Budget Static grass Applicator

This is my first version of a low-cost DIY static grass applicator designed for easy printability with minimal purchased parts. Ideal for building a model railway, small dioramas or tabletop terrain on a budget.
The parts you need to buy seperate can be easily sourced via aliexpress for a combined total of around 15 Euro

Its the first iteration of the design that yielded satisfactory results.




 Overall im quite happy with the design, but there are a couple of inconveniences that need to be adressed in the future, about whom i will talk later.

Now… the build:


Im assuming you have a soldering ion and know how to use it.

You will need to source:
(Links on the end of Description, and just to show you what you need. Shop around for better deals!)

You will also need a 12V powersupply with a 5.5mm dc jack male adapter. But one usually has one lying around at home. Just take a look!

Printing Instructions: 
Print all Parts, except for the cover, “tall side up” on the buildplate, or in other words, just as if the finished applicator is standing in front of you.
 

Use treesupport the highlighted part of the shaft. Otherwise the Ion generator wont fit.

The grass fiber container was printed using translucent PETG, but that is optional.

Build instructions:

1. Insert the Heatset insert into the Braket on the Shaft.
 

2. Insert the electrostatic generator into the shaft (thick high voltage cables downwards).
 

3. Push the red high voltage cable through the hole towards the container.
 

4. Press in the DC-Jack it should fit snuggly into the hole and stay put without glue. If yours dose not come prewired, do so beforehand and make sure your polarity is correct (Black cable connected to the outer housing of the jack)

5. Connect the DC-Jack with the low voltage side of the generator. (red on red, black on black)
 

6. Thread the black high voltage wire through the hole of the coverplate.

7. Connect the Crocodile Clamp to the end of the Blach high voltage cable. This is the cable that attaches to your workpiece, you will therefore probably need to lengthen the cable, hence why I told you to source some more cables.

8. Install the grass fiber container using the screw. Some wire of the red cable needs to be exposed and ideally touch the grassfiber

9. Add grassfibers install the sieve and try it out. Just connect the crocodile clamp to the area you wanna apply the grass to and plug the powersupply in. If it works, you can proceed to step 10.

10. Glue the cover in place. (I didnt on mine, to be able to show the electronics to you)

Additional comments:

• This Applicator was tryed using 2.5 mm and 4 mm fibers. it worked well with both. I have not tried longer fiberes. They would probably work as well, but will require a larger sieve. 
   
• The fact that you have to disable the applicator by unplugging it is a rather “clumsy” solution. It works, but i will install a switch in a future version.
   
• im also not happy with the glue on lid design. The applicator works just as well without it, really…

Links:
[1] https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32847809269.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.46.2de07936KbQHre&algo_pvid=8db3a03c-b961-4c3c-8457-e74f812a3cf5&algo_exp_id=8db3a03c-b961-4c3c-8457-e74f812a3cf5-45&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%2270%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%214.41%213.79%21%21%215.06%214.35%21%4021038da617532639456954165ece66%2112000025820013442%21sea%21DE%216249683217%21X&curPageLogUid=ERKNHj1h2ebU&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A&gatewayAdapt=glo2deu

[2] https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005005477576624.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.366c37f640v7qk&algo_pvid=4e9bc29f-bc0e-4f91-a82f-3657db66ae42&algo_exp_id=4e9bc29f-bc0e-4f91-a82f-3657db66ae42-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%221178%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%216.19%216.19%21%21%2150.86%2150.86%21%40211b876717532653289082708e0da8%2112000033241148275%21sea%21DE%216249683217%21X&curPageLogUid=V85N5wAWldCb&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A

[3] https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005004438140221.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.19.31e456c5aNZaRq&algo_pvid=8b08bb1a-08d8-4468-a787-081f116614cb&algo_exp_id=8b08bb1a-08d8-4468-a787-081f116614cb-18&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%221%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%210.57%210.47%21%21%214.69%213.89%21%402103891017532654285148067e804b%2112000029287230778%21sea%21DE%216249683217%21X&curPageLogUid=XwiVl5t1iiMq&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A

[4] https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006002683865.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.779f51feiGn7oy&aem_p4p_detail=2025072303004710467949564076850001599673&algo_pvid=e5efb304-a0a8-46a6-9d2d-57461ed2f79c&algo_exp_id=e5efb304-a0a8-46a6-9d2d-57461ed2f79c-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%2223%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2112.10%2110.89%21%21%2199.42%2189.48%21%402103890117532648474444339e8f02%2112000035269855774%21sea%21DE%216249683217%21X&curPageLogUid=DB6Ecz1n3tSP&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A&search_p4p_id=2025072303004710467949564076850001599673_1


[5] https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005009386878405.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.2.4c983212OenHYw&aem_p4p_detail=202507230305288985159559214520001681667&algo_pvid=595bdaff-ee1f-4e3b-8cc0-849873a8e287&algo_exp_id=595bdaff-ee1f-4e3b-8cc0-849873a8e287-1&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%223%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%219.99%216.99%21%21%2182.09%2157.46%21%40210390b817532651285782826e2146%2112000048944954582%21sea%21DE%216249683217%21X&curPageLogUid=MGKpxAJc9rzM&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A&search_p4p_id=202507230305288985159559214520001681667_2