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Make your own 'High Quality' Static Grass Applicator.


Guest Chrissaf

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The Australian one is 78mm Long (including mounting lugs) x 29mm Wide x 23mm High

The Amazon one is 120mm Long x 30mm Wide x 40mm High.

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The length isn't too much of an issue as you can just make the handle longer. Or leave the handle about the same length if the battery isn't used and it is powered by an external 12 volt PSU as proposed. The issue will be in the 40mm height of the Amazon one. The smaller Australian one only just fits (snugly) inside the plumber's pipe I specified in my constructional PDF. To fit the Amazon unit, will need a much larger diameter pipe. I have just offered up a paper template sized at 30mm x 40mm to my completed unit and it is just too big to fit inside the handle made out of the recommended 40mm diameter plumbers pipe. The Amazon product needs a handle pipe with an Internal diameter not less than 53mm.

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The ebay product in my Link 2 is smaller at 43mm x 21mm x 25mm than the Australian one and will definitely fit.

 

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In the previous questions about suitable products I was focusing on the technical / electrical side of the question and not necessarily was it suitable (size wise) for the hardware plumbing parts that I specified in my constructional PDF.

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Right I’ve just received the Amazon one and I’ve tested it by connecting it to a 9v battery then bringing the thick red and black wires together producing a spark between them, so I assume it’s working.

 

i can confirm that the measurements on Amazon are wrong, it measures 124mm long (including lugs) x 30mm high x 24mm wide, so I think it would fit inside the original 40mm pipe Instructions.

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I can confirm that the measurements on Amazon are wrong....

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That was a bit of luck then. Yes those dimensions should fit 40mm pipe OK.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Chris

Would you consider making me one of these? Obviously I would pay for it.

I would love to have one of your originals rather than a bought one!

I hope you don’t think I am being too cheeky. No worries if you can’t but I thought I would ask you all the same.

Thanks

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Sorry I don't think your suggestion is a flyer. Most of my plumbing parts I used were left over bits from various plumbing DIY projects. Take the 40mm pipe for example, I would have to buy a standard 2 or 3 metre length, just for the 200mm needed for the project. Similarly with the internal compartment separation foam I used. These were odd off-cuts from high density pipe insulation lagging I had lying around. I would estimate that just the parts  if having to buy everything new from scratch would cost about £40. The only parts that I actually purchased new for mine were; the ION Generator from Australia, a switch from Maplin (no longer trading) and some Stainless Steel wire mesh. Everything else I just had lying around, so the applicator design sort of developed out of what parts I had available.

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If you don't ask, you don't get.....so no problem in that respect.

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They really are not that difficult to make. There are only four wires to attach, plus an on/off switch. Give it a go......you will get the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself.

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  • 1 year later...

Well I used my static grass applicator today for the first time since the previous post (June 2019). I don't think it worked! Self-built as per the plan and instructions posted many months (years!) ago, could it be that the battery is now flat (the light in the on/off switch illuminated) or the "bolt" inside the grass container is not close enough (long?) to the mesh? Any ideas.

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I haven't read what way you built your applicator, or what way you powered it. If it was mine and i wanted to know the answer's to your questions, i'd run a temporary wire from the bolt too the mesh. Disconect any power when working with the applicator, and wear a rubber glove's for safety when powered up, unless your bald and not worried about static 😉.

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@dynax

I like the idea of adding a vibro-motor to yours.

I have an ex-mobile phone motor that could be attached to my diy tea strainer version.

Rob

Did this work Rob, or was it a bit over kill. I was thinking of plumbing one upto my tea strainer.

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I followed the plans/instructions as posted by Chris back on page 1-2 of this thread to the letter. I even obtained all parts required from the links in the instructions. It may be that the battery has expired - although the illuminated on/off switch comes on when operated. I even made two grass holders with different sized mesh. It looks a formidable piece of kit! BB

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If you remove the front mesh cap and hold the ground wire 1 to 2 mm from the central electrode, you should get some sparking jumping the gap along with a slight buzzing sound [the spark might be difficult to see if not in subdued light conditions]. Use a new Alkaline 9 volt battery and check the wiring to ensure good clean terminations. This diagnostic test based upon trying it out on my own applicator.

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I can also confirm that with a semi-flat battery, the switch indicator can illuminate brightly, but no sparking is present. This is what I observed with my test as I had to put a new battery in to see the sparks.

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It goes without saying, only let it spark briefly ... just long enough to prove it is functioning.

 

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Then the only option is to strip it down and test the ION Generator on the test bench outside of the applicator casing as an individual component. That is to say just the generator and its three wires [not using the on/off switch in circuit]. Noting that the battery negative black wire doubles up as the static ground wire. Also ensuring that the red output wire is not accidentally being crossed with the red battery wire [this assumes your generator wire colours are the same as mine].

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Unfortunately, if the ION Generator turns out to be faulty, you have [i assume] left it too late to get a replacement sent under warranty. As you have been siting on the project for some considerable time.

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