Thanks for the kind comments guys.
I think I'll dig out an N scale person and stand them next to the trees to give me a better perspective of size and trunk thickness and then work from there.

Bob, before I started I printed off a couple of pages from the British Trees website and TRIED to use the pictures as a guide :!:  :!:    Very useful pictures, more care needed to get the species look-a-likes.        More fun.

Petermac

I use small screws to hold my track temporarily in position. This allows me to loosen the screws, adjust the track and retighten to refine the alignment, or indeed to remove the screw, realign and then put the screw in somewhere else.

The screws also allow me to adjust for the height of the track easily too, a twist down to lower and backing off on the screw to allow the cork underneath to bounce back and raise the railhead.

I will ballast around the screws and then once glue has dried, holding the track in place, remove the screws and fill the holes with ballast. That is going to add another dimension to the ballasting process but I think that it is worth it.

I've only read about this method, never done the ballasting part before but so far so good.

Drawbacks?, well in N gauge I have to make sure that the screw head doesn't cause a short circuit between the back to back of the loco wheels or sit too close to a rail and cause a derailment.

Tree 3 - Thicker trunk and Mark II foilage

Well… half a can of hairspray later I reckon this one might be a young Oak.

The "bark mix" was thickened up with a bit more polyfiller and another 10 or so more coats were painted onto the trunk over a couple of days.

The trunk was painted grey, black, brown and then dusted with brown and yellow pastel dust.

The base foilage is Heki "Dark Green Foilage" glued to the branches with PVA and hairspray.
A light sprinkle of Woodland Scenics "Fine Burnt Grass scatter" was added from above. Then more hairspray and….
A light dusting of ground brown and yellow pastel on top of that… held in place with… yup, more hairspray.

The figure is from Noch. Being a European manufacturer I assume that he is at 1:160 rather than the UK 1:148, the difference for a 6ft man is about 1mm at scale… so he's vertically challenged but acceptable for reference.

Painting him is going to be painful!



I'm really pleased with it and am heading back to the model shop for a bigger bag of the Heki foilage  :roll:    

NEXT….

Looks real to me Marty and having that geezer stand under the tree give's it more of a real feeling and the size of it. Well done.
Phill

That's a keeper, Marty!  What a beauty!!

 Mike

That tree is absolutely fantastic :!:  :!:  :D  :D

Marty

The thicker trunk makes all the difference.  You now have a very realistic looking tree, excellent effort.

Bob(K)

Marty - that's a brilliant tree.  Looks like a real oak and, from the branch formations, not so young either !!

Another one to keep I feel. :wink:  :wink:

Petermac

Excellent result :!:  Good on you :!:  :!:
    Please supply the address to which orders should be sent.  

Marty, what an improvement! Did you happen to take progressive photos? I think it would be interesting to see what each stage (phase) looks like, and what you had to do to improve it. Just a thought!

Wayne

That's a wonderful tree Marty, so realistic. Maybe you could try fine, rusted wire wool instead of coconut firbre.

Keep them coming Marty, I guess most of us on here will be installing trees eventually and advice is very welcome.

Incidentally most people advise getting scent free hair laquer for obvious reasons but when I stand in front of the hair products shelves in the local supermarket I'm utterly bewildered. So does anyone know how long the scent lasts if it is used for glue like this? :?  :?  :?

Les

Les said

So does anyone know how long the scent lasts if it is used for glue like this? :?  :?  :?

Er…no, Les.  I will ask SHMBO, and she will then want to know why :?:  :!:

Great, great tree and judging by the difference in size with the man not much above average prototype height, if above at all. Makes Barchester's trees look a bit sick. That's at least two of you doing this to me now.  It's not fair. :roll:  :wink:

i use panten pro v ( for the layout ) it has no scent
but it does the job. :roll:  :roll:  :wink:  :wink:  

My seeking hairspray advice from my senior management has produced the  theory that the cheaper sprays have more scent, but that most of the smell disappears fairly quickly depending on the temperature.  The warmer the more it lingers.  

My theory:  A human head is warm, a model tree is cold.  Any spray should lose its odour pretty quickly.  (But no, I'm not going to rigorously test this theory.)

Sorry guys I just can't stop laughing. The thought of fellas all over the world (lead by a clergyman) standing in supermarkets asking for Panten Pro V to spray on trees just cracks me up. Wonderful stuff.                

Les

      It's a funny image.  Deserves to be in a comedy show.


 Marty  can you give us the product number of that foliage?  It looks a bit different from the Heki I've used.  It almost has the look of the sea foam foliage,  alhtough it could be my eyes     :?     
Thanks.
 Again, that tree is VERY impressive.
 Mike

Les your a cracker,im still laughing, brilliant.
           8)

Thanks guys, nothing is as motivating as praise from those whose skills you admire.

Jeff - Orders   :oops:  :oops: :shock:   :!:  :?:  Hmmm, I wonder, I'm looking for a new occupation.
Lets see… parts cost me about AUD$10 and a hourly rate of say AUD$60/hour at about 4 hours for that one makes it worth…. AUD$250…. about 120 pounds sterling…. there could be some economies of scale with mass production but I can't see me giving up my day job :shock:  :shock:  

Wayne - I'll do a "how to" on the next one and post a thread in the Scenery section if no one objects?

Les - I thought of fine wire wool, I'll give it a go and see how it looks. The plastic/nylon scourers work pretty well although I need to perfect the technique.

Bob - Sorry Boss… but you started it        and the "club" keeps me striving to raise my standards.    

Hairspray - I bought the cheapest version I could find, just a home brand, I've read that they are the stickiest. It was certainly sticky…
… and I did feel a little odd purchasing it :?
Yes, it was scented and yes, I've been banished to the shed to do the spraying 'cause T says the pong goes right through the house :?    
The scent does linger on but is fading gradually. It's not unpleasant and being sort of florally isn't too far out from being naturally forest smelling :?:

Mike - I think it is Heki Foilage dark-green H-1562.
Have a look here
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh/eurorailhobbiesdetail.asp?pageid=&MN=13&stock=H-1562
I'll confirm and get back to you.

Thanks Marty  - I've used some of their stuff in the 1550's series [Heki Flor] as well as some loose material in the 1560's series. Heki make some great foliage.
 Hoping to see more trees soon.
 

 Mike