I have been making trees for awhile, and you can see them in the pic below. I have been useing real branches, cut down to fit, then the polyfiber green balls covered with fine ground foam, then course. I have been sparying them with a roughly 10% white glue/water mixture. I have had good luck with this and they hold well… as long as they stay on the layout.
I am part of modular club and have taken my trees to fill others moduals that havent had the chances ot do scenery yet (They are mounted with a pin onthe bottom then just stick them into the foam) But, I have to be very, very careful with them. I had a thought of sprayign them with a dull coat or flat clear fini***o try and get them to “glue up better”. Has anyone tried this and have godo results? Or any other ideas? Thanks [:D]
You can experiment by spraying a tree or two with dull coat to see how it works.
Instead of white glue, I use a fine mist of spray glue over dark gray polyfiber. Do buy the adhesive for upholstery and fabrics. It’s too thick.
You have to spray about three feet away and very lightly.
I also use it at work to attach shipping labels. If I’m not careful, the overspray gets on my arm hairs and sticks them together. It won’t wash off and bugs me all day, so be sure to wear long a sleeve shirt and gloves.
(the link provided is for reference only. You can find spray glues locally at office supply, some hardware and art supply stores)
As you’ve found, polyfiber trees, or any foam flocked trees for that matter, are quite fragile unless permanently “planted” on a module. Nothing you can do, neither spraying, nor gluing, will affectively keep such trees together and really looking good for any length of time, regardless of what claims may be made.
As one who, for better than of two decades, was on the modular layout circuit, my group and I found the best approach to temporarily populating a partially scenicked or even semi-bare module with trees was to use a batch of the less-than-perfect, store bought, ready made WS trees. You still needed to occasionally re-flock them because of handling but they were sturdier than most of the home made variety and you could more willingly overlook any show damage. The nicer, homemade variety, simply couldn’t stand up to the handling.
I have not put these through module experience yet, but my ‘Supertrees” are held together with a diluted Acrylic Matte Medium. This seems to make them a little more flexible rather than rigid. I’ve notice that on my layout they have withstood some abuse while I clean the track. The foam flock seems to stay on and the trunks will flex. Some have snapped, but under extreme circumstances. I’m wondering if this will help them last longer under mobile applications such as NTrak.
I use super hold hairspray and it works well, but I don’t move them around either. It does wash off and can be layered if necesary. Oh yes, nice trees and nice scene.
Yes I agree nice trees. I bought some poly fiber the other day. Maybe its time I gave it a shot. I have never used hair spray but I think after hearing so many folks saying it works I will try it.
Terry[8D]
[#ditto]
Gotta love the Supertrees!
I also use trees made from Candytuft. They seem to travel on the modules pretty well
(click on the pic for a bigger view)
I agree with the Super Trees. I dip the trunks/branches first in a Matte Medium and soak them for a while, then sprinkle the green flocking on, then hang them up side down to straighten out the trunks. After all has dried I then spray on a very sticky adhesive that I got at Lowe’s. It is a spray adhesive that I also use for paper backdrops. It seems to hold the flocking very well I have moved the trees in Boxes as well as travel with modules and this system seems to hold up well for me.
With the Woodland Scenics, those trees I have to do out side because of the adhesive I use. I take the plastic on wire tree trunks and move the limbs into place to form the skelaton for the tree, then I dip the tree to the trunk in the same adhesive that is use on Formica counter tops in the kitchen. It comes in pints, quarts and gallons. After dipping the tree in the super adhesive I then hold the tree over a box and sprinkle flocking, ground foam, green grass, what ever color that I want to make the tree. Again, let them dry out doors because of the fumes, but when dry the flocking and greenery just about won’t move. Again, I have packed these trees in boxes stacked on one another and when I get to a destination I am surprised how well the trees hold up.
Just my thoughts and a tip. The adhesive for Formica can be found at Lowe’s , Home Depot. etc.
WTRR
Yard Office
Thanks guys. Well…I think I will try what GSetter sugested, just try one, what the heck. I have winged everything else I have done [:)]
This morning I went out and did something, I havent done yet… Gave one a test. I grabbed one of my older trees and tried to give it a rough treatment. I was surprised to see how well it took abuse. Flexible to a point where I coudl squish a decent amount, (like a hand bumping it while cleaning track) and gave it a bunch of hard thumps and harldy any flocking came off. I think I might just stick with my whiteglue/water formula but I want to try and see what the matte spray does. Wont know 'till ya try!
I hear ya Joe on the realism of Super Trees over mine. And I would love to have some that looke dlike that. But unfortunatly, these are very cheap, I have almost endless supply iof twigs for armautres, and I can make them quick. Which is perfect for a working dad and on a tight budget. And, the wife absolutly loves them! To the point, she will take her freinds out to show them off. {:)] And Thanks Art and Terry for the comments. These are my first attempt at trees like this.
Well, its not the trunk I am haveing issues… All though, now that I look at it, I should have picked a better title for the subject. It was about making the foliage stick better to the polyfiber and making them more durable. I didnt get a chance to grab any of the matte spray. Maybe tommorow.[:)]
Have you tried Junior High Hair Spray? Glue in a can. Spray or Aerosal. Get the cheapest stuff available, the girls do, and spray your tree before, during and after. The flocking will never come off.
Ever wonder why women laugh at a beauty salon? This is the reason! Do in a well ventilated area or you will be laughing also!
Dirk
Reynolds Railways The Scenery Team Scenery Demonstrations reynrail@htc.net
