How to Make a Flocking or Static Grass Gun From a Bug Zapper for Less Than $3

This is a super inexpensive solution to building an electrostatic flocking or static grass gun for home use! It's not very powerful but it works! Please vote for this project in the Up contest here! Thanks.

Step 1: Materials

This part is easy all you need is:
1) $3 electric fly swatter from Harbor Freight
2) 2 pieces of thin gauge wire
3) an alligator clip 
4) Scissors, wire snips, soldering iron, wire strippers, screw driver and a hot glue gun
5) an empty yogurt or cottage cheese container

Step 2: The Guts

Snip the wires to the "racket" part of the flyswatter, and solder one lead to the wire with the alligator clip (ground wire) and the other to a 4"-8" length of wire with both ends stripped

Step 3: The Handle

Now, just put the halves back together and re-install the screws with the two leads coming out of the open end of the handle.

Step 4: Making the Tub or Hopper

Now mark and cut an opening in the bottom of the container (the side opposite the lid). Insert the handle part way in, being sure to leave the lead with the alligator clip outside of the tub, and the other lead inside the tub. Also, the flyswatter has a red LED, make sure this is on the outside of the tub as well.

Step 5: Making the Lid

Now cut a hole in the lid, make sure to leave enough around the edge to glue to.  This is where you get to destroy the swatter part; break the plastic frame of the swatter, keep all of the rods from the outer grate and remove the inner mesh intact (it should slide out after the frame is broken enough). Now use the scissors to cut a rough circle out of the mesh that will fit into the lid without curving up onto the lip so the lid can lock back on to the tub. After making sure it fits, hot glue the mesh to the inside of the lid.

Step 6: Finishing the Hopper

Now take the end of the short lead (the one that is inside the tub and attach it to the mesh. You can solder it if you want to but just looping it through and twisting it does the trick too. This is why you want the lead to be 4"-8" so that you can remove the lid with it attached (length depends on the depth of your tub).

Step 7: Finished

That's it you're done and you have saved yourself about $200! Now simply fill the hopper with flocking or static grass, brush on your adhesive, stick a needle in it, clip the alligator clip to the pin and go to town! You need to gently shake the gun as you flock to break up the clumps and "sift" it over your work piece. Also it won't really work from more than 2" or so away. Also keep in mind that this thing is building up a strong charge, so if you touch the alligator clip to the mesh it will pop like a stun gun! Please vote for this project in the Up contest here! Thanks.