I've made and "planted" about 5,000+ bumpy chenille trees recently and figured I'd share this not-so-new, but still quite effective technique for lots of quick trees. I don't know where I first read about it, but it's been a couple of decades ago. We're not gonna reinvent the wheel here, but review how to make them and see how effective they are, especially in mountain terrain, in fooling the eye into thinking it's looking faraway to something distant.
So what the heck is "bumpy chenille"? It's basically a long pipe cleaner that has the fiber "bumped" out a way when it's twisted, instead of being short and even. I get it at Hobby Lobby, because Michaels doesn't seem to carry it locally. There may be other sources, most likelt arts and craft supply shops. They cost about a $1 for a pack of 12. You can cut each one into 8 trees, so one pack can make 96 trees. Add in paint and enough glue to tack 'em down and you're talking less than 2 cents per tree.
Making them requires a bit of labor, though. Here's how I do it. Take the BC out of the pack and stick it in a styrofoam block, then paint it, one pack (12 pcs) at a time. The paint dries fast. I do 400 to 500. Then I take a good pair of sidecut pliers and snip them each into 8 trees. You can vary them somewhat in height. I do it by judging how the twist in the fiber has left it so to make a natural tree silhouette, a little of the do it by what looks right to your eye. You end up with a box like this.
That's about 300 to 400 in the box. I use the upside down yougurt cup to hold a spot of tacky glue to dip the base of the tree into. The pin vise has a small dill bit chucked in so only about the last 1/4" sticks out. It can still drill if needed, but my terrain is Sculptamold (except the rock castings or where there's wood underneath, mostly in towns) and I use it like a punch most of the time. An awl or ice pick could also work, but sound somewhat less safe. As for coloring the trees, here what I do. I use the green and dark brown bumpy cheillile. The green ones get painted Krylon Italian Olive and the dark brown ones get painted with RustOleum Moss Green. The Krylon takes most of the brightest green away and the Rustoleum has good coverage to transfrom the dark brown. The idea is to represent having pine and spruce trees mixed together. I also tried using the white, black, and light tan BC, but the paint coverage didn't work well enough to be economical, although they look OK. I do use a few of these in the foreground in scenes, but most are behind everything else in the background. For best effect, pack them in tight. Near tree line, you can spread them out, something like I did in my Cascade Branch thread (http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/219241.aspx): How tight is tight when you do that? It depends. Here's the area on the Silverton Branch around Big @ss Mountain. The first pic looks pretty good. Just wasn't dense enough for me, so I went back over it, adding trees to fill in most of the the spots where the ground showed through at lower elevations. Here's an example, part of the grade that goes off to the left in the pics just above, down to Durango. Here's how it looked before, adequate but hardly inspiring. I moved the bigger trees off to recycle elsewhere on the layout. I also pulled uup as much of the glued on ground foam as possible to also recycle. Since the "root" on the BC tree is short, it needs to get right into the hole where the glue can hold it. Excess ground cover can hold it up and keep it from sticking to the ground well, so its good to clear as much ground as possible. Here's it ready for trees. Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that. Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
That's about 300 to 400 in the box. I use the upside down yougurt cup to hold a spot of tacky glue to dip the base of the tree into. The pin vise has a small dill bit chucked in so only about the last 1/4" sticks out. It can still drill if needed, but my terrain is Sculptamold (except the rock castings or where there's wood underneath, mostly in towns) and I use it like a punch most of the time. An awl or ice pick could also work, but sound somewhat less safe.
As for coloring the trees, here what I do. I use the green and dark brown bumpy cheillile. The green ones get painted Krylon Italian Olive and the dark brown ones get painted with RustOleum Moss Green. The Krylon takes most of the brightest green away and the Rustoleum has good coverage to transfrom the dark brown. The idea is to represent having pine and spruce trees mixed together. I also tried using the white, black, and light tan BC, but the paint coverage didn't work well enough to be economical, although they look OK.
I do use a few of these in the foreground in scenes, but most are behind everything else in the background. For best effect, pack them in tight. Near tree line, you can spread them out, something like I did in my Cascade Branch thread (http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/219241.aspx):
How tight is tight when you do that? It depends. Here's the area on the Silverton Branch around Big @ss Mountain. The first pic looks pretty good. Just wasn't dense enough for me, so I went back over it, adding trees to fill in most of the the spots where the ground showed through at lower elevations. Here's an example, part of the grade that goes off to the left in the pics just above, down to Durango. Here's how it looked before, adequate but hardly inspiring. I moved the bigger trees off to recycle elsewhere on the layout. I also pulled uup as much of the glued on ground foam as possible to also recycle. Since the "root" on the BC tree is short, it needs to get right into the hole where the glue can hold it. Excess ground cover can hold it up and keep it from sticking to the ground well, so its good to clear as much ground as possible. Here's it ready for trees. Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that. Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
How tight is tight when you do that? It depends. Here's the area on the Silverton Branch around Big @ss Mountain. The first pic looks pretty good.
Just wasn't dense enough for me, so I went back over it, adding trees to fill in most of the the spots where the ground showed through at lower elevations. Here's an example, part of the grade that goes off to the left in the pics just above, down to Durango. Here's how it looked before, adequate but hardly inspiring. I moved the bigger trees off to recycle elsewhere on the layout. I also pulled uup as much of the glued on ground foam as possible to also recycle. Since the "root" on the BC tree is short, it needs to get right into the hole where the glue can hold it. Excess ground cover can hold it up and keep it from sticking to the ground well, so its good to clear as much ground as possible. Here's it ready for trees. Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that. Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
Just wasn't dense enough for me, so I went back over it, adding trees to fill in most of the the spots where the ground showed through at lower elevations.
Here's an example, part of the grade that goes off to the left in the pics just above, down to Durango. Here's how it looked before, adequate but hardly inspiring. I moved the bigger trees off to recycle elsewhere on the layout. I also pulled uup as much of the glued on ground foam as possible to also recycle. Since the "root" on the BC tree is short, it needs to get right into the hole where the glue can hold it. Excess ground cover can hold it up and keep it from sticking to the ground well, so its good to clear as much ground as possible. Here's it ready for trees. Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that. Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
Here's an example, part of the grade that goes off to the left in the pics just above, down to Durango. Here's how it looked before, adequate but hardly inspiring.
I moved the bigger trees off to recycle elsewhere on the layout. I also pulled uup as much of the glued on ground foam as possible to also recycle. Since the "root" on the BC tree is short, it needs to get right into the hole where the glue can hold it. Excess ground cover can hold it up and keep it from sticking to the ground well, so its good to clear as much ground as possible. Here's it ready for trees. Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that. Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
I moved the bigger trees off to recycle elsewhere on the layout. I also pulled uup as much of the glued on ground foam as possible to also recycle. Since the "root" on the BC tree is short, it needs to get right into the hole where the glue can hold it. Excess ground cover can hold it up and keep it from sticking to the ground well, so its good to clear as much ground as possible. Here's it ready for trees.
Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that. Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
Then I punch in the first row of trees close to the backdrop about 3/8" to 1/2" apart and plant this row so it mostly covers the backdrop. Doesn't need to be perfect, as the next row will take care of that.
Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in. And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
Here you can see the holes for the second row punched in.
And the second row in. Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
And the second row in.
Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear. The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
Once the second row is in, the trees should be convincingly solid. You're looking into a forest, so you don't want to see sky, except where you'd see through trees on a ridgeline, for example. Then you just keep adding rows, while shaping how you want the trees to appear.
The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have. It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
The great thing about BC trees is they can be used easily on the near vertical slopes we often have on our layouts. There they make it seem like they're covering up much deeper terrain, instead of the 2" to the wall you really have.
It probably takes me about 3 hours to make and plant 400 trees, although actual time is longer with breaks. Yes, it takes a lot of these trees to cover an area, but when it's done it looks great. Be happy to answer any further questions. Feel free to post your own pics, tips, and BC tree experiences, too.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
With the brown or black BC I don't paint them at all, just spray with hair spray and roll in foam. There also is a larger chenille (about 1" in diameter) that is not bumped but can be cut in various lengths and shaped with scissors before coating with foam. This gives the look of older trees mixed in with younger trees.
Interesting tips. I hadn't though of a dip in ground foam. While labor-intensive even beyond what's already needed with BC trees, it would sure create a different look.
I'll try to look up some of that larger size straight chenille. Sounds good for just in front of the normal tiny BC trees.
BTW, just to cover this base, most of my foreground trees are nothing fancy. These are the ones that I've moved forward in various scenes as the BC trees went in behind. I have about 500 of the trees in the Busch 189-6499 Pine trees Assortment. The rest are mostly various Heki and Faller, plus a few from Woodland Scenics kits. I have a few Grand Central Gems spruce trees, which are just wonderful.
One set of commerical trees I haven't tried yet, but which should be particularly good right in front of the BC trees would be Heki 338-309 Small Pines (100 count - a pretty good deal at $23.99).
Mike, Thanks for the info. I take it that when you paint them it is more of a misting than a cover up painting. Do you have to do anything to keep the "branches" from sticking together? I have about 100 BS trees that I picked up at a train show as well as a package or two. Would like to use them if I can make them look good. In an MR (I think) scenery book I saw an ad for rolls of BS, a lot of bumps for a very reasonable price. I also think there were some longer bumps too. Company was out of business!! Darn it. The check never came back or was processed, so I was left in the dark, but not out any money, other than the stamp. Thanks again, both for the information here and your answer on the WPF. Richard
When I paint the BC trees, they're not trees yet. I take the entire stick of BC and stick it in the styrofoam block. Then I use the sidecuts to cut the trees out once the paint's dry.
For the green ones I use the Krylon Italian Olive on, it doesn't completely cover, but I try to get enough one to dull the bright green original color. The Krylon covers4 to 5 packs of green BC.
For the brown BC, I do put a pretty good coat on to make sure it's seen as green. The thicker Rustoleum Moss Green works well for them. However, it still takse more to cover them. I generally get one can of it to go with every 3 or 4 packs of BC (about 36 to 48 sticks or ~400 to 500 trees).
Too bad about big BC being unobtanium. Sounds like great stuff. I wonder what else it might be used for? Theater sets? Parade floats? Might be another source if it could just be located.
I'm going to try another pic to see if it comes out bigger. They "upgraded" Image Shack recently and now all my pics are tiny on the web. Not sure why, as I'm trying to make them as big as possible at the server-side.
There, I think I've got a handle on this now. Sorry 'bout the tiny ones...the images that is, not the trees.
Thank you thank you thank you for this.
NP01,
No problem. I can only take credit for popularizing again an old idea.
I did a search in the forums and there's been only limited discussion of making and using BC trees. People seem to have trouble finding it, but all I know is the local Hobby Lobby has trouble keeping certain colors of BC in stock right now...
I did find three articles in the Magazine Index. Here they are:
Richard,
Here's pics of how I paint the brown BC. That's just a well-painted chunk of styrofoam that acts like a florist's green block to stick the individual lengths of BC into.You can see it painted in the second shot. I take the sidecuts to it after this is dry.
BTW, was in Hobby Lobby today -- and I left some green and brown BC for a change -- although did get enough for another1,200 trees. I looked for the big BC. They do carry six foot lengths of it, wound into a figure-eight for $2.99. It's got a fuzzy texture that won't work the same as it does when I paint the little stuff. This won't work for what I'm doing, but may be of interest to others.
Here's a sequence of four pics that show how those masses of trees add up.
Lots of TreesPlus 300 TreesPlus 500 TreesPlus 700 Trees So it's come full circle with me bringing the original BC tree installation over on the Cascade Branch up to the same standard of intense density as I found worked so well on the main part of the layout. I basically filled in between the trees already on this liftout. Then I added more trees to fill out up to the tree line.With the recent additions, I'm now around 6,700 trees on the layout.
So it's come full circle with me bringing the original BC tree installation over on the Cascade Branch up to the same standard of intense density as I found worked so well on the main part of the layout. I basically filled in between the trees already on this liftout. Then I added more trees to fill out up to the tree line.With the recent additions, I'm now around 6,700 trees on the layout.
quite nice Mike ; but I was at hobby lobby tues checking out your CH material and it just looked too small for HO But yet looking at your picts they look great ! Nice ,Jerry
Jerry,
They are rather puny for HO scale. But so long as they're mostly in the background, they work quite well. Thev certainly give the illusion of massed forests. I think it's one of those things you don't quite get how effective a technique it is until you've tried it out, then 6,000+ trees later, here I am.
How about another pic, from Somewhere in the San Juans