Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Static Grass and Grass Tufts

6576 views
13 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Duluth, MN
  • 343 posts
Posted by htgguy on Monday, May 28, 2018 5:59 PM
I have made tufts by applying drops of glue to non-stick aluminum foil, grounding the applicator to the foil, and spreading grass on the glue drops. It is easy to capture the excess for re-use. I have used WS, Noch, and Silfor. Prefer anything NOT WS as that is too consistent in color and length, whereas I have been more successful at acheiving a "random" look with the blends of the other brands.
  • Member since
    March 2018
  • 688 posts
Posted by BNSF UP and others modeler on Saturday, May 26, 2018 12:02 PM

All I can say is: watch more Luke Towan! His stuff is amazing!

I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.

  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Ontario Canada
  • 3,574 posts
Posted by Mark R. on Saturday, May 26, 2018 11:56 AM

There is a simple change you can make to the flyswatter version which will create a lot more static. Remove one resistor and replace the other resistor with a piece of wire. Much higher static charge for even better results ....

Hopefully the picture shows.

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 1:38 PM

I like my Fly Swatter static grass applicator:

 IMG_8051_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

Total cost, including batteries was about $9.00.

 IMG_8053 by Edmund, on Flickr

My favorite grasses come from Silflor and I buy them at Scenic Express:

http://www.sceneryexpress.com/SilflorMiniNatur/departments/1040/

 IMG_7802_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

The "tall" weeds are Woodland Scenics product. I drill about a 1/16" hole and use a large carpet needle with the eye ground down to make a "fork" and grip this in a pin vice. Center the filament in the fork, fold it over the eye, apply a dab of tacky cement, any kind of PVA, and push into the hole. The weeds in the photo still need a little trimming.

 

Thank You, Ed

 

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 1,950 posts
Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 12:25 PM

Luke Towan has a vid on making an applicator.  Not sure if kathy does but she has made herself a much smaller version.  

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Rimrock, Arizona
  • 11,251 posts
Posted by SpaceMouse on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 12:19 PM

Lone Wolf and Santa Fe
Anyway I watched the video link above and I must say that the video was pretty sad. Instead I am going to follow the instructions on this video made by Ken Patterson instead. It's much easier to follow along with.

I agree. I looked for that one but didn't see it. I figured the one above was better than none at all. Thanks for posting it. 

Chip

Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,682 posts
Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 9:32 PM

OK I just bought a fly swatter from Harbor Freight for $3 and I am going to make my own applicator. Which grass products you recommend?


Anyway I watched the video link above and I must say that the video was pretty sad. Instead I am going to follow the instructions on this video made by Ken Patterson instead. It's much easier to follow along with.

https://youtu.be/lHxDH8PyAzA

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,667 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, May 20, 2018 9:34 AM

Did the Harbor Freight bit. Worked great, so much so I passed on one of the most expencive unit on e-bay that I could get for $60 even though it listed for over $160.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 89 posts
Posted by trevorsmith3489 on Sunday, May 20, 2018 4:21 AM
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, May 19, 2018 10:05 PM

I did the static grass with a mixture of 6 or 8 different shades and lengths of Silflor static grass applied with a Gras-Tech applicator.  I added the tall grass manuall by pinching tufts of field grass and sticking it into small mounds of Aileen's Tacky Glue.

This scene also has boulders cast from the WS hydrocal mold of the same name, plus some talus sprinkled on and glued, a few twigs from my yard and a Moose.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, May 19, 2018 7:58 PM

Nice work, Peter.

I'm in the midst of doing just such work myself, and I'll be learning from you.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: California
  • 2,388 posts
Posted by HO-Velo on Saturday, May 19, 2018 7:26 PM

Made some super size tufts with my homemade applicator & Silflor static grass.  Made quite a few much larger than the ones in the attached photo, also ditched the parchment paper as the tufts come up off the bare metal cookie sheet just fine with a single edge razor blade.  Also like to start out the tufts with a light base layer of browish static grass before the greens, ala Lance Mindheim.

Like the Silfor pre-made tufts too.

did the bank of the canal with super size homemade tufts applied mosaic style and some pre-made tufts.  Cattails are Scenic Express pre-made.

Happy scenery making, regards, Peter

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Rimrock, Arizona
  • 11,251 posts
Posted by SpaceMouse on Saturday, May 19, 2018 6:34 PM

Any static grass applicator is better than no applicator. You can make one for under $10 using a Harbor Frieght electric flyswater.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAEmcqc-yIc

 

 

The best one, from what I can tell, sells for $29 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/StaticGrassKing-Applicator-Homemade-ElectroStatic-Application/dp/B071W6L9Z8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526772498&sr=8-1&keywords=static+grass+applicator+kit&dpID=41HPwE0k1qL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

Chip

Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.

  • Member since
    December 2009
  • 76 posts
Static Grass and Grass Tufts
Posted by brakeman618 on Saturday, May 19, 2018 4:50 PM

So I'm interested in learning something new and have been looking at static grass and grass tufts. I've seen different Youtube videos by people such as Luke Towan, Kathy Millatt, and others as to how this product is used both with and without an applicator. I've been looking at different brands such as Silflor, Woodland Scenics, Noch, Heki, Peco, and so on...

What I would like to do is find a brand, make my own tufts, and of course "plant" things on the layout. So what do you suggest? Any brand preference? Any suggestions/success without an applicator?

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!