Jim
YEP! I agree with the few and IF someone else is forking over the Bucks - I would use the pre colored!
But the problem is the Puffs tend to be the all have the same looking base color!
I have done the Base colors in Gray, Iron Oxide Red & Black as well as some Orange, Reds and some Olive Greens as I was suing up all of the odd Spray paints I had gathered over the years to give the hillside a lot of varation in color as well as mixing different colors of Green, M Green, L Green, Yellow/Green, Burnt Grass color and Fall Yellow in varaing degrees to make the finished Puffs all different colors.
When looking at the hill sides the colors are somewhat evident but in taking Pictures the color varation really stands out!
Something that is hard to do with all pre dyed colors!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Bob,
That is just the kind of work I am trying to aviad. I did the white poly fiber/paint it black/Soak in Matte Medium/Flock - Very time consumming. With the black/brown poly fiber that Micro-Mark used to sell - It was roll into a puff ball/Soak in Matte Medium/Flock. I made about 1700 for a large hill at our club in two days. I stopped by our local Hobby Lobby and asked about the Halloween Straw. They had some left(2 pkg's), and will not see more untill this fall. I bought it as I am down to about 1/2 of a Micro-Mark package. It is not as nice, but is better than the white stuff to work with. BTW, I have over 2200 on a hillside on my layout. I hope Micro-Mark did not drop it to get that W/S deal!
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
While - those that only are doing a few (and I mean just a few) Puff Balls - purchasing the pre colored Poly Fiber is the way to go!
BUT!
When you are doing a lot of Puffs (as I have over 2000 on my layout so far) and the need for more is growing - learning how to make the white Poly work is key to getting the layout covered!
1. I make the Puffs in lots of 60 (as I can't stand doing more that 60 at a time)
2. I paint the WHITE Poly with FLAT BLACK spray paint one day
3. when dry (a day or two later) I Spray the (now BLACK Puffs) GREEN (Wal mat Green Spray paint)
4. With the paint still wet - I cover the Puffs with a mix of various colors of Green Foam
5. Let the 60 puffs dry for another day!
6. I then lay the Puffs out on cardboard and spray them with FUTURE FLOOR WAX/POLISH (which as a Clear Arylic Sealent)! This locks the tiny bits of foam tightly to the Poly and green paint!
7. Once dry - I then CUT each PUFF in Half!
8. I now have 120 PUFFS and using Lated Caulking to Glue them to the Layout surface!
9. IF - by chance any of the Foam and paint has some how rubbed off and the WHITE is showing through (as someone mentioned)
I give the spot a spray of FUTURE FLOOR WAX/POLISH and sprinkle the area with a little Ground Foam!
Done!
Now how hard can that be!
While some will say that it is a lot of work to make a few PUFFS - It is!
But I am NOT doing a FEW PUFFS !
I am doing a LOT of PUFFS as I figure I am going to be needing over 4000 as the layout is depecting the Western part of Pennsylvania and that is all we have is TREES -
and I had to find a way to make them in bulk and NOT break the Bank!
Being Retired - I have the TIME but NOT the Money - so which direction do I take!
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
A 20oz bag costs approx $4.99, vice a 12oz bag that costs $19.95. So you add a little work plus the price a of a couple of rattlecans $2-5. So in my book, not a better alternative. I dont feel that i need to pay someone to spray paint the fiber for me. Also you can paint it whatever color you want (browns/greens). I also dont live near a model railroad hobby shop, so its easily a 45min drive @ $4.00 a gal for gas. Instead I go to one of many craft stores with in 7miles for a product I can produce myself for about $10 less. Does it look the same? No. And thats fine with me. I like a little varity.
What is the objection to MicroMarks green polyfiber? Certainly a better alternative to starting with white.
Michael's sells pillow sized bags of white polyfiber (its where i get mine). You have to paint it, the puffball trees look horrible with white fiber showing through. We used a brown and an avacado color rattle can paint.
When getting a quilt bat, be sure to ask about the weave. I ordered a dark bat from the local quilt shop. When it came it had a very tight weave, not suitable for pullling apart as many of the others were.
I got two bags from Micro-Mark, evidently just before they dropped the brown. Still haven't had a chance to try it for trees. Work at a standstill on that aspect of scenery.
Have fun,
Richard
Wally world on line about $13 for a five lb box, 99 cents shipping
poly fiber can be found in many places...
Fabric stores, though as mentioned usually only in white
Craft stores {sometimes}
You can find CHEAP pillows that are filled with it... at any discounter {Wally World had them at about $3 for a queen size}
Also check for quilting batting, some is 100% poly-fiber in big, long and wide rolls...this can be found in fabric, discount and craft stores that carry quilting supplies...
Wait till halloween if you are looking specifically for black...it may show up, though it can be expensive and in only small quantities...
It can be spray painted lightly to be any color you want...
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
You should be able to purchase poly fiber at any fabric store, although only white. At a club I belonged to long ago we started with the white stuff, teased it out to make it more airy, gave it a quick rattle can spray of reddish brown and finally a light dusting of green foam. It made pretty convincing blackberry bushes.
Good luck!
Now that Micro Mark Has discontinued selling black and brown poly fiber, does anyone have a new source for purchasing this product?