diff --git a/pyaccuwage/fields.py b/pyaccuwage/fields.py
index 27c10dc..2a78fd5 100644
--- a/pyaccuwage/fields.py
+++ b/pyaccuwage/fields.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class ValidationError(Exception):
 class Field(object):
     creation_counter = 0
     is_read_only = False
+    _value = None
 
     def __init__(self, name=None, max_length=0, required=True, uppercase=True, creation_counter=None):
         self.name = name
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ class TextField(Field):
             raise ValidationError("value is too long", field=self)
 
     def get_data(self):
-        value = str(self.value).encode('ascii') or b''
+        value = str(self.value or '').encode('ascii') or b''
         if self.uppercase:
             value = value.upper()
         return value.ljust(self.max_length)[:self.max_length]
@@ -195,13 +196,13 @@ class IntegerField(TextField):
 
 
 class StaticField(TextField):
-    def __init__(self, name=None, required=True, value=None):
-        super(StaticField, self).__init__(name=name, required=required,
-                                            max_length=len(value))
+    def __init__(self, name=None, required=True, value=None, uppercase=False):
+        super(StaticField, self).__init__(name=name,
+                required=required,
+                max_length=len(value),
+                uppercase=uppercase)
         self._static_value = value
-
-    def get_data(self):
-        return str(self._static_value).encode('ascii')[:self.max_length]
+        self._value = value
 
     def parse(self, s):
         pass
diff --git a/pyaccuwage/model.py b/pyaccuwage/model.py
index 94c7d4a..1d7e4ed 100644
--- a/pyaccuwage/model.py
+++ b/pyaccuwage/model.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class Model(object):
                     setattr(src_field, 'parent_name', self.__class__.__name__)
                 new_field_instance = copy.copy(src_field)
                 new_field_instance._orig_value = None
-                new_field_instance._value = None
+                new_field_instance._value = new_field_instance.value
                 self.__dict__[key] = new_field_instance
 
     def __setattr__(self, key, value):
diff --git a/tests/test_fields.py b/tests/test_fields.py
index 2d32755..050285e 100644
--- a/tests/test_fields.py
+++ b/tests/test_fields.py
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ class TestTextField(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(len(data), field.max_length)
         self.assertEqual(data, b'HELLO,')
 
+    def testStringUnsetOptional(self):
+        field = TextField(max_length=6, required=False)
+        field.validate()
+        self.assertEqual(field.get_data(), b' ' * 6)
+
 class TestStaticField(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_static_field(self):
         field = StaticField(value='TEST')
diff --git a/tests/test_records.py b/tests/test_records.py
index a6485ac..dfa25fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_records.py
+++ b/tests/test_records.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from pyaccuwage.fields import MoneyField
 from pyaccuwage.fields import StateField
 from pyaccuwage.fields import TextField
 from pyaccuwage.fields import ZeroField
+from pyaccuwage.fields import StaticField
 from pyaccuwage.model import Model
 
 class TestModelOutput(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@ class TestModelOutput(unittest.TestCase):
         money = MoneyField(max_length=32)
         state_txt = StateField()
         state_num = StateField(use_numeric=True)
-        blank2 = BlankField(max_length=24)
+        blank2 = BlankField(max_length=12)
+        static1 = StaticField(value='hey mister!!')
 
     def setUp(self):
         self.model = TestModelOutput.TestModel()
@@ -42,7 +44,8 @@ class TestModelOutput(unittest.TestCase):
             b'313377'.zfill(32),
             b'IA',
             b'19',
-            b' ' * 24,
+            b' ' * 12,
+            b'hey mister!!',
             ])
 
         output = model.output()
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ field2: 12345
 money: 3133.77
 state_txt: IA
 state_num: IA
+static1: hey mister!!
 
 ''')