The home-made Static Grass Applicator

I found some tutorials on the internet about a home made Static Grass Applicator and decided to build one myself. See the end of this aricle for the video’s I found on the internet.

With a project cost of less than € 10.00 (about $7.00) and about 2 hours of work you make your own Static Grass Applicator.

The operation is quite simple, it applies positive energy in the “static grass” and negative at the base. When the Applicator is activated, grass is charged when it drops down the sieve. When the grass reaches the base it will stand right up, as if it was actually grass.

The sieve, container and ring to thighten things up

This technique is essential to give more realism in models and dioramas.

Based on this principle what we need is a high voltage source that provides energy to charge of positive electricity flakes of grass, and the negative base where it is applied.

One relatively cheap source are those Electronic Mosquito Killers which, when loaded with  high voltage, kill the insects through an electrical discharge.

The voltage is high, but the current is low, so it presents no risk to us if you inadvertently touch the metal. You will take a mild electric shock.

I used the following materials:

  • 1 Electronic Mosquito Killer
  • 1 Metal sieve
  • 40cm of flexible wire
  • 1 Plastic container where the metal sieve fits in

The model above is made accordingly to the following video’s:

Making a static grass applicator – part 1

Making a static grass applicator – part 2

Making a static grass applicator – part 3