Trees: Who makes the best, how do you make yours?

[Anonymous]

Let us know who you think is the best treemaker you've seen, and how do you make your trees.

[Anonymous]

Ahhhh Yes. Trees. Seems to be that they are one of the most unforgotten things on a layout, but they seem to be so cruital too.

I have been trying every method I could think of to do trees, and most came out less then desireable. So...I took a new approach and came up with some pretty good results. Yes...they might take a bit longer....but they look really good on my layout!

Take a gander...if you like. http://www.450thbg.com/ncmr/howto/trees.shtml

Craig

[preceng]

Niiiiice Trees.

[sparkingbolt]

For pine trees, I use a method i read in a Model Railroader long ago, couldnt tell ya which one. I varied the technique to match our local trees.

you'll need: 1/4" balsa square strip
Large shoe Box
Caspia
white glue (like Elmers)
Woodland Scenics fine ground foam-medium green
dark gray cheapo spray paint
Reddish primer (optional)
#65 0r so drill bit, and a pin vise if you dont have a dremel tool
Get 1/4" square balsa wood strips, cut to length, carve round to a taper, file smooth with a large shop file.

drill a zillion holes i it with a dremel (if you have one) and about a #65 bit.

go to a craft and floral shop and get some Caspia, used in floral arrangements. (ask 'em, they'll know)

As soon as you see it you'll know why it's so great. cut little branch size peices and use white glue to glue 'em in the holes on your balsa log. dont try to be too careful about unbalanced appearances until you have glued the whole tree full of branches, then you can trim them to proportion.

Let this dry, paint the whole thing grey, maybe add a little brown. then. dilute some white glue just till it will shoot thru a household water sprayer.

while spinning the tree by the trunk in your fingers, spray the outer parts of the branches with this glue till they all have some. then, over a shoe box, fluff the whole tree with a handfull of Woodland Scenics fine ground foam. Shake the tree gently to remove exess foam. and be amazed at how real this thing looks. in the wild, there are always a few dead branches under the lower part of the live branches, so try to leave them bare.

Usually as I'm gluing in branches, I'll see a need to add holes and more branches here and there
also it helps to cut off a whole bunch of various sized 'branches" so you can pick and choose rather quickly as you need them.
these are not fast trees, but you get faster as you practice. they are however, the best I have ever seen
I live in Bend, Oregon, and have several of these trees in my yard. they seem to grow to about 70 feet tall, but the models I make look good at about 60 feet or less. the branches never touch the ground as on some fir trees, dead branches should start at about 5 to 8 feet from the ground on the bigger pines. sometimes higher. Some species' branches start at even 20 or more feet above the ground, these trees can be around 100' or so, and 3' more at the base. Logging scenes look good with these.
Hope it turns a few people on to a great source of trees. Dan

[Anonymous]

There was an article in MR about three or four issues ago on how to use sedum, an excellent article. There was also an article in MR about a year and a half ago on how to make fall trees. another excellent article that I will have to dig up.

[eastcoast]

I am currently attempting to use Woodland Scenics kits.
I am horrible at doing trees. I have tried many a method
and they still look like winter killed them when I come
back to check. I feel my problem is the adhesive I use.
I try tacky and NO. I try rubber cement and NO. I try plastic
cement and NO. I try white glue and A BIG NO.
WHAT WORKS ????????? I have moved on to other areas
until I absolutely HAVE TO do trees, cause I need lots of
more practice on trees.

[Anonymous]

I have been using the old tried and true method using furnace air filters and bamboo skewers, then paint with primer red and cover with ground foam for Conifers. They look realistic enough and don't take that long to make. I have a bit of a problem with the hardwoods though, I can't seem to make any that look realistic. I have tried the twisted wire armature and scotch brite approach but they still leave little to the imagination. Guess I'll have to knucle down and go the time consuming route

[Anonymous]

John....

Read over my link above. Might take a bit longer...but you should like the results!

Craig

[Anonymous]

I always wanted to try using a discarded christmas tree. Despite having bought a new one, mom won't let me use the old one... sheesh!

[Anonymous]

I found these tree parts that were dead and brown and painted them green.

I painted the stems(branches) brown

I assembled them into deciduous looking

And evergreen looking


Are we allowed to post pictures?

[Anonymous]

Craig, Nice site. I got some good ideas from your site. I will have to try them at least once[:D]. Thanks

Tony, Where'd ya 'find' the tree parts that were dead? Nice pix!

[Anonymous]

LIGHTBENDER, Buddy

What kinda trees did you use? Those are excellent!

Merry Christmas and good railroading in the New Year!

[eastcoast]

HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU POST THE PHOTOS ???
PLEASE TELL ME YOUR SECRET SO WE CAN FOLLOW.
LOVE THE PICS.

[CNJ831]

Far and away the best, most realistic, trees result from using the weed-armatures sold by Scenic Express. Available in boxes that will make anything from 30 or so up to around 350 trees, when painted and flocked with ground foam they can absolutely pass for miniatures of the real thing and look much, much better than any local weed amatures. Even if left bare, there are so many tiny "twigs" on the armature that it is fully believable as a leafless tree.

Considing the number of trees each box will produce, the cost is about $.25 a tree. If you are doing autumnal New England hillsides (like me) it's certainly the way to go if you desire the very best results.

CNJ831

[Wdlgln005]

Depends on what kind of tree you want to model. Woodland Scenics make the best leafy ones. The Lifelikes need a bit of weathering.

The kind I like to make use bumpy chenille from the crafty store (Michaels, Hobby Lobby). Look in the pipe cleaner section. They come in different sizes & colors, green & brown ones in bunches of 3 to 6 inch packages. Cut them to lenth add trim them to look something like Christmas trees. Then make a hole and plant them with white glue in your plaster scenery. Touch up with WS foam.
One package should make a whole boxcar load. You could even use the different sizes to look like a tree farm with neat rows of different sizes. I'd also watch for fire sales from all the people that try to sell little ceramic houses. I'm always on the lookout for items that are just the right size for Nscale layouts.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eastcoast

I am currently attempting to use Woodland Scenics kits.
I am horrible at doing trees. I have tried many a method
and they still look like winter killed them when I come
back to check. I feel my problem is the adhesive I use.
I try tacky and NO. I try rubber cement and NO. I try plastic
cement and NO. I try white glue and A BIG NO.
WHAT WORKS ????????? I have moved on to other areas
until I absolutely HAVE TO do trees, cause I need lots of
more practice on trees.

EC

Sounds like there is still mold release, or you are getting finger oils, on the parts. Put on some Nitrile gloves, rinse the armatures with 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA), then wash with Dawn. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours. When you are ready to assemble, put on Nitrile gloves, and rinse with IPA.

I get Nitrile gloves from http://order.harborfreight.com/EasyAsk/harborfreight/results.jsp My wife likes them for various things she does. She is allergic to laytex (quite common allergy).

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by norboy

Let us know who you think is the best treemaker you've seen, and how do you make your trees.

The best trees I have seen are those from www.scaletrees.com

I have seen their trees at several conventions. They had an excellent diorama displaying their trees, it was so good I thought I was looking at a photograph.

I believe that ScaleTrees sells kit trees as well as ready-made trees.

I hope to get some of their trees for my layout as soon as I can get the scenery ready for planting.

Thanks,

Dale B.

[RhB_HJ]

Hi all,

Trees are our business from Z to LargeScale

http://www.easternmountainmodels.com

[Anonymous]

For backround trees, the Supertrees from Scenic Express are great! but for foreground trees, I prefer trees made from candytuft, I get it at Franks, and other stores that sell dried plants for flower arrangments. Arrange stalks into a rough tree shape,wrap it with florist tape, and then coat the trunks with putty, laytesy caulk, or whatever, after the trunk dries, paint it with a gray or brown color, plant it an enjoy.
Shredded scotchbright pads on bamboo skewers makes great pine trees too!

[randybc2003]

Use evergreens mostly myself. Take dowel, and taper it. Sandpaper or carve w/ Dremmel tool. Paint brown or "forest green", etc. Then take Woodland Senics Coniforus Folage, tear, spread, and spear. Spray w/ spray-on glue. Dry inverted. Apply snow sometimes per R. Hood article. (MR, Jan '97) Looks good to me.