# Applying grass to a layout



## flyerrich (Feb 17, 2014)

anybody here applied the grass to their layout with the electric shaker type gismo. Putting the pin in your layout with the wire attached to the shaker, does it react to the wet glue surface and that is what causes the grass to stand on end?


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

A static electric field is what makes it stand up. See post #393 here:
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=14852&page=40


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

flyerrich said:


> anybody here applied the grass to their layout with the electric shaker type gismo. Putting the pin in your layout with the wire attached to the shaker, does it react to the wet glue surface and that is what causes the grass to stand on end?


Yep, the static electricity attracts the grass from the wet glue to the metal mesh basket, causing it to stand up.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

I have one of those jobbies, but haven't had much luck using it.
Guess I'll haul it out and give it some practice 'cause there are several areas on my layout that could use some static grass.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Sorry, but I'm not a fan, or a believer in 'stand-up' grass on a model scale...
Grass, from the scale altitude it's viewed from, cannot be seen to be standing up, laying flat, or barely even how tall it is.
Color is all but the only characteristic that can be determined, and even then it looks different than it does close up... i.e., a lush green lawn can look olive colored and mottled from an altitude.
The stand-up feature, IMO, is cool, but it's a gimmick.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

I've only seen "how to" and you tube videos of the static grass, but it looks kind of cool in certain places.
I'm kinda ticked off because I've not been able to make it work, so gonna give it another go.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

LateStarter said:


> Sorry, but I'm not a fan, or a believer in 'stand-up' grass on a model scale...
> Grass, from the scale altitude it's viewed from, cannot be seen to be standing up, laying flat, or barely even how tall it is.
> Color is all but the only characteristic that can be determined, and even then it looks different than it does close up... i.e., a lush green lawn can look olive colored and mottled from an altitude.
> The stand-up feature, IMO, is cool, but it's a gimmick.


To each his own.

For a manicured lawn in the smaller scales, you're correct, but that's not what this is intended to model. Static grass simulates the longer, rarely mown grass in a field, industrial back lots, between branchline rails, etc. This grass would come up to a human's calves, which, not coincidentally is about the length of the static grass products.

Static grass is by no means the only way to achieve this look. On my first layout, I used felt brushed with a pet fur brush. I have also seen faux fur and velour used the same way. Many modern grass mats have this level of texture as well.

Whether that level of detail is necessary or desirable is up to the individual modeler, but a gimmick it most certainly isn't.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

raleets said:


> I've only seen "how to" and you tube videos of the static grass, but it looks kind of cool in certain places.
> I'm kinda ticked off because I've not been able to make it work, so gonna give it another go.


There is a "magic" distance that works best for each device. Mine is about 4", others up to a foot. Try varying the distance until you get results that you like.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

CTValleyRR said:


> There is a "magic" distance that works best for each device. Mine is about 4", others up to a foot. Try varying the distance until you get results that you like.


Hey, thanks for that tip! :thumbsup:
I hadn't heard that one before and I'll be sure to give it a go.
Sadly, won't be able to try it until sometime next week since my train time is kapute this week.


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## flyerrich (Feb 17, 2014)

I made my own applicator following a UTUBE video after I originally posted this on the forum. Took be about an hour using a fly swatter from Harbor freight (uses 2 d size batteries) and a small flour sifter about 3" dia. Total cost 8.98. The smaller sifter worked good because after I cut the plastic handle off it fit inside the altered fly swatter handle perfectly I just filled the cavity with silicone and let it setup over night. Tried it the next day about 2-3" from surface and it worked quite well. Wouldn't use for a large area, would take a long time. But its part of the hobby I think trying something new and the satisfaction of making myself. The parts to make it cost less than the static grass, lol.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

LateStarter said:


> Sorry, but I'm not a fan, or a believer in 'stand-up' grass on a model scale...
> Grass, from the scale altitude it's viewed from, cannot be seen to be standing up, laying flat, or barely even how tall it is.
> Color is all but the only characteristic that can be determined, and even then it looks different than it does close up... i.e., a lush green lawn can look olive colored and mottled from an altitude.
> The stand-up feature, IMO, is cool, but it's a gimmick.


Really? A gimmick? My friend, you haven't seen some proper scenery done then. It is no gimmick but an effective element in Model RR scenery and even those in the war gaming genre use it.

Here, let me post a few links to see if you still think it's a "gimmick":

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/28720

There are close-ups here showing static grass as well:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/27524

And let me add this, it isn't just area's of grass, which hello, occurs all over the place , there are also tufts of grass, which you can make where are very realistic. I bought a package of some premade but I'm going to need a lot more so I'm going to make my own.






Pfft, gimmick? No.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Yeah, I like the grass tuft look.
Still not a fan of plain grass though.
Meh.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Plain grass too uniform or something? Grass of various kinds whether dry or green or patchy, it all occurs in real life so if something like that is missing, then scenery is probably lacking. I used to kind of think it ain't a big deal but the more I look at layouts with well done grass, it really adds to the completeness of some scenes. The scene would look bare without it.

Now in my case, I'm modeling basically desert scenes so patchy or tufts are really needed along with sage grass and other scrub brush and bushes. However, when I look at scenes along the D&RGW in western Colorado and eastern Utah, I definitely see grass in places and so hey, it needs to be included on my layout.

As I've been watching video's, I'm discovering the making your own static grass applicator is amazingly cheap and easy using say, the Fly Swatter from Harbor Freight and a sieve/strainer from the grocery store or Walmart. After that it's more a matter of obtaining some grass which comes in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 mm lengths and of course various shades and it will "plant" stick to where ever you have the glue down.

What I did to get started was to buy a pack of Walthers Scenemater Fall Tufts - putting the dry brown in the open field and the greener versions along the river bank.


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## flyerrich (Feb 17, 2014)

riogrande, where do you get the longer grass. I can only find 3mm long


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

I haven't bought any yet myself since I'm currently building my own home made static grass applicator via one of those many youtube video's. The videos mention various sizes and to mix them in some cases to get a full look. MBK surprisingly doesn't have a very big selection but there are companies like Noch, Scenic Express etc. to check. The truth is out there!


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

flyerrich said:


> riogrande, where do you get the longer grass. I can only find 3mm long


hobby lobby has some bags that are about 4 inches long. just cut it


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

OK, Scenery Express or vendors who sell it should be able to supply all the various lengths.

http://www.sceneryexpress.com/Static-Grass-Material/products/1230/

Follow the link to see the varieties listed for Scenery Express.

You'll notice there are a couple of static grass applicators in that link, one is $150 and one is $35, but be aware you can find youtube video's to build one similar to the $35 version for probably under $10 and it's pretty simple really. You can get the Fly Swatter from Harbor Freight, and wire it to a metal strainer that and some wire and alligator clips and from the video's I've seen, it works quite good from the demonstration they show. Really the hardest parts is mounting the strainer into the handle of the fly swatter and well, basic soldering skills help. If that's too difficult for some, $35 isn't too terribly expensive for the applicator that creates the static charge to get the grass to stand up. Heck, the fancy ones are $150 or more!


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Nice video, thanks for posting.
I just might need that type of grass.

Magic


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## flyerrich (Feb 17, 2014)

applicator using the video on UTUBE and a Harbor Freight swatter and a flour sifter from Walmart. works very well for what I need.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

LateStarter said:


> Yeah, I like the grass tuft look.
> Still not a fan of plain grass though.
> Meh.


I see your point of view, and it's why I generally don't want a lot of details on my layout and on my rolling stock. My imagination fills in a lot of that, and it's easy when things are in motion anyway because that effect takes up more attention.

However, if you ever want to turn to photographing your layout, it's a different story. Once I began to submit photos of my trains to the weekly photo galleries in the various forums, I soon learned that you can't have it both ways. Either you do the work up front and leave it permanently, or you spend the time later to make your photographs look more realistic and convincing...no shortcuts once the lens gets down to 'ground level' and the lights go on.

To help explain what I mean, and forgetting about grass and lights or targets or signals or...you name it...I chose Code 100 Atlas flex because it was easy to work with and more forgiving. I even learned to make several hand-laid turnouts with Code 100, and probably benefitted from that choice while building my skills. It wasn't until I began those photo shoots that I realized what I had failed to appreciate when reading comments from other modelers who claimed that Code 100 was almost ridiculously large for any scale; it runs close to 165 pound rail, a weight nobody ever used. And my photos clearly show how huge it is. 










I feel that this is a rather appealing photograph. Composition is okay, lighting good and interesting, it's a stacked composite of at least six exposures using CombineZP or its precursor, ZM.

But those rails...oy!

So, my current project uses Code 83, and some sticklers would still shake their heads. "Code 70" they would insist.


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## flyerrich (Feb 17, 2014)

mesenteria,
looks very good to me. Modelling of any kind is what "you" want it to be and how accurate it is, is up to your desires and skills and as long as we as individuals are having fun that's what it is all about. Most people looking at our layouts aren't looking at what is to scale or not. Myself I like to look at the different "themes" and what others have done. Some I try to carry into mine some not.


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## DougL (Feb 2, 2016)

*Practice is good*

yep,keep practicing on scrap areas until you like the results.
I built an applicator from a HF flyswatter, it works for small areas. I am still practicing, using up my small supply of grass.

Scenic Express has static grass from 2mm to 12mm
www.scenicexpress.com/

For my HO I choose to use 4 mm, 6 mm, and 12 mm. It is too long for scale grass. I like the effect. To me, a layout is a stage set.

Another tip I learned at the Amherst RR show at Scenic Express booth:


Get earth colored sanded grout from a Big Box hardware store.
 There are many earth shades, pick one or more. 
After applying the grass let it sit for moments, then sift grout over the grass.
Use a simple sifter or tea strainer, not electrified
It makes the grass more USA dusty and dry than the bright greens of Europe.

Enjoy! and remember to post pics. Without pics it did not happen.(grin)


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

DougL said:


> Enjoy! and remember to post pics. Without pics it did not happen.(grin)


Looked at another way, the time necessary to light, compose, and upload quality photographs, as opposed to the blurry, poorly lit, out-of-color-balance things that are often fobbed off as photos, is time I could be spending on other modeling tasks which are more important to me.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Not static grass but I've been working on some sage brush and bushes for my desert theme scenery.

First I prepared some armatures from cutting and teasing apart paint stripper pads:



Then I sprayed them individucally with some 3M Super 77 spray adhesive and applied appropriate colors to them - the light grayish is AMSI Eucalypus. I would roll them in a little bowl of the material and then sprinkle additional on to make sure it gets into the interior of the armature.



Here I have glued them in along the tracks and in the field in front. The base surface has a layer of sanded grout down for a fine sandy texture and a light coating of yellow Scenic Express grass foam flock:



In the foerground I have applied a few tufts from commercial static grass (back on topic)


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