trees by the bucket Feb 2008 issue

[brkracing]

I missed placed my issue of Feb 2008 . Trees by the bucket in N scale by Al Skinner

It said to use clump foilage  and  nails to make trees , what size clump fiolage or is it only one size.

Thank you

 

Rich 

[larak]

brkracing

what size clump fiolage or is it only one size.

 

 Well, it's kind of random sizes in the bag. You tear off what you need. It DOES come in different shades.

 

[HHPATH56]

 Hi Rich,

I missed your Posted thread somehow.   The photo below shows my step by step method of turning out hundreds of trees.  My AVATAR  shows the deciduous Fall foliage variety, that I am at present turning out "by the bucket".   These are HO trees, but they adapts N gauge.  I would suggest that you get the wooden skewers of smaller diameter for the tree trunks.  For N scale, the trees would be 2"- 4" in height. If you use foam for your mountains, so much the better, since they can be stuck into to foam with no gluing. This will allow you to change the foliage with the seasons.  I have a 24'x24' around the room layout, with each wall a different season of foliage.  Cut the skewers with a track cutter and sharpen both ends with a pencil sharpener.  Then, stain the trunks in bulk, and allow to dry.  I use cheap blue colored fiber furnace filters, sprayed with either flat black or dark green, cut into small rugged circles, and then pushed onto the stained skewers, (for the trees behind the front row). For the foreground trees, you may wish to get pepperwart or other finely branched stems from the florist.  I bought the shaker jars of colored foam in three shades of green, and three Fall foliage colors.  Push on about 4-5 varied diameter circles spaced on the trunk,  then spray on adhesive (cheap hair spray also works).  Then I drizzle on the fine foam in several shades of green,(or Fall colored foam).  You might  want to buy some bags of various shade of green "WS Foliage Clumps". You rip off a small clump and glue it to the top of the pointed skewer. What is nice about sharpening both ends, is that you can now "plant the trees, without glue ,so that they can be changed with the seasons. Or, fill in the background foliage canopy with "trunkless trees", that can be replaced,(if you use foam) or drill a hole and insert the trees (after touching up the white around the hole).  I usually intermix some commercial conifer trees with the deciduous trees.  For Winter and early Spring, I use small pieces of "Super Trees" from the LHS   Make a bucket of trees !

Bob Hahn

 

[loathar]

The WS clump foliage I got was kind of a pillow. Just tear off what you need. Works and looks pretty good.

[brkracing]

Thank you

for the replies

 

Rich

[wm3798]

Don't waste your money on all that clump foliage.  It costs about $6 a square foot.  That's money that could better be spent on rolling stock... or beer!

Here's how I cover the timberlands of my layout... and it costs pennies.

 

Sure, it's not as lucrative for our sponsor's sponsor, but I think the results are better, and Mr. Wallet can focus on more useful endeavors...

Lee