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Fly swat grass applicator?


rockpopandchips

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OK so I have ordered a new resin kit and Im planning a dio with quite a lot of short grass 2/3rd A4 sort of size so I have ordered the parts to make my own static applicator using THIS and THIS, but have anyone on here built one that might have any recommendations for the build or use?

 

Cheers/

 

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I built one of these some time ago, from more or less exactly the same stuff. 

 

IMG_1299_small.jpg

 

It think it was a rather straightforward build, so I don't have much advice to add. One thing I did was that I permanently soldered a metal pin to the loose end of the "ground" wire. That I think was a small but significant improvement compared to the usual alligator-clip-and-nail solution (which I have on another applicator).

 

 

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@SvedbergThanks  for that, did you remove one of the resistores or leave them alone, I ask as I have seen pictures of some people removing a resistor to get a bit more power out of fly zapper?

 

where you happy with yours?

 

Getting a plastic rimmed sieve was a good idea, a lot less shocking.....🤪

 

Thanks Brian

Edited by rockpopandchips
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1 hour ago, rockpopandchips said:

@SvedbergThanks  for that, did you remove one of the resistores or leave them alone, I ask as I have seen pictures of some people removing a resistor to get a bit more power out of fly zapper?

No I did not remove any resistor. I did not know that was an option.

 

1 hour ago, rockpopandchips said:

where you happy with yours?

Yes I am. I think it works OK, but removing that resistor is not a bad idea. More power will not hurt (unless you touch the sieve 😀), assuming "power" in this case simply means a higher output voltage. 

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Apparently I could not let this resistor business be. So I did some internet searches on what resistors to remove. A few pictures turned up, but they are only useful when your circuit board happens to have the exact same layout as the one shown, so not much help there. But eventually I found a textual describtion (in this post http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37186). It reads: "This is all you have to modify for the high powered version - Bridge the resistor in series with the capacitor (resistor A) with a bit of wire, and remove the resistor in parallel with the capacitor (resistor B ) entirely.". With this info it was easy to identify the resistors on my circuit board. Just to illustrate, here is a picture, which of course is as useless as all others unless you happen to have bought a swatter with exactly the same board as in the one I bought. 😁

 

IMG_1301_small.jpg

 

I guess I need to make the modification to see if it makes any difference, but that will be for another day. Now me and the wife are going to watch the next installment of French spy TV-series "The Bureau". 😀

 

EDIT: Component 'A' above is not a resistor, as pointed out by @Circloy. You are probably safer not doing the modification as cited above. Do also see subsequent posting below.

Edited by Svedberg
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1 hour ago, Circloy said:

Cant see the detail but resistor A looks to be a Diode - totally different functions ensure you're happy with what you propose to do - even small voltages can kill !

Yes, of course you are right! That is not a resistor but a diode. I was actually a little suspicious myself and had intended to have a closer look, and get a better understanding on how these things work, before doing anything. But thanks for the warning! It convinced me I hade to investigate further.

 

This is what I have understood: Both the diode (A) and the resistor (B) are sitting on the high voltage side of a step-up transformer. The diode is there to rectify the voltage (created by some kind of oscillator circuitry on the low voltage side). Without the diode the capacitor would not charge I guess, and to remove it sounds contra-productive. The resistor is a bleeder resistor, making the capacitor eventually discharge when you are done with the device.

 

So it is hard to see how removing the resistor or bridgeing the diode would up the output voltage. Such a modification is more likey to destroy something, or make the device potentially dangerous. Conclusion, I will not attempt to modify the electronics.

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I would order a negative ion generator and use that instead, I think eBay or amazon sell them for a few pounds, I built mine a few years ago and it works a treat for my Chieftain build, very simple to pop together and it works.

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234962150-tamiya-chieftain-converted-into-a-mk11/

 

Page 15 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Xuniu-Purifier-Ionizer-Negative-Generator/dp/B07J52H4FB/ref=sr_1_74?ie=UTF8&qid=1546463680&sr=8-74&keywords=negative+ion+generator

 

Regards

 

Dan 

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Luke Towan has a good tutorial on how to build a static grass applicator over on you tube...

 

 

His other videos are all with watching if you want to create better scenic effects..

 

If you’re going to use a fly swat I’d just leave the circuit alone. The only way to get more ‘power’ out of it is either to increase the winding on the step up transformer or run a bigger cap. 

 

I think you’ll get more bang for buck in ensuring that the connections to the sieve and the grounding stake are well bonded electrically so what charge you do have flows adequately. 

 

I want  to have a go with some static grass this year so may have a go at building something. 

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On 1/2/2019 at 9:00 PM, Dads203 said:

I would order a negative ion generator

I was going to do that but for £6 I thought I might as well give the fly zapper a go first. 

 

23 hours ago, Plasto said:

His other videos are all with watching if you want to create better scenic effects..

I have watched many of them, he is very good. 

 

The sieve has arrived  I'm hoping to the zapper turns up tomorrow so I can build this at the weekend. 

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I have built a static grass generator from a fly swat and tea strainer, no modifications to the circuitry. It works well enough but I found I prefer a different technique for static grass:

 

 

Which comes with its own danger and thrills as the Super 77 is pretty nasty stuff. Gives good results though:

 

7060549929_5271ef95b2_b.jpgBuffer stop

 

Cheers,

 

Will

 

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I used exactly the same things as you to make my applicator. I did nothing other than disconnect and re-attach one wire to the sieve, and disconnect the other w!ire, extend it and attach a crccodile clip  to the end.

The thing gives a big enough punch as it is, so no need to remove resistors!

 

One tip though.....for large areas of ground I embed a wire gauze into the plaster during the laying process, leaving a few tabs sticking up. I can then attach the crocodile clip to one of the tabs and charge up the entire area , and in fact, beyond.

 

Here's a link to the large area of grass I did using the fly swat applicator and a wire gauze/mesh embedded within the plaster ground:

There's also info on the construction of the applicator, and the placement and use of the gauze in the WIP.

 

 

HTH

Badder

Edited by Badder
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On 1/3/2019 at 11:28 PM, Will Vale said:

It works well enough but I found I prefer a different technique for static grass:

Cheers Will, that the way I would normally do it as well, just thought I would try something different for short grass that hard to grip. 

 

@Badder Thanks good to know, the gauze is a great idea. 

 

No sign of my fly zapper this weekend so made a start on a figure base that I will try it out on first, when they are both ready to. Hopefully the narly old oak tree stump will look better painted...

 

 

2d88bb4760822b3e110f667b2040de96.jpg

 

 

 

Edited by rockpopandchips
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Ok then it’s just splitting one of the phases to get 2 neutrals either side of the swat bat so it fries bugs either side.

 

if you combine both wires into one or chop one off then you end up with 2 phases which is what you want for static grass..

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