work in progress

Hi All.
 
Following on from recent posts on the forum regarding applying static grass, I thought I would follow Garys (Gary Riming) excellent home-build.
 
I had already made the time-honoured fly-swatter/tea strainer grassinator, and it works quite well, but I thought I would try a more sophisticated one.
Components
 
Large mesh strainer, Poundshop      £1.00 (!)
Plastic food container                       £0.75
8” piece of uPVC pipe (odds bin)      £0.00
On-Off switch (odds bin)                   £0.00
Red LED + resistor (xmas lights)      £0.00
12 Volt ion generator, Ebay             £3.74 (inc p & p)
 
Total                                                 £5.49
 
Also assorted bits of wire, solder, and hot glue.
Here are the components (except for the generator):
 

   
And the circuit:
 


 
I cut a circle out of the container lid, and a larger circle of mesh from the strainer. Pressed the mesh into the hole in the lid, and hot-glued it in place with a circle of plastic to retain it.
A length of wire was soldered to the mesh.
 
I cut a hole in the bottom of the container the same diameter as the plastic tube (bit of drain pipe) and hot glued the pipe into the hole (about ¼” protruding into the container)
The piece that I cut out of the lid fitted inside the container, snug against the pipe, and was hot glued in place. A suitable hole made in it and the wire from the mesh fed through into the pipe.
 



I cut out two discs of plastic (in this case it was 2mm Foamex – off-cuts from the local signwriter) One disc to fit inside the tube, the other slightly larger.
Two holes are made, one for the switch, the other for the LED. The LED was from an old string of Xmas lights, with a resistor already attached. When in place the LED and resistor were hot glued to retain them.
 



 
This is the loose assembly so far – just held with selotape as I am waiting for the ion generator to arrive.
The idea is to drive it from a 12 volt plug-in transformer, which I have in the spares bin.
 



 
To be continued…


Shaun.
 

Looks like a good build. Will look forward to seeing it in action. You'll have bowling green quality lawns in no time.

Cheers

Toto

And to continue…

Ion generator arrived, I duly put everything together - it worked! … very briefly, and then gave up the ghost - no more life in the generator, so I have gone back to the tried and tested Fly swat/Tea strainer.

Still, it kept me amused for a day or two.

Shaun.

Hi Shaun,

Pity about the ion generator you have purchased, giving up the ghost. The one I purchased (here in Sydney) still works a treat, no problem at all. Maybe give the ion generator I have purchased a go, although it would be twice the price as your ebay purchased one, plus postage, it just may be of a better quality, as it came from a reputable electronics supplier.

Cheers, Gary.