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All I can say is wow! It actually works and works well! 
I started with an "Electronic Fly Swatter" from Harbor Freight Tools. I went by the local store and picked it up on sale for $2.99! The modification is a piece of cake. Take out 5 screws on the back of the handle and open it up. The swatter part lifts out. I pried the swatter part open and cut the wires feeding it as long as possible in case I needed the length.
Next I took a test lead with alligator clips on both ends and cut one of the clips off, stripped the wire and soldered it to one of the wires that feed the zapping part of the swatter. It really doesn't make any difference which wire you use, positive or negative. what matters is that the grass picks up a charge and that the other wire has the opposite change. The wire is about 18 inches long from the handle to the remaining alligator clip. Now comes the hardest part of the whole thing (and it really isn't all that hard!). I took a strainer and cut part of the handle off so the cup part of the strainer would be close enough to the handle to run the remaining wire to it. Then I drilled two holes in the strainer handle to line up with the screw holes. I covered the feeder wire with heat-shrink tubing up to the strainer cup, poked the wire through the mesh and then back through. I soldered the wire to the mesh (difficult because the mesh dissipates heat really well). Finally I cut two pieces of self-adhesive foam the shape of the tip of the swatter handle and attached one piece to each side of the handle. It seals up the opening left from removing the big plastic fly swatter paddle.
That's it, the whole thing took less than an hour.
To use it just spread some glue on the area to receive grass. I used WS Foam Tack glue since I had some. I laid down a short bead from the bottle and spread it out with a small brush. Next stick a nail or pin into the glue and attach the alligator clip. Now put some static grass in the strainer and push the button. Hold the bottom of the strainer close to the layout surface and tap the handle NOT THE STRAINER. Move the strainer around the area to be covered and continue tapping. Be very careful not to let the strainer touch the nail or alligator clip. It won't damage the device but the resulting spark and quite loud POP is sufficient to startle you into jerking your hand away thus sending a cloud of static grass into the air. (Don't ask how I know that!
) A future modification might be some type of cover for the strainer to prevent such accidents.The static grass picks up a charge from the metal of the strainer as it falls through and is attracted to the opposite charge on the layout created by the nail. It really does stand on end! [A small disclaimer here- I've only tried it with 2mm static grass so far. I want to pick up some 4mm and maybe 6mm and try it.]
Does it work as well as the $189 applicator? I have no idea, I've never used the expensive one, it seems, well, too expensive. What I do know is that it works great and the price is definitely right. Pick up a fly swatter and give it a try!
--Sherman
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