Building a cheap electric static grass applicator

Standing grass is a very realistic scenic feature on every train layout or diorama. Unless you are really building large layouts professionally, you don't need one of these expensive tools which quickly cost in the 100 Euro range. That's my opinion and the bucks saved can be invested into more models. So, if you want to know how to save money without missing the opportunity of having good looking grass on your layout, keep on reading. I'll show you in a couple of steps how to do it.

There are multiple designs of electric fly swatters, so it doesn't matter which one you choose. The blade will be removed anyway. The electronics inside is always the same. Look for a model where the two halves are screwed together. Otherwise you will destroy the handle.

 

 

The fly-swatter consists of a handle to which the swatter is attached with a couple of screws. When unscrewing the two halves the swatter may be detached from the handle. A small electronic board provides the high voltage needed. I detached the two wires and discarded the swatter.

The biggest problem consisted in finding a plastic sieve with a metal mesh. Any other metal sieve would also work, but then the danger of accidentally touching the sieve and getting an electric shock would be higher.

I shortened and drilled two holes in the handle to fit over the two pins that held the swatter before. This could be different, depending on what swatter you have. A bit of improvisation is advisable. 

 

 I soldered one of the wires to the mesh.

 

 

 

Then I lengthened the other lead with a clamp on one end. This is the ground wire, which will be clamped to a screw or nail inserted into the scenery.

To avoid using batteries, I soldered two wires to the battery contacts to power the unit with a external power pack.

I bought a 3V / 1 Amp power supply for less than 3 Euros and connected it to the wire using a male and female plug.

My power cord is about 2 meters long, which is enough to move around freely.

I attach the ground clamp to a screw, inserted in the center of my workspace, where I want to plant my static grass.

The advantage over an applicator with a pot is that you may reach lower areas easily.

Nevertheless I could not resist to buy one of the cheaper offerings with a large pot and two different styles of mesh. This one makes applying longer static grass easier. Next I will change it to external power also.

The small sieve is ideal for the short 2mm fibers

Here is an example of static grass applied to seaweed for bushes and in tree making.

 

My first attempts with static grass application.

DISCLAIMER: Be aware that this electric device may cause an electric shock. If you build it, you use it under your own responsibility.

APA Micro Layout (Part 9) Uncoupling magnets

Another small evening project was installing magnetic uncouplers in the fiddle yard box of my contest micro layout. I have a doule slip crossing to save on space that two ordinary turnouts otherwise would use.

A pair of Kadee Magne Matic uncouplers (#322) would do the trick. 

Unfortunately I only had code 83 uncouplers and my track is code 100. So I had to shim the magnets to rise their height to were it needed to be.

Positioning the magnets is critical, because they need to be centered between the rails, for the uncoupling levers to work properly.

I used a contact cement to glue both the shims and the magnets to the ties.

With the uncouplers in place, I don't have to reach inside the layout box to uncouple cars with a scewer. The tight arrangement of the details makes it easier to uncouple hands-free.

Clothes Pins into modelers clamps

Here's a short tutorial on how to turn an ordinary wooden clothes pin into a handy flat clamp.

Although this ordinary type of clamp may be used in many situations to hold two parts together, we sometimes need a clamp for a larger, even surface, like when glueing two pieces of styrene sheet together.

First we disassemble the pin. It consists of two shaped wooden parts and one metal spring.

Then we open the spring and insert one wooden part upside down into the spring and slide the second part also reversed under the spring, like seen in the photograph. This is the most difficult part of the assembly because you might brake off one of your finger nails :(

The finished result looks like this. This type of clamp is not opening as wide as the original clothes pin but for holding flat surfaces together it works just fine.

The picture above shows one of its many uses when assembling two or three layered structure parts like billboards or laminated wall sections.

Have fun with my little conversion project. Take care of your fingernails and remember that these clamps will not hold wet clothes on the line for drying anymore. :)

Modified Miter Box

Modified Miter Box

I also start a new tools and general modeling topic on this blog, because sometimes there are jobs to do, to complement the actual layout theme or are also useful in other modeling areas.

Some years ago I have build a jig for cutting scale lumber, styrene or metal strips. This simple jig accepts a standard modeling miter box. Some bigger lumber or styrene shapes just cannot be cut with the NWSL chopper, neither do metal shapes. So this jig simplifies the task of cutting a number of same length strips, like telephone poles, lumber or pipe loads, etc.  

Material list:

- A piece of 1x4 lumber (left-over from your benchwork building)
- 2 small pieces of hardboard (left-overs from your backdrop or fascia/valence)
- 1 piece of thicker wood or whatever serves the purpose (for setting the length)
- 1 small C-clamp
- 1 piece of "paper" tape measure (available for free in most Home Depots like IKEA, serving the customers to make quick measurements of the furniture o.a.)
- Small Miter box and razor saw

 Construction:

- Glue or nail one piece of hardboard at the outer edge of the 1x4 (right)
- Place the miter box against this stop to determine the "0" location of your measuring tape (the center of the miter box)
- Glue the tape in place.
- Put the miter box against the right hand stop and glue or nail the left hand stop in place on the 1x4.

- Now use the bigger piece as a moveable stop and clamp it at the desired mark on the measuring tape.

Place the miter box between the fixed stops, set the desired length with the clamp, insert your scale lumber or styrene stock and cut it with the razor saw. 

On a spare piece of plywood I nailed 4 spikes, spaced for the width of my flatcars/gondolas. This simple jig helps in glueing the poles in layers so the load may be build removable.