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| So here we are Chapter 50. And to celebrate
I thought I would break with tradition, let my hair down and actually
do some work on the layout… Well sort of anyway. |
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At the recent Toowoomba
Show, I managed to get hold of an old Chiver’s Finelines DD17
kit. As many of you know I have been sacrificing everything from
tennis balls to snail embryos in the hope that I could get my
hands on one of these kits. Well it finally happened.
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So after cleaning up an eight year supply of
dismembered tennis balls from the alter, I set to work building
the model. Thus far I have nearly completed the chassis and valve
gear. I think I will be able to put a sound unit inside this model
which would certainly make it a one off.
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Over the last
little while I have been receiving a lot of questions about my unhealthy
static grass fixation and how these little machines work. Now keeping
in mind that I am still under the impression that electricity is
more of a religion than a science, I shall try and explain this
complex little electronic “thingy”. |
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The whole process of applying static grass is
really very simple (even for me). The idea is that you lay down
some diluted white glue as you normally would for scenery. Then
you put a small nail (I use a track tack) into the board in the
middle of this “puddle”. You attach the alligator clip on the
wire from the grass applicator to the tack. This then allows a
negative charge to go through the “puddle”.
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When you switch the machine on an
“ionizer” generates a really big voltage and passes this into a
piece of mesh that is sitting over a small bucket with the grass
material in it. This creates a static charge and when the machine
is placed above the live puddle it will drop grass fibres into the
puddle. Due to the static field, the grass fibres are statically
charged and will stand up. The glue then dries and the grass fibres
are left standing up. Pretty simple hey? |
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Well that’s the made for TV version anyway. I
think that the real story is more along the religious electrical
lines. Having said that I have been doing some thinking and I
believe there is a tiny electrical priest inside this little machine
that individually asks each fibre to stand up and one by one they
are forced to leap to their gluey deaths on the layout far below.
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| I have alerted the A Current Affair team
to the actions of this pseudo electrical cult and am awaiting their call
back. Obviously this could take a little while because they are very busy. |
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On a slightly more serious note, I
feel I should point out that the Ionizer thingy inside the static
grass applicators does put out a pretty hefty voltage (I have been
told around 5,000 volts) so it is not advisable to touch the tack/nail
to the mesh. Nor is it advisable to lick the mesh because it will
tickle… A LOT! |
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If you are like me and you do not want to spend
the $300.00 or more on buying a static grass applicator then there
are plenty of forums that have listed the methods for making them.
Again remember, you are dealing with electricity so be careful.
You may also be dealing with the members of the Electricity Cult
so again be careful.
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With all the safety stuff out of the
way, I do highly recommend trying static grass as it really is a
massive leap forward in model railway realism. Also because this
is the third or forth chapter that I have mentioned static grass
I must be impressed with it and yet still scared of the religious
implications. |
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| The easiest place I've found to get hold
of all of the stuff you will ever want for scenery is the website www.modellers-warehouse.com.au.
Have a talk to Ian (the owner) and you'll find that he has everything
you'll ever want and more to make truly spectacular scenery. |
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With the new section of the branch line at the
front of Summiton Yard, I have decided to start making plans for
the scenery and buildings to front this portion of the layout.
But as always that’s another story for the next chapter.
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In the mean time, I am off to try some
more static grass. This time around Holman I think. Maybe I could put
in a walkway for bushwalkers…
We shall see how we go... |
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