Flocking machine....

[No72]

I have been putting the grass down with a flocking machine, i.e. electrostatic discharge. I bought a machine that is about 4kv and works with grass up to about 6mm quite well but I want to put some 12mm grass around the base of trees and such places as grass is not mown or walked on. My gadget does not have enough grunt to do it. Does anyone have any experience with these things? Is it simply a matter of buying a HV generator off eBay and putting it into my machine? Is there a flockers greoup who may know the answer?

 

[G-force1]

I think you may need bigger 'flocking' machine Trev.

No idea mate, Could it be done another way if there's not too much of it?

 

[PhilP]

I think it tends to be the smaller-scales who really know about this..??

Are you on the 'rmweb' forum by any chance? - Think you will get a better response there??

Depending on the machine you already have, you may need a bigger flocker, to cope with the increased charge, and longer fibres.

 

[pugwash]

I think most have different size mesh covers for the different fibres, maybe you need a larger mesh.

 

[stockers]

I think most have different size mesh covers for the different fibres, maybe you need a larger mesh.

That was not the sort of reply i was expecting from you Pugs - I was just getting ready to moderate it.

 

[Gizzy]

I have used one?

Seem to remember it worked fine up to 6 mm, but never tried it with 12 mm fibres....

 

[ntpntpntp]

I made mine from one of those cheapo electronic fly swatter "bats" (ebay) and an old kitchen sieve. Cost me about £4.

 

[Paul M]

That was not the sort of reply i was expecting from you Pugs - I was just getting ready to
I must admit I saw the title and thought we were back on the firkins again!

 

[pugwash]

That was not the sort of reply i was expecting from you Pugs - I was just getting ready to moderate it.

That's my mate

 

[beavercreek]

Meet the Flockers

 

[No72]

I made mine from one of those cheapo electronic fly swatter "bats" (ebay) and an old kitchen sieve. Cost me about £4.

Yes, I have seen one made up using the electronic fly swatter from a $2 shop and a small kitchen strainer.... In fact the one I bought I suspect is made from the same handle and sparky bits. They do give seriously outstanding results for indoor use.

 

[No72]

Y

I have used one?

Seem to remember it worked fine up to 6 mm, but never tried it with 12 mm fibres....

That's where mine is failing with 12mm fibres... I'm confident its all to do with the output voltage but I'm reticent to replace the HT coil with one thats going to give me a 25mm arc...

 

[pugwash]

Okay, this sounds silly but could you try ionizing the air between the flocker and the baseboard (same as in lightning strikes). I would be tempted to try with my wifes hairdryer which has an ionizing function to fluff up her hair. Same objective.

 

[dunnyrail]

Okay, this sounds silly but could you try ionizing the air between the flocker and the baseboard (same as in lightning strikes). I would be tempted to try with my wifes hairdryer which has an ionizing function to fluff up her hair. Same objective.

That sounds like brilliant off the wall thinking, but a small warning make sure the hair dryer is on the lowest setting not Hurricane Setting as you might have flock all over the place.

I have a small Tea Strainer Focker that I did a bit of Flocking inside the shed and some in the Garden. All has worked out pretty well, much to my surprise but I have not got any 12mm stuff to try it with. All I do know was that my Ebay one for around 25 quid was just as good as my mates one from a well known German Scenery Vendor that cost in excess of 100 quid.

Perhaps for the long stuff you might use Sisal String cut to long ish lengths, stained and glued in in clumps. This was old school way of doing things and works just as well for a small layout.

 

[Eaglecliff]

Reminds me, once it stops raining (if it ever does - why did I renew my garden rubbish bin collection this year?) I must get the lawn mower out... and some grass seed... at least I don’t have to electrocute me sward...

 

[PhilP]

25mm arc!

At 15KV per centimetre (in dry air).. You do the maths.

 

[G-force1]

Nothing worse than your average modern car ignition system.

 

[PhilP]

Nothing worse than your average modern car ignition system.

Diesel!

 

[G-force1]

Not advisable anymore to stop the engine by putting your hands across the plugs though, specially if you've got a pacemaker!

 

[pugwash]

Had another idea in the wee (literally) hours of the morning: buy a Van Der Graaff generator, postage might be high and I don't know how you would get it in under SWMBO's radar but the biggest problem would probably be the constant zapping and the smell of ozone.