Trees

[soapstonerr]

Being color challenged, I wondering what colors to use to paint the tree trunks.

Thanks,[8D]

[Anonymous]

One method that works well for me: Hold tree in place on layout, dribble thick CA on base, hit it with CA accelerator and viola...Tree is mounted. I would test the accelerator on the foam first to make sure that it won't attack it. I have found that putting the accelerator in a dropper prevents it from creating too many fumes in the layout room. I can mount trees very quicly using this method. If you need to move them later, they come up without too much fuss.

Guy

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Cmdr.WedgeAntilles

What about the little base on the tree? Do i cut it off and make a point to stick into the foam?

Wedge,

I'll assume here that you're talking about the Woodland Scenics plastic tree kits. I've thrown out the bases (it's impossible to hide the gap at the trunk base, and the trees have a tendency to pop out after awhile). Cut off the little nub at the bottom of the tree. Drill a hole in the bottom wide enough to accept a thin finishing nail (2D or 3D). Cut off the head of the nail with a pair of lineman's pliers. Add some glue to the hole, and add the nail to the tree (Duco cement or GOO works best for this application).

Once the glue is dry, just stick the tree into the foam wherever you want it. Add some clump foliage around the base of the trunk if there's any gap between the tree and the scenery base. I never bother with gluing trees to the scenery. I've been using this technique for years and it works great. I even use variations of this general theme when I plant natural material trees (I use long quilting pins instead of finishing nails)

This sounds like it's a long, tedious and boring project. It is. But you'll only ever have to do it once, and you'll be able to move the trees around until you have them where you want them. This method is also great for portable layouts (what I mostly use it for)

[cwclark]

[

oohhh, bad idea. Don't put steel wool anywhere near the layout. The miniscule crumbs of it will end up in your loco motor magnets someday and short things out...Woodland Scenics has, I believe it' s called poly-fiber which you can do the same thing with instead of the steel wool.

Hope it's not too late...

[Mr Mekanik]

I drill a hole the size of the tree trunk on the location I want the tree to planted. I fill the hole with hot glue and insert the tree in place. [:D]

[Anonymous]

What about the little base on the tree? Do i cut it off and make a point to stick into the foam?

[Anonymous]

However you physically secure them, make sure you model the above-ground root structure and the slight elevation of the ground you find around real trees (assuming they are fairly large). Go outside and look at the ground around a real tree. Also notice the amount of debris that's laying around.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I build my trees with crypte myrtle blooms, woodland scenics foliage, and a hot glue gun...and just poke them into the foam...once i have a bunch of them in place i then get a bunch of fine steel wool, roll them into balls, paint them two shades of green (usually forest green and hunter green) and glue them side by side up a slope at the furthest part of the layout...

oohhh, bad idea. Don't put steel wool anywhere near the layout. The miniscule crumbs of it will end up in your loco motor magnets someday and short things out...Woodland Scenics has, I believe it' s called poly-fiber which you can do the same thing with instead of the steel wool.

Hope it's not too late...

[cwclark]

I build my trees with crypte myrtle blooms, woodland scenics foliage, and a hot glue gun...and just poke them into the foam...once i have a bunch of them in place i then get a bunch of fine steel wool, roll them into balls, paint them two shades of green (usually forest green and hunter green) and glue them side by side up a slope at the furthest part of the layout...

[Anonymous]

Eng22 - after you cut off the points and discard the middle of the toothpick, what is left? [;)]

Wedge - it really depends on your type of tree. Trees made from weeds and other "natural" armatures can be poked into the foam, or put into a hole drilled in plaster. Some plastic or white metal armatures have suggestions of roots and so on that should remain at the surface. In this case you might want to do as suggested, and put some sort of pin into the base of the tree. I have seen some neat tree truncks made with paintable caulking that can be flexed and glued down to give that sort of look.

Andrew

[eng22]

I cut the nubs off the base of my W.S. trees. Then I drill a very small hole in the bottom of my tree. After drilling I insert a a 1/4 long tooth pick end into the hole. The tooth pick is prepared by cutting the points off and discarding the middle. (There must be some use for the middle) I use white glue on the tooth pick to assure it will stay in the trunk of the tree. Once the glue is dry, I poke the tree into the foam. They hold well and do not seem to pop up.

[MAbruce]

I've planted some in plaster, and some in foam. I used Arleens white glue for both. The only thing I noticed is that you should sprinkle some extra ground foam around the trunk. This covers over any glue, as it tends to dry with a glossy look.

Also make sure your tree is supported while the glue dries. You don't want it to start to lean as it dries - unless that's the effect you are after...

[Anonymous]

how do i "plant" trees into my layout, its foam by the way?