Heres somthing I wrote.
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/357955/ShowPost.aspx
"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"
EXPERIMENTATION TO BRING INNOVATION
http://community.webshots.com/album/288541251nntnEK?start=588
no wasn't that bad.
1 adopted the layout as her bed and being N wouldn't move when hit by train.
however when i tried catnip then different story
Gav
Until the cat finds it...
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Here's a tip for cheap ballast . try kitty litter in blender worked once for me.
jerryl wrote: loathar wrote:Can you just dip your old trees in some glycerin to rejuvenate them and then spray them with glue and sprinkle another layer of ground foam over them? Just recycle what you've got?? Really can't They are so fragile & dry they just crumble plus many are just piles of dust. Wish I could, it would save me some monet. thanks anyway.
loathar wrote:Can you just dip your old trees in some glycerin to rejuvenate them and then spray them with glue and sprinkle another layer of ground foam over them? Just recycle what you've got??
Are the trunks salvageable? If so, just glue on new lichen or other foilage.
Rotor
Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...
got this from a thread here, just cant seem to find it again, i like the broom idea!!, any pictures for this?
13In pursuit of better model trees
Thoughts on trees and recipe for home-cooked aspens
BY ROBERT HAMMPHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
Before making that first tree youneed to consider several topics.These include size, type, appear-ance, modeling approach, color,and texture. Here I want to presentsome lessons learned working onmy own HOn3 Iron Gorge &Western RR set in the San JuanMountains of Colorado. I'll con-clude by sharing my recipe formaking peppergrass aspens.
Tree sizes
Most trees I use in the fore-ground (aspens, firs, spruces, andothers) are between 35 and 40scale feet (5 to 51⁄2inches) tall. Thisis about half to three-quarters theaverage size of the real thing. I did-n't arrive at this size by scientificmethod, but by simply observingwhat size trees seemed best to fitmy scenery.I think these smaller trees fit bet-ter because many of our structuresand scenery features are alsoundersized. Take structures forexample. Often we choose asmaller one not because it's moreprototypical, but because it fits thescene better. Often we selectivelycompress the prototype so it won'toverwhelm its surroundings orsimply because we don't haveenough room for a scale version.By using increasingly smallertrees towards the backdrop we cre-ate the illusion that distances aregreater than they actually are. Seefig. 1. This technique is calledBob Hamm's own HOn3 layout features hundreds of the aspen trees he shows how to make in this article.forced perspective," and it's par-ticularly effective where there arelots of conifers. Their distinctivepointed shapes allow a direct sizecomparison between backgroundand foreground trees. I go so far asto use background trees that areabout one-third the size of thoseup front.
Tree types and appearance
Geography and climate deter-mine what kinds of trees growwhere, and seasons govern howthey look at different times. Ifyou're modeling the area whereyou live, just be observant. Take afew trips over back country roads.Take some pictures, make somenotes, and collect some leaves forcolor samples.If you don't live in the area youmodel (as in my case) rely onbooks, calendars, magazines, andvideos. Take a trip to your chosenlocation, perhaps as a familyvacation or as a side jaunt after abusiness trip. Remember to takeyour camera.Generally, I don't try to build spe-cific models of a given species, butI do try to capture the flavor andappearance of the trees of an area.Try to identify the dominantspecies. Learn what they look like,how large they grow, where theygrow (near streams, on slopes, andso forth) and how they group andmix with other species.In the part of the San JuanMountains I model, for example,aspens are the principal deciduoustrees, while the conifers are dividedamong engelman spruce, douglasfir, and lodgepole pine.Those particular conifers looksimilar until you get up close andlook at the bark and needles, sorather than try to imitate eachspecies, I simply plant severalslightly different kinds of tall, con-ical trees that have the right gen-eral appearance.
Selecting tree colors
As you all know, tree colordepends on the time of year. Forthose of us with summertimelayouts, it's simply a matter ofselecting the right greens. Try tomatch paint samples with photosor leaves.In his book How to Build Real-istic Model Railroad Scenery, DaveFrary suggests using a single basecolor for your earth. I think it'ssimilarly important to establish abasic green or group of closelyrelated greens to provide color con-tinuity for deciduous trees andother leafy plants. The conifersalso need their own base color.I use Floquil paints for my finaltree colors because they are flat,available in many colors, and easyto alrbrush. I mix three foliagegreens all based on Coach Green(RR48) and Burlington NorthernGreen (RR35). One mix adds 1 part ReeferYellow (RR31) to 2 parts of each ofthe greens, a second adds 3 partsReefer Yellow, and the last adds 1part Reefer White (RR11).Other brands of paint will work aswell, but be sure they're flat. Also, inselecting colors be sure to viewthem under actual layout light.I keep a notebook of my colorsamples and mixes, using 81⁄2″x11″vinyl holders made for 35mmslides. Two-inch-square pieces ofwhite cardboard with the paintsamples on one side and the recipeon the other work well.
Foliage texture
When viewed from afar, the bestfoliage materials have a texture like clusters of leaf-size specks.The more they "pop out" the betterthe effect.Another desirable attribute is adelicate or airy structure. You wantto be able to look between leaf clus-ters and see the inner branches.Fine-textured commercial groundfoam when applied to a delicatesupport armature does a good jobof meeting both requirements. Iparticularly like the AMSI line ofground foams, for both their colorsand fine texture.Many natural materials also havethese qualities. Some of the bestare: peppergrass (also called babybush, candy bush, and beige lace),hardhacket (or hardcap), and wildspirea (or meadowsweet). Theseplants may be known by othernames as well. I buy the peppergrass in floristshops and craft stores, but gatherthe other materials from over-grown fields and meadows in east-ern New York and Western Mas-sachusetts in the early fall.All these natural materials arecharacterized by tight clusters ofwhat appear to be seed podsconnected by a delicate armatureof branches. The seed pods areabout leaf size and generallymulti-faceted.Some of the best-formed weedheads make good trees with littlemore than trimming and paint-ing. I use wild spirea in this man-ner for my background trees.Sprigs of the peppergrass workwell for aspen saplings and fillingin the foreground
.A recipe for aspen trees
Colorado Rockies modelersneed aspen trees by the bushel. Ibuild my foreground aspens bygluing peppergrass sprigs to thetrunk. Figure 2 shows the toolsand materials needed.For the trunks I use straighttwigs or weed stalks 1⁄16″to1⁄8″indiameter and 3 to 6 inches long.The glue should be thick-bodiedand fast drying. Walthers Gooworks well, as does Quick Grabby the 3C Co. in Woburn, Mass.A small piece of foam boardmakes a useful base for settingthe tree down.Typically peppergrass costs $3 to$4 a bunch. Choose the kind that isstraw-colored, or "natural." It'smost likely to have the "seed pods"that look like leaves. Pick thebunches with the fullest clusters.I've found the quality varies
.Let's build an aspen
The sequence of photos in fig. 3takes you through the construc-tion, so grab a twig and let's go. Ithelps to have an image of the tree'sbasic shape in mind, and that'sprovided in fig. 4.I hope you'll give this recipe a try.It works great for me.
Its summer just gone here in Australia and we still have grapes at the markets... and I have seen some very effective grape stem trees using the bunch stems (dried of course) as a basis. The Cotton balls dyed and teased out with a little ground foam should work well for your trees behind viewing... and you can have a delicious bit of fun providing for it!
Hope this helps
trevor www.xdford.digitalzones.com FYI
pcarrell wrote: See if this doesn't give you some ideas, like say, not grinding it down so much and leaving it a bit lumpier?http://dansresincasting.com/Ground%20foam.htm
See if this doesn't give you some ideas, like say, not grinding it down so much and leaving it a bit lumpier?
http://dansresincasting.com/Ground%20foam.htm
I second this method wholeheartedly. Tried it last week, and it works just as advertised. And it's kinda fun
Jim
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
TrainManTy wrote: This might be easier for people to view:http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1375968/ShowPost.aspx I'm not sure if you have to be a member of NTRES to view the threads....Philip: Thanks for the link! I bookmarked it and hope to try it soon, I'm almost out of ground foam... Got an easy way to make ballast? I'm out of that too! Will the blender work on rocks?
This might be easier for people to view:
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1375968/ShowPost.aspx
I'm not sure if you have to be a member of NTRES to view the threads....
Philip: Thanks for the link! I bookmarked it and hope to try it soon, I'm almost out of ground foam... Got an easy way to make ballast? I'm out of that too! Will the blender work on rocks?
Nah, I don't think you even have to log in to view posts.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
TrainManTy wrote: Philip:.....Got an easy way to make ballast?
Philip:.....Got an easy way to make ballast?
Still working on that one! Let me know if you come up with something!
Sedum is a great place to start, but here's my suggestion for finishing them...
Trees by the Ton
There's also information on "puff ball" trees, a quick way to cover large areas.
what I use to make trees takes about 5 minutes a tree (with a little practice) .
you will need:
cheap dust pan brooms (i got them for ($2 a piece and each one makes roughly 30+ trees))
spray adhesive (home depot or other hardware stores)
wire (22 guage or so)
brown spray paint
black, red and dark green spray paint (optional)
very fine grass (not ground foam, but the stuff you mix with ballast to add some green)
a drill
1. I buy cheap dust pan brooms ( the ones with the really small diameter bristles. the are about two inches in length. I then cut off the bristles with a pair of scissors. keep them all aligned in the same direction.
2. cut a piece of wire about 24 inches long. spray the wire with the spray adhesive.
3.set the bristles on one half of the wire so that they are all flat, making a rectangle shape. leave a little bit of the wire bare so that it can be put in the chuck of the drill.
4.fold over the wire to sandwich the bristle between the two wires. make sure the bristles are tacking to the wire. stick the ends of the wire in the drill and hold the other ends securely. twist the tree until it looks like a pipe cleaning brush.
once it is done twisting trim the tree to a look like a conifer. I just used a pair of scissors and make it sort of a cone shape.
5. spray paint the whole thing with the brown paint.
6. once the paint has dried (a little tacky is still ok) spray the whole tree with the spray adhesive.
7.Dunk the tree in the fine grass after putting the adhesive on.
8. mist the tree with black or red or dark green to vary the looks of the trees. you do not need to full out paint it just mist it with the paint. Red gives you a pine beetle looking tree. Dark green you a darker colored tree. black give another shade.
cost is about 10 cents a tree depending on how cheap you can get those dust pan brooms. also it may sound like a lot of work but it goes surprisingly quick, especially if you have multiple poeple working on it.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Tyler, post your tutorial for making a forest. Here's the link to it.:
http://www.getphpbb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=386&mforum=ntres2
Loathar described a way to make trees in bigblueconrail's thread "my layout, your opinions." The link:
I'd reccomend Sedum, a garden plant you can buy at most plant nurseries. It grows back every year, and you harvest the dead stems every fall. Here's a pic of some on my layout.
Good luck!