Static Grass Applicator (Electronics) - How To - Model Railroad

A quick guide on building a static grass applicator.
This is part two, the electronics. In part two I’ll show you exactly how I wire the static grass applicator to complete the final product.
This applicator work very well on all the static grass brands I’ve tested, woodland scenics works very well and mininature grasses also perform quite well. It’s great for adding realism to your model railroad or if you do any other sorts of scenery like war gaming, you will find this static grass applicator very useful. And it’s not very expensive! In total I spent about $35 on the materials.
If you’re interested in going to part one click on the following link.
• Static Grass Applicato...
Here is a list of materials:
50mm PVC pipe
50mm PVC pipe coupler
Container with press on or clip on lid
Small piece of pine wood (About 3cm wide)
Black wire 18 gauge
Red wire 18 gauge
DPDT switch
Alligator clip
Small wood screws
Metal wire mesh (from sifter)
Small connector plugs
Shrink tube
Negative ion generator (I got mine from Oatley Electronics)
And here are tools used in the construction:
Drill and various drill bits
Soldering iron and solder
Two part epoxy
PVC primer and glue
Scissors
Hobby knife
Pen and marker
Sand paper
Screwdriver
Ruler
Saw or circular power saw
Thanks for watching, hope you found some useful information. Feel free to share the video and if you’re not already feel free to subscribe and comment.
Happy railroading,
Cheers
Luke

[@incrivelminiaturas9839]

thanks for helping all of us who have difficulty making models

[@amberbronkhorst3988]

Thank you so much for the video. Ordered a negative ion generator on ebay of 12v. Got it connected and it works like a charm. Though i think our sieve is a bit to small at the moment but i can always change that. So thank you for the tutorial and keep up the awesome work!

[@chegarcia7]

Thank you for these videos, I helped my son with a school project by watching your videos. Subscribed! 👍🏼

[@davewells9242]

Just finished making one of these. Tested it and the results are fantastic and it only cost me just under eight pounds!

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

with that wire stripper, you could have crimped the lug onto the wire without the need for the heat shrink. Since you were using a lug with a blue shield, you would have used the 2.5 setting on the jaws of the wire stripper. The different coloured dots on the wire stripper are a guide as to what lugs would fit the crimping jaws.

[@starkieable]

I have been searching for a way to re-flock some so soft my little pony and finally found your video. This should get me the beautiful and plush look I've been searching for, thank you!

[@LukeTowan]

I never thought of re flocking a pony :) very interesting :)

[@ivanpolonyi3061]

Hi Luke. Firstly I'd like to say thanks for all your's videos and tutorials. I've made my static grass aplicator acording your's tutorial and it works perfect. I'm a beginer and your tips and advices are very usefull for me. You doing a great job. Thank you. Most greetings from Slovakia.

[@LukeTowan]

awesome Ivan, I'm glad you managed to build yourself a static grass applicator 😃 You'll be amazed at how much of a difference adding static grass to you scenery makes

[@icenesiswayons9962]

Seems to be a more effective and even faster unit to build aside from your previous version. Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays.

[@MarkMLatham]

Best tutorial I have seen for building a static grass applicator. Excellent video work! Thanks for sharing.

[@LukeTowan]

Mark L Thanks again Mark, and thank you for the fantastic comments. This video was one of my earlier ones, I filmed all of it on my camera phone! I've upgraded a little bit since then but with good lighting and some interesting angles and footage that's in focus all you need is a simple camera. Cheers Luke.

[@HolidaySarge]

Although 7 years ago, I just build it and it works! Thanks!

[@brucehenderson6187]

Your 2 videos on making a Static Grass Applicator are so simply and effectively presented. Have already ordered generator from Oatley. Thanks for the clue of using solder iron barrel as heat source with heat shrink. Will keep and eye on out for future videos.

[@LukeTowan]

+Bruce Henderson Thanks Bruce, I'm sure Oatley electronics will be happy to know I've sent some business their way, I have bought a few of these generators myself. I'm making a spare and also a couple extra for some friends. Cheers Luke.

[@cordulahellberg1210]

Thank you for the good explanation. Built today and works great

[@gunfighterzero]

just a tip from an electrician who has built a lot of projects.. the two main wires coming out and going to your phone charger You should use one male and one female and do the opposite on your phone charger.. That way your polarity is always correct should you disconnect it.. they also make those connectors that are totally shrouded to avoid contact.. great build, love you videos

[@LukeTowan]

wow... thanks Andy! I don't know why I never thought of that, it's a fantastic idea. I'll be doing that for sure on all of my future wiring!! And I've got plenty to do! Cheers Luke

[@sparqqling]

make the lengths uneven, so that that the chance for short circuit is less likely: + ---(o----------------- - ---------------o)-----

[@MegaSuperCritic]

This has always seemed a bit silly to me. Why would you be doing work on live wires?

[@gunfighterzero]

Low voltage, no real danger

[@keirus69]

Good point, but if the charger is only going to be used for this device, wouldn't a safer option be to western union splice the wires and solder them directly to the power pack, then cover with heat shrink, less chance of shorting, zero chance of reversing polarities, even if it is an extra low voltage setup

[@mike59317]

Luke, thanks for sharing, this has been a dam good how to video. Cheers, Mike.

[@jlpytlewski]

I`ve watched this video several times...you make it look easy! I just found an ion generator with it`s own power adapter and probably will order it soon...still looking for a suitable container to use for the the applicator and gathering the rest of the components. Thanks for sharing this, most of the other videos are people adapting electronic fly-zappers...lol.

[@click4mrh]

thanks Luke, look forward to it

[@brucewoods9377]

I am about to construct one just like this also. Great tutorial as always

[@gwoodward2264]

Hello Luke, I just got my neg ion gen from Oatley. It only took a short while to get here and the price was as you stated. i could not find one any where else.I am certainly glad you have taken the time to share all of your wonderful ideas and techniques with the modeling community. I am just putting the Static Grass applicator together and am excited to try it out,very soon. Thank You again . Gerry Woodward. Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada.

[@LukeTowan]

Hi G Woodward, Glad you were able to get your neg ion gen and thank you for your kind words. I hope your static grass applicator meets your expectations. Cheers 😃 Luke Towan

[@BremptonJunction67]

Hi Luke, that has to be the best 'how to' I have seen yet on making a static grass applicator, well done and although I am in the UK I find your videos interesting. Craig

[@LukeTowan]

BremptonJunction67 Thanks for the great feedback Craig, really appreciate it. I put a lot of time into filming and editing so to get great comments like your's tells me I'm doing something right. Cheers Luke.

[@dannylaguer515]

This is awesome...thanks for sharing this video...keep up the good work,Luke..double thumbs up!!! Thanks, Danny

[@LukeTowan]

Danny Laguer lol, thanks again mate. Cheers Luke.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Great how to, thanks. Will be building one of these for sure.

[@LukeTowan]

Peter CPRail8748 Thanks peter, you'll be amazed at how effective this is! Also you don't have to build it as robust as I have, as long as you have the main core parts you could use a sifter to apply the grass! Thanks for the positive comment. Cheers Luke.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks for sharing these videos on the applicator. I have built one of these and I intend to do a video on my channel in September comparing it to a commercially available applicator. When I do I will give you credit and link these videos in cards. It will be favorable, trust me. Thanks again for this.

[@LukeTowan]

awesome 😀 thanks mate

[@pietpuk9343]

Great tutorials ! Thank you!

[@BlueOvalHero]

Cheers, Luke! Great video!!!

[@LukeTowan]

+BlueOvalHero Thanks mate, glad you liked it. Cheers Luke

[@michaelwied4034]

+Luke Towan In the beginning of your videos it says "Armature modeler" I would not consider you armature

[@dmdoudou]

I just finished mine. Finding all the components was a little bit challenging, particularly for the ion generator, as I could not find exactly what you recommended. I had to improvise with slightly different component like thiner wires. I know nothing of electrics so I feared that my wire would be too thin and burn or something but everything went perfectly fine. Thanks again for the video.

[@markandrews2883]

wire size will not affect how this works electro static will not draw any current so the tiny wires will be fine

[@dacuzzz]

that was a fantastic video... thanks for sharing vinny

[@LukeTowan]

bnsf6951 Thanks Vinny, I'm planning on a few more very soon. Another week or so of concentrating on my day job and then I'll be able to get cracking on some new content. Thanks. Luke.

[@oldbloke5277]

Good one Luke. I've just made one today. Got the Ion generator from Oatley. It works a treat. I couldn't find a round container like you used, but a square one works OK. I also only had a 12v 1A DC power supply. It manages well. Thanks for your help.

[@howddy6485]

Old Bloke For the ground wire connected to the layout, did you use a wire that supports 15kV too?

[@oldbloke5277]

I used 24x.02 stranded.

[@SmithMediaAus]

Cheers mate... worked a treat.

[@LukeTowan]

Thanks mate.

[@garryanstee5063]

I have a generator with one red, one black wires (Input I presume) plus two white (output?) wires (More a carbon fibre rather than wire). Neither work. I am reluctant to use both as sparks are generated if I touch the two output wires together. How do I work out which output is which please?

[@BaronvonBavert]

great work, Lucke !!!

[@LukeTowan]

Harald Schmitz no worries mate. Thanks for the great comment. Cheers, Luke.

[@paulalderson6920]

Genius! If nothing else I saw how you cunningly used a soldering iron to shrink the tubing. I was about to head off to Jaycar to buy a $49 flame gun thingy. Thanks mate, informative as always.

[@LukeTowan]

Paul Alderson Thanks Paul, I remember doing electronics back in high school and I used to always use the soldering iron to shrink the heat shrink tubing.... although I think some people frown upon it? It has always worked for me, just try not to use the tip of the soldering iron when doing it. Thanks for the great comment ;-) Cheers Luke.

[@Mastertech6]

Thank you so much, you solved a lot of problems mate.. cheers

[@LukeTowan]

+John LaRocca, MDT No worries mate, glad I could help. Cheers Luke.

[@cashimabuku1]

Very good! Thanks a lot!

[@ScottDowneywoundedbear]

Awesome job.

[@LukeTowan]

Scott Downey Thanks again mate.

[@magdanoz88]

This ion generator is 3-5 dollars on eBay now. I'll give it a try, that's for sure! Thanks for the creative video!

[@MGB-learning]

Great video

[@superidiotak]

great video! i had an applicator and it was so so i made yours and it works great! heavy layer of 3M spray adhesive works great for gluing the grass to the base

[@LukeTowan]

+Austin Kent Great idea using 3M spray I'll have to give it a try. Cheers Luke

[@superidiotak]

+Luke Towan let me know how it goes!

[@carmium]

+Luke Towan Just a warning, having made a great many trees over the years, that spray glue stays sticky. If someone grabs your spray-glued tree or presses on your grass to feel it, your flocking is going to stay squashed. And it attracts dust. If Austin has a way around that, I'm all ears. 8-)

[@JTLowry]

You know the too you used to cut & strip the wire can be used to crimp the connectors? See the coloured dots they are crimp sizes.

[@blameusa7082]

Crimping damages the connector and wire, also looks ugly. If you solder it you will never have an issue. But yes you can crimp if you want, but there is a higher risk of failure if minor.

[@alfredjones6421]

thanks for the info

[@Zeisslermusic]

very cool device and making of :-)

[@LukeTowan]

thanks mate 😊

[@jeromesantiago2723]

do you have any tutorial on making static grass???this really new to me..your work is so great

[@allanatwick1606]

Love all your videoe mate, I do have a couple of questions for you, firstly, which is better, having the mesh flat or left in a dome like on the sieve? And secondly, is it better to have very small, medium or large holes in the mesh, I have 4 to choose from which are 0.5mm, 1.0mm, 1.5mm, and 2mm

[@silverpantsblue.1780]

great build, thanks for sharing. Im sure someone has taking the opportunity to suggest it, but some Dean's connectors on your power supply would make it worry-free.

[@christianjohnson1266]

Hi Luke, My name is Christian Johnson from Tasmania 😃 I love your channel everything that you do is a credit to you love your work. I do have a question if you can help I have just got a ion generator it's a 12v in with 6000 kv out but it has two white wires where there should be one red. can I use one white for the mesh and the other for the earth.

[@MegaSuperCritic]

Is it totally necessary to use the 3 position DPDT switch? Could one get away with using a simple 4 lead switch? Great vid, thanks!

[@dawsie]

Thanks for the instructions for making this I found it very useful, with the number of old phone chargers from over the years I don't think I have a problem finding one in my box of old chargers and things 😹😹😹 I should be able to,get most of the rest of the electronics from Jaycars next time I'm in the city lol the draw backs of living in the Outback city runs are few and far between 😹😹😹 the rest I am sure to find in the kitchen cupboards 😹😹😹

[@click4mrh]

Luke, as always your videos are top notch. Question, do you have a technique or tip to get static grass to stay vertical on steep slopes?

[@LukeTowan]

Thanks Michael, I don't have a techniques video for laying static grass but it's something I'll definitely do in the near future. I find it hard to get static grass to stand up on slopes, it generally angles out at a 90 degree angle from the surface so if it's a steep hill the grass will be pointing out to the side! It's possible to use a brush to angle the grass fibers more vertical after the grass has been applied. I'll let you know when I do a video on tips and techniques for applying static grass. Cheers Luke

[@click4mrh]

One thing we're going to try at Tuesday night's work session is to use some newly arrived 10mm grass from scenic express, hold the applicator as low as possible and tease it up with a brush. Similar to your suggestion. Let you know how it goes.

[@alexdumitras7586]

Great tutorial Luke! But i have a couple of questions. Can i use a 3 pin switch that has light in it? Or how can you add a led light indicating that the aplicator is on?? Thanks mate!

[@robertl.finney3688]

I notice in other videos you have improved the switch and power connection. Appears to be fixed to a end cap on the body pipe, any chance of a quick update and parts required as it looks a lot neater.

[@keanukahler]

Thanks, just built mine and tagged you in a post on facebook.

[@paulfitch9597]

But Luke you forgot to tell us how often it needs to be cut. Nice work man

[@richard26162]

Hi Luke, the only negative ion generator i can get my hands on has two white wires instead of the one red on yours. should i connect them both to the mash where th gras falls through?, or are those a positive and a negative wire for the ionisation? (there are also a red and black wire for the power suply)

[@archieberger3975]

Thanks for posting this how to video. I have a question. I purchased a negative ion generator that is 12v 11.5 KV. I have a phone adapter with 500ma output or a power adapter with a 1700ma output. Which adapter will give me the best performance? Thanks, Archie. USA

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you .

[@loupiscanis9449]

From a War-Gamer .

[@johnthom2910]

Luke, Awesome work man. Very impressive. I have a question. Do you have to keep the charge going for as longs as it takes for the base glue to set?

[@LukeTowan]

no, the fibers will hold themselves up however it you apply a very spares area of grass some of the fibers will fall. The grass basically supports itself against the other grass fibers that are standing on end. Cheers Luke

[@johnthom2910]

Luke Towan Thanks, Luke.

[@hl1796]

i wonder, between the fly squatter method and this method, which one give a stronger result ?(which one make the grass stand up more)

[@richardxaveriusworang3679]

for helicopter modeling, simulated a helicopter hovering or landing on a grass should we tilted d base or just make a very large round aplicator???

[@cymru3693]

Can I use any 12V phone charger to build one of these safely in UK Luke?

[@jimhohn837]

Luke, as always a very informative video. Here in the U.S.A. I'm having difficulty finding a plastic container with a locking lid similar to the one you used. Does anyone have any suggestions ? Thank you.

[@LukeTowan]

Thanks Jim, any container with a press fit lid should work fine. It's the twist on lids that don't work that well given the wire needs to attach to the lid. You could even use an old round margarine container? Hope that gives you some ideas. Cheers Luke

[@donwheeler1208]

Going to try and make one of these since the woodland scenics static king I bought doesn’t work at all. Not one piece of grass stood up.

[@yohkodevilhunter8292]

Luke, thanks for the DIY video. Any idea what the output voltage of the ION Generator is? Ended up buying a 12VDC Negative ION Generator with 9.5Kv output. One thing i wasn't aware of is how much this static grass itches when it gets on my skin..

[@nuggles58]

Luke. 12v power supply is easy to get, but what would the min ma (milliamps) to use?

[@OidhcheMhath]

You'd have to refer to the datasheet for the negative ion generator.

[@pippohispano]

I really gotta do this...

[@LukeTowan]

+pippohispano you won't be disappointed, the results are fantastic. Cheers Luke

[@dareldatt798]

i'm quite curious, what is the negative ion generator supposed to do ?

[@apfelbasket]

There are many Negative Ion Generators, 12V, 6V... What is the Volts of the one you are using?

[@kayprins6779]

Hi, thank you for the tutorial. I was wondering, does it work better because i is higher voltage (the commercial ones work on 3v often, and yours on 12v)?

[@LukeTowan]

Yeah if you have a higher input voltage the output will usually be a lot higher and it will help especially with longer grass

[@chromedian9041]

Thanks so much! Are there any safety issues to worry about when building/using this thing, or is it pretty straight forward?

[@LukeTowan]

As long as you use low voltage, like 12 volts which is what I use and low current you should be fine although you can get a zap if you touch the wire mesh while the applicator is turned on! Just gives a bit of a sting. Cheers Luke

[@chromedian9041]

+Luke Towan great, thanks!

[@ld1636]

where do you buy your negative ion generator Luke?

[@Stillsz75]

hey Luke, the negative ion generator I has 4 wires.. red and black together one side directly across the other side is a white. and blue wire...that is one side by its self... the red and black are power. the white would be the generator wire and blue I guess would be a ground?

[@LukeTowan]

I'm not 100% sure however a few others have used a similar generator to what you have described and it seems that the blue and white are the same. Some have just removed the blue by cutting it down and connect the white to the mesh screen although I'm honestly not 100% certain... If you're interested in the same one I used, I got it from oatley electronics: oatleyelectronics.com//product_info.php?products_id=915 They also sell them on eBay: www.ebay.com.au/itm/OATLEY-ELECTRONICS-IONB2-GRASSINTOR-HIGH-VOLTAGE-MODULE-/122408756881?hash=item1c80216691 Hope that helps a little 😀

[@clubenzona1733]

I see your videos and I'm dabbling in this topic. I could recommend a place to buy synthetic grass because in my country is not possible. I would like a place online in the United States to ship to Colombia. Thank you

[@markandrews2883]

static electricity is very different from the "normal electricity" we are use to the effects used are more capacitive than conductive to prove it, try this put your earth under a sheet of glass put drops of glue on top of the glass (with absolutely no contact to the earth wire) then make some tuffs You will be amazed how well it works

[@Hugo-pj4bm]

what kind of generator did you use? How much Voltage Output??

[@Johnny.5.Is.Alive.]

I would like to apply flocking to a costume on a mannequin. The mannequin does have metal in its joints, does this matter? Do I also need to put a pin into the costume?

[@turdferguson9190]

Could this be used for flocking?

[@petergarrett9185]

After watching the videos a few times I have taken the plunge and bought the parts to build a static grass applicator, however my negative ion genny has two white output wires with carbon brushes on, do I cut off the brushes and connect the two ends or just use one white wire? Thanks mate.

[@LukeTowan]

I think it's possible to cut one wire off but you can also leave both on. The general operation is similar to the single wire model. I do know the voltage and current is a little lower on those models so the results may not be quite as effective however people have definitely made good working applicators with the two wire ion generators. Good luck with the build. Cheers Luke

[@petergarrett9185]

Thanks mate, I cobbled up a tea strainer to try it out and it worked so all good, thanks for your excellent tutorial. Pete.

[@patrickmasse7159]

Hello Luke i sang to Ask you this question : is it possible to use a DPST switch (on off)? Or is there a danger ?

[@charliecompanywargaming1715]

Luke, A few questions: 1. I purchased a NiGen a few weeks ago and realized that the fatter lead wire is black, and the hot and ground wires are red and black respectively. since the fatter, single wire is black, does that mean the other black wire is "hot"? 2. I purchased a 3 pole back lit rocker switch instead of the DPDT switch. does that matter? As a result I had to combine 3 ground wires instead of 2. 3. seems the 12 volt NiGen powered applicator may be SERIOUSLY over powered, or I've done something terribly wrong. When I clip the hot wire to a flat piece of metal, then attempt to touch that metal with the ground wire. It arcs like crazy. Help?

[@fcbrvm25]

Thanks for the response. Ive ordered a new neg ion generator since i hooked it up to the phone charger and it did not work. Do you know how many amperes are needed to run it, the specs on your phone charger would be great. Thanks again.

[@LukeTowan]

Ricardo Márquez Valencia No worries, the charger I use has an output of 12 Volts and 1.5 Amps. That seems to work well for me, all of my videos showing static grass uses the 12v charger. Good luck... again. Cheers Luke.

[@robertl.finney3688]

Ok found the other video thank you

[@elchick8328]

Hello, Luke! I was wondering if you had the ratings on the DPDT switch you used...Amperage, Voltage, etc.

[@LukeTowan]

+El Chick sorry mate, I have no idea on the specs of the switch? It's just a cheap small switch from the electronics store. With this setup using a 12 Volt charger as the power source I don't think you'll have any limitations on the type of switch you use. Cheers Luke

[@gunfighterzero]

the switch is on the 12v side of the circuit and amperage is minimal.. any standard switch like Like used will suffice..

[@imtiazsayyed3898]

Dear luck, I m in india and here there is no hobby store for buying static grass or other items as u show. I would like to know what alternative I can use to make this grass. please guide me. Thank.

[@michaelw050]

Can I use aluminum as the conductor instead of water-base glue

[@charliecompanywargaming1715]

Oops! to add to the post below, here are a few other things: I bought my parts from The Electronics Goldmine www.goldmine-elec-products.com A C9007 12v, 12kV Negative Ion Generator A G21027 12VDC 1.5A Adaptor I am using 18 gauge wire too

[@nantucketjeep]

can I use the for hair transplant ,on my bald head

[@LukeTowan]

lol, the only problem is you'd need to re apply the grass every morning 😊 and I hope you don't mind green hair?.... ha ha 😊

[@jlpytlewski]

Not if he uses super glue...then it would be every Saturday night...lol!

[@clubenzona1733]

Good evening. I would like to know how to the lawn to implement static, because in my country do not get the one you use. Thanks.

[@LukeTowan]

+Alberto Sosa Hi Alberto, I've heard others ordered negative ion generators on eBay from China but I've not had any feedback on how effective they are? Oatley Electronics is where I get mine and they post internationally so that will probably be your best bet. Cheers Luke.

[@squierplayer]

How does the grass hold up if you were to drive 1/64 tractors on it while playing with a 4 year old?

[@PurandarNayak]

Sir Give give me the buying link for which negative Ion generator is used in your

[@ComNav22]

looks great, quick question though, why not just hard wire your plug in with environmental splices? I need to make one of these :D

[@LukeTowan]

+ComNav22 Good question, I basically did it for flexibility. The power source I used for the static grass applicator was also used on my model railroad to power the switch machines. Cheers Luke.

[@TheCluelessAF]

will this work with 2x 9v battery on series config?

super idee

[@LukeTowan]

+Frank's Modelleisenbahn Cheers mate :)

[@pistyize]

Hi Luke, I'm Italian, so sorry for my English. I built a static grass dispenser from a fly racket, but it did not work well because of the poor voltage output (around 4kV), so I bought a 20000V ionizer. The problem now is that besides putting correctly on the glue, a large amount of fibers seems crazy and splits everywhere around. I just wanted to know if something like this happened to you. Thank you very much!

[@USALibertarian]

Anyone know where I can find a wiring diagram for wiring the ion generator? What are the two (red and black) wires coming out of one side of the ion generator? I don't understand what goes where on the switch. And I don't know how the posts on your switch connect each of the wires.

[@kurtkyre]

YAY, my negative ion generator just arrived! Now I can build one of these!

[@LukeTowan]

+Kurt Kier Cool, I hope it turns out OK. Cheers Luke

[@kurtkyre]

Working on it this morning. I had to do some research on the two white wires, but every thing else is good.

[@PowScience]

Kurt, what did you come up with regarding the two white wires? That's what I've got now and I'm trying to research it. Is one of the white wires the ground?

[@kurtkyre]

Apparently, it is a duplicate wire. I just taped it up. Used just one white wire as per Luke's design

[@PowScience]

Thanks Kurt, I really appreciate it! Finished the parts construction yesterday & today is wiring day. Got pics of your layout anywhere?

[@escdjewstage359]

i am wondering if the electronic is nessesary .. it is a bit to get it

[@ted3802]

Hi Luke - first off thanks for all the great videos. On the question of the switch, I can't see what you mean about the wires making a cross pattern. Please could it be possible for you to do a close up diagram? I've zoomed and paused, but still I'm unsure - sorry for being dim!!:)

[@LukeTowan]

+Terence Walton no worries Terence, here is a link to an image on a model train forum which shows the basic switch configuration. Just ignore the part showing the tortoise switch machine and look at the part labled DPDT Switch. hope that helps. www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68921-wiring-tortoise-motor/ Cheers Luke

[@PowScience]

Haha, I feel like I'm stalking you, sorry--thanks for that link. So looks like the opposite corner terminals are connected in that diagram. I can't make that out in the video, but it's very clear in the link you provided. Thanks again Luke!

[@LukeTowan]

Ha ha no worries mate, it was a while since I made the video. I'm pretty sure for the basic switch you won't need to cross the corners, I'll double check my wiring again but yeah I watched the video and it's a little difficult to see. I might consider remaking that video to be more clear. I'll also put a diagram on my website to clearly show the wiring but I won't get a chance to do that until Thursday next week! The next 7 days for me are going to be very busy!

[@PowScience]

Fantastic! Hope it's all good stuff keeping you busy. Cheapest DPDT I could get was still a 2 pack, so in the meantime I might wire the other one up crossed and see what happens. Just hoping I didn't fry anything last night. When I turned 'er on, she hissed at me a bit & went silent thereafter. Now I have no idea if it's doing anything (flock is on order) Fortunately the ion generators are cheap enough that I can afford a mistake or two--but I want to get grassing!! btw are you still doing Patreon? Happy to kick in for all the free advice you give.

[@PurpleVidaar]

How do you clean up your dioramas? I mean, after a while on display, they sure can catch some dust. With all this grass, and trees in the way, using cloth is out of the question, and vacuum cleaners cant really suck up everything that got stuck to the models. Or is it all sturdy enough?

[@CharChar42069]

Use a paintbrush to loosen the dust then follow with a vacuum. If everything is glued down properly it should be fine, but you can put a stocking over the end of the vacuum to catch anything that may come off. I personally haven't tried this on any models but it's great for cleaning the inside of your computer. Just make sure to be gentle with the brush either way.

[@WHJeffB]

Nice work Luke... I've built several applicators, but nowhere near as professional looking and safe as yours. Thanks for sharing.

[@LukeTowan]

WHJeffB No worries mate, I did go a little over the top with construction. You could probably get the same results with an old butter container and a toilet roll! But I do like to make things that will last the test of time and so far after a number of drops this one is doing quite well!

[@PhillipMcCallum]

Luke great videos well presented you must be a aussi

[@LukeTowan]

Phillip McCallum Cheers Phillip, I guess my accent gave it away. Thanks for the comment. Cheers mate.

[@PhillipMcCallum]

Luke Towan looked up oatly elec me in brisbane still a excellant video

[@manarshobair6887]

Luke would you please tell me what is the greem material you use for the grass .... n' if it's not available, would you recommend me simillar material to give the same effect ?!

[@LukeTowan]

Hey mate, it's Woodland Scenics Light Green Static Grass, you should be able to find it at most hobby store all over the world. There are a few different brands as well, just google 'Static Grass' or you can even search for it on eBay. Cheers Luke

[@manarshobair6887]

Thanks a lot buddy for your help .... your videos helped me a lot with my project

[@paferlatino]

can i ask you... how can i make static grass? i mean... the material. in my country there arent products for modeling

[@ingmarsteenbergen2619]

paul salto you can import in from international websites, trying to make it yourself isn’t worth it.

[@WallHaxxx]

Get some natural fiber rope (sisal, hemp, jute, etc) then dye it your desired color (food coloring, fabric or hair dye, paint, etc) then cut it with scissors into the desired length. Experiment with different fibers for varied thickness and texture (hair? fur? cotton?) But avoid synthetic/plastic fibers as they likely won't dye well. This same idea can be used to make many different flocking materials. Moss, sawdust, dirt, bark, sand, you name it. Natural materials can be collected in large quantities for free and with a little bit of prep and maybe some dye, you can get good results. (I'm so poor)