Static Grass Tips and Techniques

[kirtleypete]

Following on from my post above, I want to share these pictures to emphasise the point that you can do all sorts of different types of grass without needing an expensive applicator. All the grass in these pictures was done in the same way, using ordinary PVA as the glue and my fingers to apply the grass.

 

 

This scene is 0 scale and uses longer strands in various colours, with dead grass around the telegraph pole.

 

 

This is 1/32nd scale and shows how the grass can be sprayed with Photomount and sprinkled with flowers. 

 

 

It's quite possible to use longer grass between the rails without affecting running. 

 

 

Laying down quite a thick layer of PVA helped fill in the gaps between the rocks here, and longer fibres were used alongside the track with shorter grass on the flat surfaces.

 

 

On a sloping surface I paint the PVA on using a 1" paintbrush, using it straight from the bottle rather than diluting it and using a thinner layer than I'd use on a flat area. Any bare patches can be filled in afterwards with more grass or some weeds or flowers. 

 

 

It looks effective to have earth showing rather than covering the whole area with grass; the brown ground cover was done first and the grass added on top.

 

Peter

Edited May 13, 2016 by kirtleypete

[Giles]

To be fair, Pete - this technique gives a different appearance to grass laid with a static applicator. I think it is subjective as to which individuals would prefer. It's completely valid and useful to bring anther method to the table, and great to back it up with a set of decent photos.

 

Myself, I'm firmly of the decent static applicator camp, as it does the job in a specific and distinctive way that I can control, whilst hand-laying all the detail grass clumps etc..

However, I have absolutely no commercial interest with any of them whatsoever!

 

Best,

 

Giles

Edited May 15, 2016 by Giles

[Re6/6]

The work is very well done Peter. 

 

I'm in the same camp as Giles. I have had three of the things and wouldn't be without one. They are so versatile not only for grasses of various lengths (1mm to 12mm) but also for certain tree foliage.

[kirtleypete]

It's down to personal preference, there is always more than one way to achieve a result. This way works for me so I thought I'd share it. 

 

Peter

[Giles]

Absolutely - and glad you did!

[bertiedog]

A variant not often mentioned is to use a round washing up bottle, with a 1/8th internal PVC flexible pipe from the bottle nozzle, about a metre, then put into the pipe, at a break, a short brass or copper metal tube, about 4 inches, then a further length of flexible tube, about a foot long.

 

The static generator, fly swatter, or HF ioniser, is connected to the metal tube by solder, and the whole metal pipe covered with heat shrink insulation wrap, (or tape) to provide insulation. The earth is pinned to the wet glue area on the layout via a flying earth lead. The spike is fitted to a wooden handle to make it easy to push into the board.

 

To use,  the bottle has the fibres loaded into it, and nothing happens till the bottle is squeezed gently, and you get a stream of flock fibres out of the tube end. It is very controllable from larger areas to the edges up against walls, somewhat difficult with applicators with mesh.

 

Give it a puff of air on a spot and you get automatic tufts, and it handles long fibres better than any mesh. The mere passage of the long fibres down the pipe ensures they come out straight anyway, but the static ensures they hit the glue upright.

 

You can also do ledges with grass growing downwards as the tip can easily be aimed upwards or sideways.

 

It also handles other materials like sawdust, the sprayed sawdust only adheres to the glue, no mess. It also works with very finely sifted soil as well, and can handle a mix of each type at once for shrubland areas.

 

The second flexible section may need trimming a bit to suit the voltage your source actually generates, the fly swatters make less and the tube should be shorter.

 

You have the option of turning off the power, and using it powered only by the bottle being squeezed. This gives less upright grass etc.

 

I do not usually use the commercial flock, but cut up fine wool made for tapestry work and darning, or indeed any fine fibre. I find the commercial mixes are too bland, the grass should contain lots of shades to look realistic, including black and straw even in a basic green mix. It can handle long fibre like hair, or even thick bristles.

 

When the flock is refilled I do not bother to clean out the bottle the previous mix gets mixed into the new to provide a variety.

 

The static source is a 12 volt Negative Ioniser from Ebay, they are a safe sealed unit at £1.75 post paid from China. Get some spare multimeter leads to connect up, they stand the high voltage better, and are flexible and cheap. The other source are the electric flyswatters, strip it down,  and wire to the pipe and spike in the same way.

 

If the ioniser has two output leads, usually white with PTFE plastic covers,  one is + , the other negative, to identify, connect one to a board with glue on it, and dip the other wire in the flock and pass it over the board, If it leaves the tip and works, it is the right way round. Try it the other way to confirm though. The reason for this test is most people do not own 10 kilovolt meters to do the test! Some modules only have one HV lead the earth is connected to the negative 12volts.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Stephen.

[HeatonLodge40]

If I may put across my thoughts on static grass - getting the correct shade is vital to an authentic result in my opinion. Colour, as we know cannot be scaled down and in trying to achieve the washed out winter grass look, for the model Heaton Lodge Junction, I went as far as to go to the actual location in December last year and snipping a variety of lengths of grass before sticking them in a colour spectrometer machine!

After getting the pantone - or shade- in the form of a code I was able to to have paint mixed to the same colour at B & Q. I then sprayed this through an airbrush onto bleached static grass. The result was surprising, it was far far too bright and made the model appear as if July was the season.

Dumbing the shades down therefore is all important, sprinkling dry sieved real earth onto the newly laid 'grass' is also vital and for me neat PVA works every time. I would use the shades I've used here for summer too to be honest.

 

I do use the RTS Greenkeeper 55KV and a vac straight afterwards as Giles advises in his video tutorials to encorage the grass to stand upright.

 

The following pics show 2 layers of grass the second applied through holes cut in a piece of card to achieve the different lengths.

[Re6/6]

Nice work.

[milocomarty]

Looks good HeathonLodge40 !

 

 

 

Colour, as we know cannot be scaled down

 

Well that's a point I do not agree with. Color can be scaled down by adding a bit of white in the original color. If you take a look at the modulation techniques the military modelers use you see how you can fool the eye and let color look more like the original scale wise..

[kirtleypete]

That's why models of black loco's should always be grey, never black. The trick is to photograph a model...if it looks real you've cracked it, if it looks like a model you haven't!

 

Peter

[Re6/6]

Some years ago I bought some fine spring green scatter which was really 'ultra fine' almost a powder (like talcum). I still have a little left but I can't remember if it was from ER Decor or Anita Decor.. I can't find it on either website (don't read Flemish or Dutch.......translator doesn't work!) 

 

Any advice out there please.

 

Thanks.

[milocomarty]

That would be ER 1302 or AD-20, if it's packed in a zip lock bag I'm almost shure it's one of Eddys products..he's the guy from Anita Decor. Drop him a mail, he reads and writes English..

[Re6/6]

Many thanks Martin.

[chaz]

Many thanks Martin.

 

Here's a question that I don't think has been dealt with above (or rather my quick scan through some of the pages didn't find it).

 

When I open a new bag of static grass it is often in tight clumps (like little furry balls) which seem reluctant to separate and drop out of the applicator. Is there an easy/quick way of loosening up the clumps to make the individual strands free-er? One can go through the bag pulling the clumps apart by hand but this is tedious and can be messy and wasteful.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Here's a question that I don't think has been dealt with above (or rather my quick scan through some of the pages didn't find it).

 

When I open a new bag of static grass it is often in tight clumps (like little furry balls) which seem reluctant to separate and drop out of the applicator. Is there an easy/quick way of loosening up the clumps to make the individual strands free-er? One can go through the bag pulling the clumps apart by hand but this is tedious and can be messy and wasteful.

 

Chaz

 

Interesting! Having teased-out (loosened up) all the fibres in a bag of "grass" (by hand - didn't take too long) I used them in the static applicator. When I came to remove the remaining stuff (to change colours) I found that it gone back into tight little clumps. So I suppose it doesn't matter - it still works.

[Re6/6]

I stick 'em in an old coffee grinder. Works for me!

[chaz]

I stick 'em in an old coffee grinder. Works for me!

 

I have a spice grinder (guess what it's for!) but I would be reluctant to use it for static grass knowing how difficult the tiny strands are to remove from plastic pots, the benchtop, the inside of the applicator etc.... I don't fancy adding static grass to my cooking.

 

I suppose it might be possible to make something that would fit onto a Dremel using a small tin can as the body. the tricky bit would be a tight-fitting lid.

 

Hmmm.

 

Chaz

[bertiedog]

A very good source, and several lifetimes supply, is to use the hollow fibre from a duvet, just open up an old one or buy a new for £6 from Asda, gives a white mass of fibre which can be balled up and chopped with scissors or pinking shears to the fine fibres to use as flock.

It is all off white, but takes paint well after "planting". I always colour the flock with paint anyway, so it works well. The plastic fibre is polyester and responds to the static well.

An airbrush is used to cover with red oxide mixed with black, then progressively lighter shades of acrylic green, flecked with browns and yellows.

Stephen.

Edited June 7, 2016 by bertiedog

[Shedman5]

Some nice photos which ever technique was used.

 

When mixing different shades of static grass I keep a note of the quantity of each to try and ensure continuity across the layout, a lesson learned the hard way even though it seems obvious.

 

 

Alan

[Re6/6]

I should've said that I don't use the one for making coffee (  which I very rarely use these days finding 'cafetiere type' coffees easier or even the new 'instant/ground' Lavazza Prontissimo which leaves grounds in the bottom of the cup, but that's for another thread!)

 

i bought one of these 'cheapies' (or something very similar) a while back http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Silver-Electric-Coffee-Bean-Nut-Spice-Grinder-with-EU-PLUG-Brand-New-/311441927898?hash=item488362aeda:g:tdkAAOxyUylTWVqN Even cheaper ones are listed!

[ianLMS]

Here's a question that I don't think has been dealt with above (or rather my quick scan through some of the pages didn't find it).

 

When I open a new bag of static grass it is often in tight clumps (like little furry balls) which seem reluctant to separate and drop out of the applicator. Is there an easy/quick way of loosening up the clumps to make the individual strands free-er? One can go through the bag pulling the clumps apart by hand but this is tedious and can be messy and wasteful.

 

Chaz

I have had the same problem with the clumping. I end up separating the "balls" by hand and mixing various shades together, mixing it all together with a coffee stirrer. I have not found a quick way of doing it yet. Although when using my home made static grass applicator, it doesn't take long for the "balls" to break up. I find WWS grass quite bad for clumping, yet Woodland Scenics never seems to clump together. Edited June 9, 2016 by ianLMS

[chaz]

 I find WWS grass quite bad for clumping, yet Woodland Scenics never seems to clump together.

 

Interestingly it is the WWS product that I have been using. I will have a go with Woodland Scenics grass and compare the ease of use. Thanks for the tips, guys!

[stadman]

Must give it try sometime.

A demo is planned for Exeter 2016 

[bgman]

Must give it try sometime.

A demo is planned for Exeter 2016

 

Interestingly I too have had some problems with the WWS clumping despite various trials and new battery in my machine.

That said I purchased some Woodland Scenics static grass yesterday and had excellent results.... Something to ponder over ?

( other products have been used prior to these and whilst not wanting to single out one specific product I may now revue what I use in the future )

 

Yours

Auntie S.Tatic

[milocomarty]

Use Mininatur / Silflor and Modelscene mainly..mix and declump in my Dyson..