First tree

[jon-monon]

Casey - knock it off. Anyone can go out in their back yard and snap a few pictures and say they are their layout trees. j/k very nice trees indeed!

Val, on the spakle, if it's water based, I think most is, you could try mixing some laytex paint with the spackle, so it's close to the right color when you apply it, that way if the paint (bark ) get's chipped it won't have white innards.

 

[shamus]

Hi Aart,
Great looking trees and a nice blend of greens, also the little figure looks pleased with it.
Shamus

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Awesome trees Casey!

 

[Drew1125]

Aw, c'mon, Casey...
That's just a picture of your backyard, aint it?

Seriously,
Those trees are AWESOME !!

 

[spitfire]

Originally posted by jon-monon
Casey - knock it off. Anyone can go out in their back yard and snap a few pictures and say they are their layout trees. j/k very nice trees indeed!

Val, on the spakle, if it's water based, I think most is, you could try mixing some laytex paint with the spackle, so it's close to the right color when you apply it, that way if the paint (bark ) get's chipped it won't have white innards.

Jon, that's agreat idea about the spackle.

BTW, did anyone ever tell you -- yuh look like Nicholson?


Val

 

[jon-monon]

No but everyone has been callin me jon-lott all week, I don't get it

The spakle idea comes from my cousin. He says to mix earthy latex paint with the plaster when you make mountains so if you drill a hole you don't get the white powder mess or if you chip it it won't stand out like a sore thumb. I should know, I about always have a sore thumb. Speakin' of fingers, he's in the part of the family in Ioway, they're a lot schmarter, but they only got ten fingers each. Guess God gives us all our own talents. He's an MMR too, I'm sure that helps make up for the missing 11th finger!

 

[t. alexander]

Another good putty Is Milliput It's a two parter that is like working with clay, most hobby shops sell it .

t.

 

[aartwmich]

Casey I have some 'Sculpey' and some 'Fimo' that I've used in the past for other crafts, and I thought about trying that too. I'm concerned about shrinkage there tho, the parts might not match up the same after cooking it and it's hard to cut after it's hard, but we'll give it a try. Did you know that you can soften Fimo with a little mineral oil if it gets too stiff? Makes it easier to work with for some applications.
Your trees are the awesomest!! I'll have to get my butt out to the garden to look for armatures.

Val Good idea to glue before filling that joint. I think they mold the stand and armature separate to give the alternative of using the stand or not, it also may be easier to build the mold like that too.
Another good idea too 'paint' the roots/grass on the stand! So many things to try!!

Got a pic of that 'densely wooded area' technique? Sounds interesting.

Jon That IS a good idea for the spackle color!

Shamus Thanks! The little figure is pointing at the joint in the tree and saying "fix that joint, you amateur!! and while you're at it, *I* could use a new coat of paint" LOL

t.alexander Tell us more about Milliput. Does it air dry hard and in what time frame? Can you cut, file or sand it after its hard?

 

[TR-Flyer]

Hi ITBGF:
Beautiful work. If a single tree has such character the forest will invite you right into its heart. Thought Casey's shots were real, oh, wait a minute, they are real, it's just one of those pesky SCALE issues.

Most of the suggestions for filling the crack between the base and trunk will work fine. I think exterior wood putty would work as well, and would not shrink like the fimo. Also, it sticks to anything, especially fingers. Just used quite a bit on the front door remodel i finished two weeks ago. The use of the darker foam and then the lighter colors is mimics the way light filters down through a tree. The outer branches shading the inner and lower branches. This helps increase the feeling of depth and size. Also, don’t forget that in a forest there’s always dead and dying trees. So having the occasional leafless or tree turning colors adds to the overall effect.

Regards,
Ted

 

[t. alexander]

Hi aartwmich, a box of Milliput contains two "logs" you slice or pinch of equal amounts of both then Knead it.
I use the grey kind. It is supposed to air dry hard in about an hour with no shrinkage but can be worked soft too. Once dry it can be sanded and carved & takes paint well .

t.

 

[sumpter250]

Personally, I don't like the Squadron putty. I've tried it and it takes forever to sand down.

I have used Squadron Green for years, even did a tiny bit if sculpture with it. I've found that, when applying the putty, if the "spatula" is dipped in Testors liquid plastic cement, it will help the putty flow, and less sanding is required. Also, a small fine brush, saturated with Testors, can smooth out a surface, much the same way water is used on clay. It is a technique that requires a little practice, but I've had excellent results. The thinned putty will actually eliminate some pretty fine scratches, like file, or sanding "scars".
Pete

 

[planeshavings42]

Just In Time

Great Work IMA, I just received my first woodland Scenic tree kits, and was wondering what type of glue to use, I had thought of using 3M spray adhesive, I used it many years ago for upholstery work while restoring a model A Ford... your work is encouraging, and I'm looking forward to getting started on mine... Thanks for the thread...

 

[Vic]

Another good putty or filler is spot putty. You can get it at the auto parts store. Comes in a tube. Its usually right next to the cans of BONDO. Dries quick, carves easily and sands smoooth without flaking.....hmmmm sound almost like a shampoo ad don't it?

 

[aartwmich]

LOTS of good ideas here!!

I tried Sumpter250's bag method..it worked pretty good

..once the holiday chores slow down I will try more trees....well maybe after I satisfy my most pressing obsession, that of getting some hinged sides up on the table to support a dust cover and maybe painting some scenes on them too.

 

[XavierJ123]

I saw a fellow cut the bottom of the base/trunk off a little tree with a wire cutter. He then drilled a hole up thru the bottom, in which he inserted a nail (brad) with the point downward. Pushing the nail point into the blue foam base of the layout secured the tree in place. I guess you could mount the tree in plaster or wood by pushing or drilling another hole.