There are so many static grass applicators on the market these days, we have 6 different types. But how do they work? In this article, I will explain how they work and how to get the best out of them.
Static Grass needs a static charge in the fibre to make it stand up. However, if there is no glue it will not stay standing up. So how does this sorcery work, without going into the gumming’s inside? It is basically a 9v PP3 battery (smoke alarm square battery) that converts to whatever KV the generator is rated. Now I often get asked what is the power rating, there is no need to get hung up by the power. For what we use the applicators for, they are powerful enough. You can achieve a fantastic-looking scene without paying hundreds of pounds.
Another urban myth is the crocodile clip. I have lost count of how many times I have been asked about the clip. So let me get this cleared up once and for all. The crocodile clip is not an earthing lead, it is not a lead to charge the glue, you do not need to put a pin or nail into your beautiful creation and ruin it.
The crocodile clip is the positive end of the applicator. The Static Grass is charged inside the hooper, as long as it has enough room to move around, so do not overfill the hopper. It then falls through the grid which is there to stop all the grass from falling out at once and aids the grass to fall naturally. It is then attracted to the positive end, which is the crocodile clip. Thus, the closer the clip is to the base of the hopper, the better the results you will get.
There we go, no wizard magic or sorcery, just a simple 9v PP3 battery and a generator. The rest is down to you, the modeller.
Make sure you read my tutorials about static grass and it’s three rules, plus sign up for our Scenery News, check out our tutorial videos and join our social media and watch out for Modelling with Martyn on YouTube.
Thank you for taking some of your time for reading this, I hope you found it interesting and keep modelling.
Written by Martyn Rees
