea out. Couple caveats:
- Be careful not only with the upper surface of the glass, but also the underside. If the "rake" (in your case a stainless bar) is pulled up too intensely by the magnet, it can chip / scratch the glass. We are evaluating the proper strength magnet to use (with felt between it and the glass), as well as a rake that is designed to work well without damaging the underside of the glass.
- Most stainless alloys are not ferromagnetic (or very weakly so). If you intend to use stainless, test it with a magnet . Generally, 300 series are non-magnetic; 400 series are.
I should have made it clear that I apply the magnet from beneath the table. As someone who once experienced a tempered glass table top exploding unbidden, and all by itself, I am well aware of the perils of glass.
The rake I use is 1 inch of 400 stainless 1/4" rod, with a 25lb "handle" magnet. It works a treat.
And I shouldn't have assumed you meant from above! It makes sense to grab the magnetic rake from below - if - you have access to the underside of the sand pan. But wood table owners don't (and some people might find getting down on the floor difficult). But we are indeed working on a potential solution from above, which if it proves feasible, will make a nice accessory.
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