Yikes! Trees!!
- Thread starter CharlesH.
- Start date
F
Fred_M
Here's how I do some http://www.trainweb.org/zmtshortline/mt0.html . The search function is also helpful, search make trees. Kettlestack made some great trees as does Shamus, Tyson, and many others.
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=9479
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=5191
will get you started. Fred
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=9479
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=5191
will get you started. Fred
F
Fred_M
Yep, the two threads I posted are both in the academy. The academy is hard to navigate IMHO because it defaults to 30 days and only shows one item. You have to reset the timer to "since the begining" to find them all. I think that may confuse new people who don't know how to navigate the forum. 
It confused me the first time I went there. I thought it was empty. Fred
It confused me the first time I went there. I thought it was empty. FredCharlesH, I learned that sage brush works very well. It looks great too! Took a modeling class earlier this year and the instructor showed us how to make trees out of sage brush, rabbit brush, and pine trees out of dowels with SOS pads. You can check out my dowel made pine trees in the third layout party.
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=10226&page=6&pp=15
I know that they look very sad, but maybe you will have better luck. You can also see one of my sage brush trees in the same thread. It is the pic with the UP Caboose.
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=10226&page=2&pp=15
These are my first attempts and don't look too pretty, but I hope to get better later on.
Freelancer
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=10226&page=6&pp=15
I know that they look very sad, but maybe you will have better luck. You can also see one of my sage brush trees in the same thread. It is the pic with the UP Caboose.
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=10226&page=2&pp=15
These are my first attempts and don't look too pretty, but I hope to get better later on.
Freelancer
I don't quite deserve the compliment, but thanks! Those are SOS pads on the dowels. If you can find the heavy duty industrial kind they will support themselves better and won't sag like the ones I have on those trees. This is what I learned in the class:
Get a dowel or any stick that you would like to use, then take either a saw blade, or a wire wheel and mark the stick up to simulate the bark. You can then paint it, stain it, or leave it as is. Then take the SOS pads and rip it apart, actually you gently separate it so that it is in a thin layer, then stab the stick or dowel through the pad. Once you have enough pads on the tree for your liking, then put ground foam on it with hairspray. Don't be shy with the hairspray, you may need to coat it on pretty good. After the tree dries, you can go back and cut the hanging frizzley stuff off. The instructor had great looking trees, but I haven't had too much luck in getting my trees to look the same as his.
As for the sagebrush and rabbit brush trees. You'll need some more ground foam and some of the poly fiber stuff. The instructor suggested that you use a variation of lighter colors of ground foam for these trees. Take the poly fiber and gently pull it apart and form a very light thin layer, so light that you can barely see it. When you think that it has been spread out enough, then spread it a couple more times. Then take your sagebrush and wrap small amounts of the poly fiber in the inner branches. Then spray it with hairspray and lightly sprinkle on some ground foam. Don't go over board because you want to keep the airy leafy feel to the tree. Add another coat of hairspray and when it is dry spread some more poly fiber around the outside branches and apply ground foam like before. The key is to wrap the poly fiber around the branches so that it takes shape to the branch, you don't want it to look like blanket that covers the top of the trees. By doing the inner branches as well as the outer branches it is supposed to give it more depth.
Compliments of Adam E.
I hope this has made sense. If you have any questions or want pictures feel free to ask.
Freelancer
Get a dowel or any stick that you would like to use, then take either a saw blade, or a wire wheel and mark the stick up to simulate the bark. You can then paint it, stain it, or leave it as is. Then take the SOS pads and rip it apart, actually you gently separate it so that it is in a thin layer, then stab the stick or dowel through the pad. Once you have enough pads on the tree for your liking, then put ground foam on it with hairspray. Don't be shy with the hairspray, you may need to coat it on pretty good. After the tree dries, you can go back and cut the hanging frizzley stuff off. The instructor had great looking trees, but I haven't had too much luck in getting my trees to look the same as his.
As for the sagebrush and rabbit brush trees. You'll need some more ground foam and some of the poly fiber stuff. The instructor suggested that you use a variation of lighter colors of ground foam for these trees. Take the poly fiber and gently pull it apart and form a very light thin layer, so light that you can barely see it. When you think that it has been spread out enough, then spread it a couple more times. Then take your sagebrush and wrap small amounts of the poly fiber in the inner branches. Then spray it with hairspray and lightly sprinkle on some ground foam. Don't go over board because you want to keep the airy leafy feel to the tree. Add another coat of hairspray and when it is dry spread some more poly fiber around the outside branches and apply ground foam like before. The key is to wrap the poly fiber around the branches so that it takes shape to the branch, you don't want it to look like blanket that covers the top of the trees. By doing the inner branches as well as the outer branches it is supposed to give it more depth.
Compliments of Adam E.
I hope this has made sense. If you have any questions or want pictures feel free to ask.
Freelancer
Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
My dad made some tress out of some wire and they look good. He had ordered some tree tops awhile ago but never got around to it. When i get my layout started i am going to get the rest of my trees done. Hopefully some day lol.
Howdy!
Check this site out. I tried this and it works real good.
http://www.trevinocircle.com/sippin/index.html
TrainClown
Check this site out. I tried this and it works real good.
http://www.trevinocircle.com/sippin/index.html
TrainClown
Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
Trees
I know sedem can be used for trees, but I just descovered something called joepieweed. Has anyone ever heard of the plant and used it for trees? It looks like sedem, but larger.
I know sedem can be used for trees, but I just descovered something called joepieweed. Has anyone ever heard of the plant and used it for trees? It looks like sedem, but larger.
I've heard of Joe Pye Weed , and seen pictures but have not seen it locally or ever used it . I think sedum is hard to beat for HO but again , not easy to find growing wild in my area . Neighbours get a bit p.o'ed if you go rooting through their gardens looking for sedum .
Neil
Neil
I'd like to try the technique from http://www.trevinocircle.com/sippin/index.html, but there's a little inconvenient - what is exactly selkirk scenery netting material? Is it some sort of synthetic pasture or something?