Thanks John - and together with Geoff's it's opened up what for me is a whole new concept.

Ken

Thanks for the suggestions on hair spray etc.  It's not something I have in my bathroom cupboard!  I've always been a bit wary of using it for foliage gluing in terms of its longevity.  As the stuff is designed to brush out or wash out of hair it always concerns me that a knock will cause it to break up or damp will cause it to break down.  I'll give it a try on another little tree project that is currently in flight.

The Oak has been left to dry for a day and a half and has recovered quite well from its drowning in PVA.  It's sort of the right shape now and pretty resilient.  It still needs a few straggly ends trimming off that I didn't notice till I photographed it.  The only real problem now is I think although it may be the right size for this kind of tree it is probably too big for the intended location.  Sometimes correct scaling just doesn't look right on a model scene.  I may drill a hole and plonk it on the layout and see how it looks.





Cheers
Dave

[user=423]ElDavo[/user] wrote:

The only real problem now is I think although it may be the right size for this kind of tree it is probably too big for the intended location.  Sometimes correct scaling just doesn't look right on a model scene.  I may drill a hole and plonk it on the layout and see how it looks.

It is looking good, Dave - we mustn't forget that you are doing this in N !

I agree wholeheartedly with your point about a scale tree not looking quite right on the model. I have considered this a lot. One thing I realise is that we generally see the world from the ground. So we look up into trees, when we can be bothered. Most of the time we look straight ahead at best and so completely miss the huge expanse of trees above us - whether on the roads, the country paths, or the railway.

When we model, we look down from above (more or less), so everything is different to our normal perspective. I think you are right in that we need to compensate for that, and perhaps not worry too much about having very large, but truely scaled, trees on the layout.

Just because it's N gauge doesn't mean it isn't big you know.  Look, if you turn the camera flash on it looks just like a bit of calibrese!





Nothing ventured etc.  The tree has been planted.  In fact once it's bedded in to the layout it doesn't look quite as bad as I thought.  It takes up a fair width of the baseboard but maybe that's no bad thing.  It's a bit big for the field (bit of grass) it's standing in but it'll probably do.





From the opposite angle it's less prominent.





Up close in fact I quite like the effect so I think it will stay (until I change my mind).





Onwards to the next tree(s)…

Cheers
Dave

WOW Dave !!

That's come on a bit since I saw it a couple of weeks ago. :thumbs

We tend to think of trees as being very standard shapes for each species but they vary so much due due exposure and damage. I think it looks ok.

Crikey, that's good Dave!

[user=401]pnwood[/user] wrote

……………………………………………………………………………I think it looks ok.

Well I think it looks GREAT !!!!!

You say it might be a bit big Dave - if you actually look at a mature oak, they are truly huge.  They can easily cover the corner of a decent field so I'd leave it where it is and as it is.

I'll open a bottle and toast it tonight…………………………………………:cheers

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

[user=401][/user]I'll open a bottle and toast it tonight…………………………………………:cheers

Too late, been there done that already. :mrgreen:

I need more trees.  In fact I need a small stand of conifers so therein lies the next challenge.

On a recent tea drinking visit a certain Fidge of this parish presented me with a lump of gash stuff with the imortla words "that's gotta be useful anit!".  What "it" is is a used industrial air filter carefully washed and dried by aforementioned forum member.  It looks to be some sort of polypropylene fibre in multiple layers.  Gotta be useful for something!




So then, hack off a sort of circular lump of said air filter element, skewer it on a bit of florists wire then tease out the layers to form a sort of kebab.





Splurge some UHU glue along the florists wire then squish the layers back together(ish) into a sort of conifer tree shape.  Trim off the florists wire and you have…





You know what's coming next!   Soak the whole lot in diluted PVA with a dash of Burnt Umber acrylic then sprinlkle on the scatter material of choice.  When it's dry (yeah it takes a while) give it a blast of Tesco's finest (read top quality 64p) hairspray and add a few light touches of other scatter colours and you get…




Not entirely convinced by them but these might be good enough to plant near the backscene where nobody can get close enough to see them in detail.  Some refinement of technique might improve things.

Cheers
Dave

Just looking at the amazing efforts on this thread and thinking to myself "glad i don't need trees it will be tough to keep up to standard" then you scroll down further and see this!




Other than firewood anybody have a suggestion for a half completed layout…..i give up! what top stuff!

Looks a great job Dave.
The amount of that stuff we throw in the skips at work after we do maintenance on control panel cooling fans is amazing.
I think some of it will end up here in Mrs DD's washing machine!

Thanks for a great idea.

Dave,
       Love the big oak tree!!! The trunk looks very realistic,and when you planted it,it really began to look the part! It fills the space very convincingly.
        As for these conifers,I reckon if you used the same wire frame technique,then applied your fuzzy stuff,you'd be onto a winner there also!

:pathead:pathead:pathead

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

[user=450]wogga[/user] wrote:

Other than firewood anybody have a suggestion for a half completed layout…..i give up! what top stuff!

And don't forget it is in "N":thud

I love the oak too, Dave.
In the US they use often something called furnace filter fibre for conifers, skewered onto sticks as you have done.  You're onto something with that stuff.

Mike

I had my doubts during construction… but now it's on the layout I think Newcastle Emlyn is going to get a couple of "Dave" Oaks too.

And if you can't get used air filters, I think that polyester quilt batting would do the same thing. The cheaper and nastier, the better. Or left over polyester insulation batts. We can get green ones that are made from recycled soft drink bottles. If it starts out green it might be easier to colour maybe?
Tracy B

PS Martin's modelling ban was self imposed, so don't blame me for his lack of progress! :-)

[user=454]Tracy[/user] wrote:

… We can get green ones that are made from recycled soft drink bottles. If it starts out green it might be easier to colour maybe?
Tracy B

PS Martin's modelling ban was self imposed, so don't blame me for his lack of progress! :-)

Spot on Tracy.  Colouring the stuff is the most time consuming and messy bit.  Something that is already a green(ish) or brown(ish) colour would really do the job. 

Cheers
Dave

P.S.  As this is made from recycled soft drink bottles I assume it's difficult to get hold of in Australia!

Top job, Dave.

A couple more air filter conifers have been hacked together.  This time I soaked the filter material in brown acrylic gloop before teasing it out etc. then added the foliage with hairspray. End result is pretty similar but it is possible to get a lighter touch with the scatter/foliage this way.

The 5 trees have been planted near the back of the baseboard to disguise(ish) a join.  You can see the hedgerows have been getting the dilute PVA treatment!





From the other direction they tend to blend in to the general green mismash…




I think they'll work quite well.  I probably need to create 2 or 3 smaller lighter conifers to round it out (maybe).  Having a break for a couple of days so no more progress/experiments till next week.

Cheers
Dave

Smashing Tree,s Dave, I like your use of materials and that oak is just right.
By the way this monthly project thing, Who decides the project?
regards,Derek