n scale trees

[Sid1425]

Woodland Scenics instructionsay dip the armature in adhesive and dip that in to the clump foliage.

Somehow it doesn't seem to work that way It doesn't hold.  The only thing that seems to work (fairly well) is spray sdkesive. and that's real messy.  Suggestions?  Thanks.   Sid

[HHPATH56]

Don't use "Clump Foam",(that is for shrubs and to fill in between trees on a slope, without trunks) Use Medium or fine turf foam,so that you can see through the tree. Do not over foliate a tree! Personally, I like to use Scenic Express Super Trees for the armature of HO or N scale trees. Tip over the entire packet of Super trees. The tree armatures are packed radially. One can lift out single tree armatures, with little or no breaking of the fragile Super Tree armature. For N scale trees, one can break off N scale height armatures. I like to gather three armatures together and hold them together as I dunk them into 4:1 dilute Matte Medium. Matte Medium is used as a glue and to make the armatures less brittle. I then hold the three armatures over the box of armatures and spray them with spray adhesive. The excess adhesive coats other armatures in the box and is not wasted. Using my fingers, I first sprinkle on light smattering of black fine turf.in the bag of black turf. The black gives the impression of the unlit side of leaves. I then use fine dark green, or blended green turf in a bag and use my fingers to sprinkle the turf onto the tree, in the bag. By using your fingers to sprinkle the turf, rather than shaking the armature in the turf, only the turf that adheres to the armature fine branches, touches the glue, and turf is not wasted. A $25 box of Super Trees, should produce about 60 HO scale trees,or 160 realistic N scale trees. By using rubber gloves and doing the work as suggested, there is little mess. I am in the process of making 420 trees, from a $98 Value case of HO scale Super trees. I am trying cheap hairspray for the spray glue, rather than expensive spray adhesive.I happen to have an old food grinder that I use to make fine foam turf from stuff that is too coarse, and color a couple of bottles of foam turf that I want to change to dark green turf. Just shake the turf in a turf bottle that has acrylic flat paint in it. Bob Hahn

[Sid1425]

Thanks, Bob. Especially for the tip on spray adhesive. Mkes fingers sticky but makes trees look good.

Sid