Static Grass Applicators


D&J RailRoad

D&J RailRoad

Professor of HO
I've been searching the internet for static grass applicators. Preferably sold or shipped from within the US.
Seems the only one that provides a significant voltage is the WWs Grand version. That is only shipped from the UK though. Everyone else only sells the 3volt version. Obviously just enough voltage to maybe apply to a postage stamp size area with a lot of patience. I could apply the individual strands of grass faster with tweezers.
I'm really done with buying from ebay or Amazon when the item is being shipped from outside the US. They all seem to think they can just blow off the American buyer and not deliver or take their time and get it out in a month or so.
I've considered making one, following the instructions on the many YouTube videos but then, they may just assume I know the minute details of the electronics and don't bother mentioning about a diode, rectifier or something like that which everybody else has that inborn sense about.
I have many HO scale square miles to cover with the grass and really don't want to try the versions of the applicator for the coffee table size layouts.
 
santafewillie said:
I do not personally own a static grass applicator, but several modelers have told me not to get the Woodland Scenics product. I look forward to see what you get and how you rate it.
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I have a Woodland Scenics applicator and the only issue is the four-legged grounding piece gets mucked up with scenic cement. For the (high) price it is cheaply made but has surprisingly held up. The two problems I have experienced is the grounding cord pulling out of the unit when I reach too far. Second issue is it is tall tool and on the lower deck of a multi-level layout it is hard to maneuver, not Woodlands scenic fault.
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This might be of some use: https://shop.whiteriverproductions.com/products/rmc-202107

"Three Easy Static Grass Applicators You Can Build." I THINK the author used an off-the-shelf adjustable power supply for his builds, and I'm pretty sure he followed up by testing his new tools too, using different voltages and lengths of static grass. I remember there was a point after which higher voltages and wider applicators no longer showed much in the way of returns.

Luke Towan (Youtube) has built one too. You've probably already seen it, but if not:

 
Smudge617 said:
If you want an applicator from the UK, use Hatton's they ship by DHL to the US. usually in 3-4 days, several members have bought from them, I'm sure if you ask they'll back me up on the average shipping time.

Model railways in OO Gauge, N Gauge & many more from Hattons Model Railways

Your Local Online Model Railway Store
www.hattons.co.uk www.hattons.co.uk
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It's not the shipper that's the problem. It's been the vendors. They tend to just put off the American purchasers while they take care of other orders. If it runs over a month or so before they ship the American order, so be it. Too bad. If ya don't like it, buy from someone else.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
It's not the shipper that's the problem. It's been the vendors. They tend to just put off the American purchasers while they take care of other orders. If it runs over a month or so before they ship the American order, so be it. Too bad. If ya don't like it, buy from someone else.
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I agree, but these guys will usually ship in 1 or 2 days, like I said, ask other members who have bought from them.
 
OK, I have PayPal reviewing my previous purchase order with a seller in Poland. He acknowledged receipt of my money but nothing about shipping the product after three weeks of waiting.
I placed an order with WWs in the UK for their Grand version. I got an immediate acknowledgement of the sale. Hopefully, they're a bit more interested in shipping the product than the guy in Poland.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
OK, I have PayPal reviewing my previous purchase order with a seller in Poland. He acknowledged receipt of my money but nothing about shipping the product after three weeks of waiting.
I placed an order with WWs in the UK for their Grand version. I got an immediate acknowledgement of the sale. Hopefully, they're a bit more interested in shipping the product than the guy in Poland.
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So do I, I'll be really annoyed with WWs otherwise, I have bought a few items from them with no problems so far.
You should get a refund from PayPal for the Polish item, may take a few days tho, unless he has proof of posting, which sounds unlikely from what your saying.
 
Make your own. This one started out as a cheap tennis racquet shaped bug zapper. I grafted on a stainless steel sieve.
PXL_20210726_232145514.jpg
 
Yeah, I've tried those home brew little projects. Usually something is left out that the author presumes "everybody" should know.
"Ohhh, I'm sorry. I thought you fully understood transformers and capacitors."
I'll go with a manufactured applicator that I don't have to invent fixes for.
 
I just got notification from PayPal that the Polish vendor has agreed to my full refund.
That vendor is: Internet Promocja of Poland. He has a web page that looks very involved with model scenery. It's jsut that he seemed to be blowing me off.
 
I bought a cheapy one from china. I inserted 2 AAs into it and it was rubbish.. the grass was twitchy and sort of worked..
However i found the solution to my problem, i replaced the 2 AAs fr some high mAh Lithium AA batteries. That improved the performance a bit. Then i make the trailing (negative) wire you are supposed to hold near the grass, i made a small "tennis racket" out of copper wire to clip into the crock clip. That also improved it.
Now my grass is standing up like a d on the v!
Just make sure when you are done you discharge the grid (tap the neg probe on the main grid). makes an almighty pop.. but worth it trust me, cos it kinda hurts lol ⚡🥴
I want to ope it up and check the specs of the ION generator to see if it can take 9V instead to really get that stuff up. But not sure if the input is a range or fixed.
 
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santafewillie said:
several modelers have told me not to get the Woodland Scenics product.
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At the moment I can second that motion. I was down to the wire on a project (the first Walthers GMRBO) and my static tool was 500 miles away so I ran to the store and all they had was the Woodland Scenics one. It was pretty worthless. My grass ended up looking more like a mowed wheat field. But I will say I didn't have a lot of time to experiment and figure out its ins and outs or why the grass wasn't standing up. For the price, I expect something like that to just work out of the box as easily as the short directions say.

Someday, I will get back and work with it some more to see if I can figure out its trick, or if it really is just a dud product.

I do also have a cheap one from China in the mail. I was already placing an order for other stuff and for $1.97 I thought why not.
 
I have the one from WS with the power cord, did not use it like this. when i used it only with battery only around 20% gras was standing. i also did test the one from Noch. but with more or less the same result, i will give my WS another chance soon, if he fails again i have to look for a better one..
 
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