How to make Static Grass look Amazing
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- Static grass is now a really common scenery material but at Warley I saw a new product - the WWS layering spray - which changed the way I do my static grass. It's distributed under the Peco brand so you should be able to get hold of it anywhere.
I've always followed the tried and tested method of putting down a layer of white glue, then using mostly Noch static grass and a Noch Grassmaster, put down a layer of grass. If you want to add another layer then you can try a spray glue, but the normal type leaves small balls of glue, or you can wipe on some more white glue.
The WWS method starts with a basing glue which, unlike white glue, doesn't skin over as fast. It then uses an acrylic layering spray which works like a dream. You can add more layers very easily which means you can get a real depth of finish.
WWS did send me some trial products such as the layering spray but I have since gone out and bought more of their product because I was so impressed.
Materials
The Amazon links are all items I have either bought or bought something similar to myself. Clicking on any links to Amazon will give me a small affiliate income which I use to produce more videos. Every little helps!
PSG-1 Peco Scene Pro Grass Micro Applicator
amzn.to/2MRfRRU
WWS or Peco Scene (they're the same product) 2mm spring grass
amzn.to/2wmIMmJ
4mm summer grass
amzn.to/2Nfkdze
6mm spring grass
amzn.to/2wnBM9i
Basing glue
amzn.to/2P19cSL
Layering spray
amzn.to/2BLsB8r
Method
Using the basing glue, apply a thin layer.
Use 2mm basing grass to put down a thick base layer. There is no need to hoover the excess off.
Spray on the layering spray.
Use 4-6mm grass for another layer.
Add more glue with the layering spray.
Add 10-12mm grass sparingly.
Index
00:53 Real World
01:35 Method
09:48 Final Result
10:11 Mini Kathys
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Hi Kathy! Thank you for the demo! I havent found too many videos on static grass with your detail!
Sincerely, "A Yank from across the pond!"😃
Glad you found it useful.
The grass looks great! I love the mini Kathy layout tour at the end.
Thanks! They’ve retired from show biz now.
I am in the early stages of using my Noch Gras Master. This vid has been very useful in improving my skills and hopefully achieving better results. Thanks Kathy.
Really glad I could help!
THANK YOU FOR THIS THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF YOU I HAVE WATCHED .....I LIKE IT .....Thank you very much..
That looked very realistic and seemed very easy to apply, i think i have to give that glue a chance. Good job as always Kathy.
+balle klorin It was incredibly easy to use which is always a plus. Thanks.
Great job. You’ve sold me on the static grass. Keep up the fabulous work. Joey
It does make such a difference. Thanks.
Very nice, very easy to follow the steps for this method. I will definitely be trying that technique out when i get round to static grass.
+Lego, Locos and Steampunk Glad you found it helpful.
Outstanding, the best grass I've seen
Wow, thanks!
Hello, from Virginia, USA. Love your vids, Kathy! They've been very helpful!
Brilliant! Glad you find them useful.
Hi Kathy, I really like your videos. I did a lot of static grass a few years ago. I used acrylic matte medium for glue. Its a bit thicker than what you were using here, and I just brush it out to a thin covering. I zap the grass in and then about a half hour later I come back with my shop vacuum and go over the area. The super suction helps the grass really stand up.
Thanks! I too use the hoover to suck stuff vertical again and it works like a treat. I have never used matte medium but I did used to use white glue (which apparently skins over too quickly).
did used to I used to. I didn't did used to.
K27fan I watched a guy put in static grass and use hair spray..lol
Using a fine comb brushing upward helps make the grass stand upward. Another great video. Kindest regards, Rick
Nice work Kathy as usual
Thanks a lot.
Fantastic work! 👍 👌 👏
+Duececoupe Thanks!
Interesting, I didn't know that it is possible to do layers with static grass, that it actually looks so good~!
Kathy, you make it look so easy!! I've book marked so that I can come back and follow what you have done in this video. Very well done and explained, and the end result is very nice, very realistic looking grass!!! Really cool! Cheers D. Muse
+David Muse Thanks. I was really pleased how easily it came out.
You deserve way more subs and views Kathy. Keep up the great work!
Thanks!
Marry Christmas from Limhamn Sweden 🇸🇪
Great stuff. Totally agree about the first ground cover. I use sawdust of different sizes soaked in acrylic paint but no good obviously for 'standing up' grass.
Thanks! It does make such a difference.
Thanks Kathy, interesting video!!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great end result. Very easy using the WWS applicator and their layered approach.
Thank you!
@@KathyMillatt Also, as an Aussie I have to admit to chuckling every time I hear a Pom say "hoovering". So British. As an aside, I work part time in a model train shop here in Melbourne, and your book sits proudly on our shelves. Cheers from the southern Commonwealth.
@@stevie65able That's brilliant! Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for the help I'm gonna try static grass for myself👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👌🏻
+MARTAR GAMING Good luck. It's relatively easy once you get going.
I always bump into you at warley, not this year thanks for the video. Keep safe 👍🏼🚂🚂
I’m going to miss Warley. I meet so many amazing people and get so much inspiration.
she always has a cup full of grass, My kind of lady. Love the vid.
My cup overfloweth!
Wow.. love the static grass.. thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.. Lance
Thanks a lot!
I want to try it on my layout...Thanks again
EXCELLENT! I'LL TRY THIS AS SOON AS IT COMES TO THE U.S.A.
Great video Kathy. Cheers RT
+retrainrun Thanks!
Great video Kathy,
Just a quick tip - if you want your static grass to stand up on the embankment, just let the glue go off a little before applying.
If that still doesn't work, run the applicator (empty) across the top nearly touching.
If that still doesn't work, leave for 10 minutes and then hoover it with the nozzle very close but not touching (obviously).
This has worked for me, it stops the unrealistic clumping and the annoying 'cross stitching' effect where some grass can lay over others.
Great tips, thanks. I have tried all those at times with varying success. I normally do hoover it upright but I do find embankments still troubling as the grass does want to repel the other static fibres.
Excellent video.
I've seen plenty of static grass videos, of various degrees of success, but I'm really impressed by being able to layer the different lengths of grass straight away and not have to wait for the first layer to dry. I'll have to look out for this stuff at Modelrail Scotland at the end of the month.
I know you wouldn't want to have to buy yet another applicator, but I have one of those applicators that looks like a small sieve on a stick and is held horizontally, rather than vertically, and would eliminate your height problem between levels? Just a thought. Great work as ever Kathy
+davie maclean Thanks. I got my supplies from a normal hobby shop so I'm sure you'll find it. You're right, I gave two applicators so will probably stop there! Horizontal is a good idea but this one works out ok.
I do love how quick it all is.
Hi Kathy I'm not a railway modeller but i thought I'd like to add some scale grass either side of a boundary fence to a 1/72 model airfield diorama I'm working on. Needed it shorter on one side of the fence and longer less well maintained on the other side. Static grass was the perfect answer but no idea how - so followed your video to the letter, went out and got the WWS stuff and off I went... I know you're waiting for the but... no buts! Went down really well! Used the autumn colour as the 2mm base with summer for the 4 & 6mm - beautiful! Thanks so much. 👍
Incidentally, you may (or may not..!) be pleased to know that so impressed was I that I thought it would be appropriate to put you in my diorama! Its planned to be an airshow scene and needed some spectators for the crowd. I found some great figures for this (train spotters, photographers etc) in the Modelu 3D range - and guess what there was a miniature Kathy Millatt in their range! I thought you were only available in 1/76 but the guys at Modelu printed you at 1/72 for me. I have yet to finish the diorama so at the moment you are temporarily in conversation with an RAF policeman (don't ask...)! 😃
That’s so wonderful and I’m honoured to be on your diorama!
great job kathy
+Bud Whiteman Thanks!
Nice one Kathy. Thanks.
+Michael Chartres Thanks a lot.
The scenic dioramas around you are so beautiful and realistic. I thought you were on a boat going down a river at the beginning
Thanks!
Oh never mind, figured it out. And btw your grass looks amazing.
Thank you.
Hi
Only just found your channel, very interesting and useful as I'm hoping to be doing some practice scenery for my layout soon.
Hopefully I'll be catching up on your other videos now too.
Regards Paul
Thanks Paul, hope you find the other videos useful too.
Kathy
A great video i came across as i searched static grass.
I thought who is Kathy Millat and found your blog.
Easy to think model trains are just a boy or blokey thing but thinking back to the 60s when it was even !ore blokier there weee some inspirational women building model railways including Shirley Rowe ( no relation) and Vivian Thompson who made fantastic buildings.
One thing i have learnt and believe totally is that model railways are really a very broad art form .
We all have differnt takes on art and all have differnt skill levels.
I feel inspired by your scenery so you have dome well, thankyou
If ever the hobby needed to realise this it is now...
Surely women enhance the art form in many ways
As an example when it comes to colours women are generally much better at the subtley of colour coordinztion and attention to detail.
Thanks a lot! I’ve always found everyone very welcoming in the model railway world but there aren’t many women, that’s for sure.
Kathy Millatt I suppose many things are to a certain extent inate within gender.
For instance my granddaughter loves pink and purple and I believe it's her feminine side.
Why boys like trains and being often juvenile again I can't fathom.
Perhaps we should simply celebrate the differences.
I would like to think more women are involved as I truly believe that model railways are complex they involve history , you obviously have very high artistic talent.
Some people simply love playing trains or building them but artistic modelling skills are minimal.
I'm an all rounder but don't excel in any area.
Thank you for the video!
Thanks Dan
Brilliant that .
Thanks.
Very informative video, thank you :)
Thanks.
Amazing! :) Thanks for sharing :)
Glad you liked it.
I like it :) I never did get static grass right when I was a kid, but I want to make a WWII diorama with grass.
+JagdActor1 Static grass didn't exist when I was a kid! It's improved so much over the last couple of years so definitely worth another try.
I never bought a static grass applicator.
Another Great Video Kathy... I'm not knocking any of the products because I have used them all in the past. If you are on a budget or have a lot of scenery to do, it could cost you a small fortune for all the adhesives and glues for your static grass. I buy Elmer's Craft Glue (white PVA) in bulk containers to use on my bases then to layer the grass I use a cheap hairspray in a layering technique. Not sure what the cost of one of those cans of spray cost in the UK but they can get pretty expensive after using on multiple large scale layouts or dioramas. Just an FYI for ya. Thanks again for all the great videos.
Hi, I have to say that hairspray has underwhelmed me every time I've used it. My leaves on trees all fell off and so I haven't trusted my grass to it. I'm really glad it works for you though as scenery is expensive. I guess I prefer my small (by American standards) layout because it doesn't break the bank!
I have had pretty good luck with the hairspray on just the grass... Does not work well when gravity takes hold of things. By the looks of things .... your layout is pretty big. I wish I had the room! Happy modeling Kathy.
+J White My layout is 12' square but I'm trying to cram a lot in!
I'm working on a budget using PVA glue and hairspray too!
I realize this is many months after, so a bit of a necro-thread, but I can't help and wonder if the spray on adhesive is similar (or the same thing) as is used to stick car headliners to the inside of the car's ceiling. At least according to 3M's info, the stuff dries clear and has a 30 minute to 1 hour drying time. From what I remember when helping replace a headliner, the stuff is pretty ridiculously tacky.
Hi Kathy, I bought the WWS applicator and grass direct last year before it was available through Peco and I have a quite large amount of area to apply static grass, but not enough to warrant the price of the Noch applicator. I too have been very pleased with the layered grass affect using the WWS grass. The WWS grass compared with others I have tried have two main advantages, a good range of colours that are not horribly garish and at least a good indication of their length, some brands are undefined. The applicator works well, as regards the adhesives, I still prefer PVA, applied neat, water sprayed to thin and then apply the first layer, the WWS base glue, seems rather expensive for this stage. The layering sprays seem quite good, but, the area must be well ventilated, something not apparent when I bought them, but required both by the can instructions and to stop getting rather high! As for clipping the applicators ground to the railway line, could it result in damage to a DCC control system electronics? Jim
Hi Jim A few people have mentioned the damage to your DCC controller. Mine isn't powered on so I guess I haven't worried about it. I always run the extractor fan as otherwise things like isopropyl alcohol become very strong very quickly in my unventilated room! It's a good point and I hadn't noticed any odours from the layering spray but the carrier gas may affect you.
I do find that the WWS base glue dries shiny which can be a disadvantage. Nothing some dulcote can't fix but still an extra step needed.
Regarding the DCC system, I think it is probably at higher risk whilst switched off but still connected than when it is on, think I will continue to use the nail or screw in the glue approach. Mind you if the grounding works from rail to glue it probably can leak from glue to rail too, but at least it would be to both rails simultaneously so they would be at the same potential. Difficult to know for sure. Thanks for the informative and entertaining videos, Jim
+freightuk Better safe than sorry to be sure.
genial!!!
Excellent info Kathy, the spray glue looks just the stuff as I've been using hairspray on my dioramas but it pools a bit. Will have to give this a try :-D
+CW Modelling I've been really impressed with it so far.
It looks that good that you just want to get a little lawnmower out and make a neat stripey lawn. :-)
Awesome video Kathy! I just bought the layering spray, grass 4,6,8, and applicator from WWS. I hope to get the same results. Tho my layout is already done with Silfor 2mm grass already. So I am hopping that i can get different lengths and make it look more realistic and less uniform.
Good luck. With that combination you should get some excellent results!
Hi there. Perhaps a silly question, if so I apologise. I came across this while looking up PECO SCENE PSG-1 PRO GRASS MICRO APPLICATOR (sorry for caps, its a cut and paste). I wish to apply static grass to wargaming bases, so a little different from railways. What Im trying to achieve is a Wet Mud base and then I want to apply grass in patches over the top to make it look like a really well worn out pitch. Would I be correct in assuming that the grass will only stick to where the glue is, i.e. you paint the glue on in patches then apply all over turn the base upside down, then tap it and the excess falls away?
Yes, you are right, grass will only stick where there is glue. However, I've found that if I leave loads of excess around and don't tap it off or hoover when I wait for the glue to dry then it can be much harder to get off later. Not sure why but I would take the excess off as soon as you're happy with the amount.
Hi, thanks for sharing. Ii like the way you have build up the layers, much better than using one kind of grass. Looks very nice and alive. Before i can do anything like this, i'm gonna build my own static applicator. I will make my own video with the results when i build it. Good luck, will follow youre video's! Greetings from holland!
+PvL-Modelspoor Hi! I hope it goes well for you and I agree, layers are so important.
Hi, I love your brush !!!! Jejeje
YOU MADE YOUR SELF SMALL LIKE THAT SO COOL REALLY GOOD AT IT SWEET STUFF GREAT MIND...
Thanks.
I recognize some of those photos in new england as some south River model works kits!
Yes, I have a couple of them built and loads more in boxes.
Hi Kathy, I have just bought a "Tea strainer type of applicator and flock off ebay and applied as instructed, and following tips on this channel, but my grass doe's not stand up, the machine works as when I short it out it sparks, I have a screw in the base for the lead and the base is polystyrene, so what am I doing wrong ?
Great vid and channel
Thanks a lot.
Another of your very helpful videos, thanks, Kathy.
Like others, I was surprised to see you attach the alligator clip to a rail instead of into the wet glue. I always understood that it had to be into the glue to make an electrical field (or something!) before the grass would stand up. Presumably that ain't so!
As an aside, I see that you have caught the 'So' bug - beginning sentences with 'So . . . '. It's spreading like wildfire! I am one of thousands who been infected, much to my annoyance!
I'll still keep watching your videos, though, and learning from them.
+renard801 "Like" is the one I keep hearing myself saying and that's annoying me. You don't even realise you're doing it until you hear yourself on playback!
The track trick does work so I guess static electricity is not about conducting through glue...
@@KathyMillatt : Love your videos, and the "so" business doesn't bother me too much (okay, it does, but I'm glossing over politely here), but your rapid fire delivery is hard for me to follow. How about slowing down a little? I have to back up so many times in your videos to understand what you're trying to convey. And speaking of this, what is "layering spray"? It is what we in the US would refer to as hairspray? Is your layering spray water- or lacquer-based? If is it lacquer-based, why do you need to apply the grounding clip/pin from your applicator?
I am eager to attempt static "grassing". Thank you.
@@davidhughes4448 David, did you know you can play UA-cam videos at any speed. I often speed up long ones to 1.5x to get through faster! They do go slower too.
Layering spray is linked in the materials in the description and is not hairspray - it's an acrylic spray not a lacquer. Good luck with your static grass
@@KathyMillatt Thank you, Kathy, on all fronts.
You hills, trees, grass and overall scenery looks amazing. How about a layout tour?
I did one last year which is on my channel. Little has changed since then I’m afraid.
Amazing - wish I'd seen this video before I started working on my village!
Thanks!
I have just ordered the Peco (today). I decided not to use static grass on my first ever layout which was a Thomas layout for a 4 year old's birthday. I may add a bit on my WWI layout however. I am going to try strong hairspray as it was recommended by another tuber.
Static grass will look great on your WWI layout. I have never had any luck with hair spray so I hope you get it to hold for you.
Really enjoying your vids Kathy. I'm currently building 1:48 WW2 vignettes and I am looking to use some O Gauge items as I believe they are the same scale?
Thanks again
Al
+Al Wood O gauge can be 1:43 as well as 1:48. The latter is the US one I believe. Just check on people etc as they can look odd otherwise. I use all the O scales though.
I wish I could do huge dioramas like you do but I am working (trying, due to broken dominant wrist!) in 1:18th at the moment. My partner doesnt have much time for miniatures so I'm constricted to doing a couple of buildings or whatever at a time...if I had a big room all to myself it would be different!
I love big dioramas but you quickly run out of space!
Hope the wrist heals soon.
Красиво получается.
doing layer after layer, the static grass would stick to the first grass, and not the baseboard? I have never tried static grass yet so I have no idea how to use it. would it not have worked better attatching to the grass area you doing and not the track?
+sparky107107 Yes, subsequent layers stick to the earlier layers. It seems to work fine attaching the clip to the track. That's what the manufacturer did when he demoed it. Thanks for commenting.
All the instructions I've seen for grass applicators mention connecting the wire to a nail or pin that's in the glue itself (including the one I have). How does attaching it to the track differ?
+Andrew B Hi, that's the way the manufacturer demoed it to me. He seemed to think that it was close enough and with the layering spray, it's hard to get a nail into the spray anyway. From my point of view, it seemed to work the same as with my Noch grasmaster onto a nail at the edge of the glued area.
i see a few videos on Woodlands fine turf as a basing - what is you opinion on how this looks in ho and small scales?
I think you should model grass with something that it grass shaped. I use the fine turf a lot to represent broad leaves weeds etc but static grass is a better shake for grass in my opinion.
hello, i want asking, when you spray that grass, is that glue or what?
All the materials are in the description so you can see exactly what I used.
@@KathyMillatt ow, ok thanks for sharing
Hi.
Does the static grass applicator need to be attached to a live feed or just to a metal rail?
Anywhere on the scenery and preferably where it will conduct with the glue. Rails are convenient. I would never have my control system live when doing scenery of any type.
Amazing job.....wish you were my neighbor lol
It’s a long way across the Pond!
thank you mam
+vicktor nath Thanks for watching.
What was the brand of the better static grass layering spray that you liked?
All the details are below the video in the description. I like WWS spray.
Kathy, do you know where I could get some lawyering spray in the states?
+maxanddad1 It’s distributed by Peco and there’s a special pump action bottle for shipping overseas. Otherwise you can order from any UK supplier, and there are loads including the manufacturer WWS, and ship to the US
Hi' Kathy. I just subscribed to your channel and I am very impressed. I am having a problem finding the WWS products you used in your used in your video here in the USA. Could you give me some more info on vendors here in the USA where I can purchase these products. Keep up with videos they are great.
+George Moore hi, WWS are coming out with a new version that will ship to the US so wait a little longer and it should be there. Their distributor is Peco. Until then I think it's only available in the U.K.
Hey Kathy Nice video! I have a two part question for you, 1. What do you think of the Peco applicator compared to the Noch one? I mean other than size. Better, worse, about the same? 2. How do you like the layering spray? Does it work well? I have a few spots I would like to do a little larger with my layout. When I did it I was new at static grass so I didn't know about a lot of the lengths and all. I got rather small ( I think like 2 mill) grass from Silfor. I like the color and all but it looks to uniform. I wanted to add a little more to it by giving it different lengths and all.
+maxanddad1 Hi, thanks for commenting, in answer to your questions:
1) I don't see much difference but I always kept the metal plate with holes on in the Noch (as opposed to the mesh which is always on). That slows the grass down. In my view, both work, the Noch one has more targeting devices like the funnel which may be of interest.
2) you do need to add layers in my view. I go over how to add grass over existing layers in a few weeks time. Now I use 2mm followed by 4mm and sometimes 6mm. That breaks up the uniformity. Bumps underneath help to give a bit of texture.
Layering spray really wowed me. It worked better than other methods I'd try to get similar results. None of them worked as well in my view. Hope that helps.
Thaks Kathy :)
i would think that you should have done the nail technique near the application area as the tracks are insulated from that space due to the plastic underneath them
+Scott Wallace It seems to work though. It was how the manufacturer demoed it to me.
Scott Wallace you do NOT have to be in contact with the glue as long as + & - are within working range of each other the static field will be created.
It doesn't work quite like that. My applicators have an eon generator fitted and this creates a magnetic field between the pin/or track & the applicator. Does not need contact with the glue.
I dont think that pin is needed at all. Pure water is conductive, the glue-water-mix, not at all. Grounding on the rails does not make sense, and IF it would work as imagined, the particles would mainly travel towards the pin! I think the ion source in the aplicator charge the fibres, so you dont need grounding at all.
All static grass applicators tell you to ground it. I have no idea of the physics but I often don’t and the grass does still stand up.
Looks very good Kathy. I've used hairspray previously to layer grass - seems to work well for me. I do like the base layer glue however. I always use a very watery PVA with varying degrees of success.
How powerful is the Peco applicator please? Is it more powerful than the Noch one?
I've tried the watery glue with varying degrees of success too. Both Noch and Peco work well. The Noch is slightly larger and should do longer grass as a result. Otherwise, they both are very similar.
Hey there. Was the hair spray a success? I live in a backwater town in Australia and the COVID has made getting supplies nigh impossible. I can get hairspray!
Im having trouble getting the 12mm out of the grass maker. Any suggestions?
It’s tough! Bigger mesh?
Hi Kathy, I'm a bit confused in the order of grass and ballast. As a newbie I have grassed after ballast as I thought that the ballast would fall into the grass and be harder to retrieve than gluing up to the ballast and then grassing. I would appreciate your thoughts on this please. Kindest regards from one of your newest fans !!!
Hi Rick. I always grass after ballast because the grass is springy and you can’t get the ballast to settle properly. I still haven’t ballasted this section of track though!
Nice end result. 👍
That's an interesting approach Kathy.
I wonder if the spray is the same as standard spray adhesive?
I've seen others ground their applicator through a pin in the glue to make a static charge.
Hard to know which approach is better.
Happy Modelling.
Mon
The spray isn’t as most spray glued ball on the grass but you may have one that doesn’t.
Ground is neutral so the grass fibres will stand up as they get near it anyway but adding the wire puts a charge on that increases that effect. I don’t notice a massive difference tbh.
You are amazing 👍🏻👍🏻 can I ask, what would be your dream build? Xx
That’s a hard one. There are so many ideas on the list! Underwater is coming soon.
@@KathyMillatt woohoo! Can’t wait 😁 xx
Could you please tell me exactly what color of grass you used on 9:09? And what brand?
+Samuel Cifuentes Hi, all the details are in the narrative beneath the video. It will be WWS grass.
Hi Kathy, I'm a bit confused in the order of grass and ballast. As a newbie I have always
Hi! I've been doing some research about how to apply static grass to diormas, and lots of people say you need a tin? I was wondering whether to make the grass static a metal base was needed? Thanks! 😄
Not at all. You can touch the wire from the applicator to the ground which adds the charge there but the grass itself has enough static charge generally to stand upright in the glue.
@KathyMillatt thank you so much for your reply! This is so helpful! I assume any ordinar pva will work?
Thanks so much! 😊💚
@@ShroomClay it will but it starts to dry by skinning quite quickly in hot temperatures so if that becomes a problem, do smaller patches at a time.
@KathyMillatt Thank you so much for your help! I truly appreciate it! 🙏 😊💚
that was really great job Kathy I heard bout the product now I know how it turns out I need to get it better than the standerd stuff that I use
Brad, It is a great product. Static grass certainly adds a lot to a model.
shall dose and worth the out come in the long run
Since this video have you tried it again with the wire lead in the glue and gotten better results?
I don’t find it makes much difference. The grass should go towards the pin or whatever it is conducting through but it’s still staticly charged, regardless.
@@KathyMillatt thank you for the quick reply. Just was wondering. I love your channel and have learned so much from it!
Kathy, another great video, I was lead to believe that a coat of "wet water "first to help the glue flow was a good way . Any comment on that ,? I saw it on Boulder Creek Railroad . Regards John
+tomrace16 it depends on the glue you're using. For this glue, you don't need it but with white glue, it can help.
Thanks Kathy , I might give that method a try. John.
Is a negative ion generator really necessary for a static grass applicator? If so, which element in the fly swatter is the ion generator? I am sure you have seen all the UA-cam videos on making an applicator out of the electric "fly swatter".
So...do you have any idea as per the necessity of a ion generator?
Thanks,
\\][//
+Willy Whitten Static grass needs something to make it static but I’m afraid that’s the limit of my technical knowledge. I have never made my own.
Thank you for the reply Kathy, I will be doing my own experiments concerning this, as no one has yet given me a definitive answer. I have a line on a "Pink Lizard DC12V Output DIY Air Ionizer Airborne Negative Ion Anion Generator". It is only $9.46, but ships all the way from China. I have a 9 volt battery switch on the way, and the rest of the makings are readily available...I already have the strainer basket. So what I will do first is try a set-up just using the 9 volt battery to charge the strainer. That MAY cause the grass to stand... If not I will order the ion generator and add it to the circuit. I will report back here...
See: www.amazon.com/Pink-Lizard-Airborne-Negative-Generator/dp/B01HZQKU1A/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1507328943&sr=8-15&keywords=ion+negative+generator
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many fly swatter bats do not have an ion generator, only the more expensive type, they are not fitted to the everyday bug bat. Electric fly swatters on you tube mostly are fitted with a step up generator that is around 900v from 3v. The ion generator that I fit into my applicators are 7kv and work by creating an electro-magnetic field and the grass stands up much more than a basic bug bat type.
Do u need to vacume between layers?
I do to remove excess grass for reuse and to bring taller layers of grass upright. If you don’t vacuum, the top layers may not be stuck onto a firm base.
do you action the red button on the grass applicator ??
Yes.
i do n scale i use a lot of 2mm. layer with 4mm, then perphas a few clumps of 6mm? most likely in a differrent shade. also im told Bachmann is also developing a line of static grass.
+William Spears I haven't seen the Bachmann offering but more choice is always great.
I think the length is really important when it's next to something like a person but less so on embankments like this where there's nothing immediately next to it to scale it.
Kathy Millatt im going to try a small area with woodland scenics fine blended turff then 2mm then 4mm static grass.
+William Spears let me know how it goes.
Sorry to seem a dummy, but even with captions I can't tell what you are spraying on the grass between steps? What is it?
WWS layering spray. The products are always in the description below if you don’t quite catch something.
Kathy--About your electrical 'ground', I'm thinking that clipping the alligator clip onto the rail isn't really grounding it, since the ties are plastic, and are between the glued surface and the ground clip, which would act as an electrical insulator. I got the impression from others that the 'ground' needs to be in the wet glue to actually 'complete the circuit' and allow the grass to stand up.
This is how a manufacturer showed me to do it...
@@KathyMillatt It was probably the secretary! :D Once my applicator actually arrives, I'm going to 'ground' it to the glue---otherwise, I don't think it's even a completed circuit, and it wouldn't stand up nearly as well. What do the manufacturers know anyway....:D
@@signman9328 You don't need a circuit to make static grass work. I started with a puffer bottle and got good results on shorter grass. The puffer bottles work by putting a negative charge on the grass so it repels its neighbours, orientates it end on and it is slightly attracted to the neutral ground. The glue then catches one end so it has no choice but to stand upright. The ground wire on electronic applicators puts a much stronger charge on the grass and a positive charge on the ground but even if the ground is neutral (as it would normally be), the grass will still be attracted to it, albeit not as strongly. Once caught by the glue, the reason the grass stands upright is that it is repelling its neighbours.
I guess the manufacturer thought that his grass would stand upright regardless, especially as he was using layering spray a lot which does not generally touch the ground as it is applied thinly on an existing layer of grass.
That's a long winded way of saying that the first layer of grass will stand up better if there is a ground wire in the right place but it can still work if it is not.
I think I might give this a go looks v good. Thanks for the vid :)Are any of the mini Kathy's dating? I'm quite taken by 1/35 Kathy, its the slippers that do it for me :)
+Minty Moore I think they're all single but N-scale Kathy is always slipping out somewhere... They're quite an handful, literally. ;)
Its always the small ones that give you the most trouble :) I will have to dust of my small book of chat up lines :)
+Minty Moore Just don't mention that N-scale Kathy is small. She gets a little touchy about it!
I ditto Andrew B. I also have seen and use a grass applicator by connecting the wire to a nail or pin that's in the glue itself. How does attaching it to the track differ with the PECO brand? You did mention that your grass was laying down-it should be standing up.
+e8y22 the grass is at an angle on the slopes because static grass doesn't make grass stand up, it makes it repel from its neighbours which, in a dense mass, makes the grass appear to stand up. On tufts and on the edges, it always sits at a complete circle of the available space. My embankments don't go vertical because static grass never would there. I've had no problem with the grass being static with the clip on the track. The next few weeks show more static grass done in similar ways so you'll see then how tufts etc stick up.
Kathy Millatt Hmmm. I've had a lot of success getting grass to stand upright on flat or slope by holding the applicator vertical. I note you hold it at 45° or thereby. I wonder if that has an affect? Fantastic video, though ☺️
hi !!! I have a problem with the electrostatic grass that I can not solve ... the tufts hardly work well with the manual applicator because lint forms on the top of the strainer ..... what am I doing wrong? Has it ever happened to you? Thank you!!
You have to break any balls that form up. It is very common with longer lengths. I tease them by hand but some one said they put them in a blender.
@@KathyMillatt but a blender with water? and it looks good?
marcybron I haven’t tried it I’m afraid. I just tease by hand.
Nice but at least in Iowa,( US) you would find more weeds of various heights and scrub trees along the right of way. Once in a century they might spray so then it is all dead. Use to have a lot of fires in the steam days to take care of weeds, if it did not burn the ties as well!
I’m modelling New England. Not sure how different that makes it but the photos I’ve seen are a mix dependent on where you are.
@@KathyMillatt Well it looks like New England is a lot prettier than my world. 👍
What is used to power the device
+BNSF2011 9v battery. The Noch gas a different type to the Peco which is the rectangular one.
Very nice. Did you prefer this new applicator ? I’m i the market for one. Lol
It’s slightly smaller than my Noch one so easier to get into my layout height.
It’s slightly smaller than my Noch one so easier to get into small spaces.
Kathy Millatt ok thanks. I know some people make their own but Im not sure I want to tackle that. Thx for sharing. David
The applicator is quite expensive. I think I'll try a home made one to save some quid. How'd ya get sooo small? I'd like to see ya climb up those wee steps.
It’s magic... there are plenty of videos on how to make the applicators. Luke Towan has one.
Great video. I work in 0/027 gauge which is 1/48 model scale. Great fun building armored trains with troop support, etc. Expecting my static grass applicator any day now from the UK. Thanks for making me look forward to it. R U married?
Good luck with the applicator.
Its either my applicator, or I just suck!!! My grass still lays criss cross...only a few stand up. Shortest fibres I could find though, 2.5 or 4mm...they also form chains :
Chains is a sign of too much coming out at once but isn’t a problem. Hoovering can help get them upright again.
@@KathyMillatt Once they lay flat in the glue, you can't get them back up. I tried. Luke Towan makes this look so easy. I'm about to boop him!
@@LaserGadgets Less glue so that it grabs quicker? If it is too wet then the grass will fall over at first. A better applicator may help if that is the issue.
@@KathyMillatt Yeah, when its floating on the glue you mean? Tried that as well. I used undiluted MP, thin layers, thicker layers. Everything. Im just gonna keep trying I guess. 90 bucks for that thing...gotta work.
@@LaserGadgets Try a tackier glue. I've not really used Mod Podge. I use normal thick white glue ok but the tacky glues are best. Floating means the glue can't grab so the grass falls over. Thin tacky coats work best.
Might be a silly question but how is it your putting the earth on the track and not into the glue? Thought thats how it worked.
You mean the earth wire? It’s all connected and the track’s grounded. One of the manufacturers showed me it this way. If you prefer, hold against the glue area.
@@KathyMillatt Right ok, its just every other video i have watched puts a nail or probe into the glue. Thanks ... Great video by the way.
kenneth robertson I often do that too. Most of my dioramas don’t even have track so it’s whatever suits the area.
Sorry, I must comment on how you apply static grass by connecting the applicator to the track rail which is or should be completely isolated from the base board. Furthermore, there is possible risk frying sensitive electrical components in the track circuit. I welcome you comments as without could cause catastrophic results for anyone replicating your technique.
I was taught this technique by a manufacturer but never have my track on when working on scenery.
No need to put nail/pin in glue or base just has long as the clip is near the applicator mesh when applying the grass you will still get the static charge.