I have been working towards building some new trees for the layout and re-vamping some old ones, mangled by either kids or cats.
Here’s what I got done last night.
Still to get the ‘sea foam’ or ‘Forest in a Box’ added to the wire branches
Jon
Those look great, Jon! Please keep us updated; I’d enjoy seeing the finished product…layout, too.
Here’s the ‘big’ tree on the layout. I finally got round to putting branches on.
Jon
Jon
For them’s that wants to know, here’s how I did the ‘wire and seafoam’ trees.
Get some lengths of stiff wire (find a flower arranger) and twist together
Twist the wire into several bundles and keep splitting the bundles as you twist, until you end up with a tree-like object
Cover the wire tree in ‘Artex’ - a paint/grit mixture used by decorators - or ‘flexi-bark’
Take a seafoam tree (Forest in a box, Forest in a flash, or the Noch seafoam tree pack) and pull off the branches.
NB - For some of the trees I did, I just shoved a cocktail stick up the seafoam trunk (ouch!), glued it in with superglue, and covered the stick with flexi bark
I then attached the seafoam branches to the wire former with superglue and sprayed it with matt earth brown and olive green.
This is where I stop for winter trees, but you can make a summer tree by spraying spray glue on the branches and sprinkling on suitable flocks
Jon
The ‘big winter tree’ before I added the branches
Jon
Thats excellent blood! Good show.
Two questions for you,
1: are the trees very time consuming, approx how long per tree ? even though the effect is obviousy well worth the time put in.
2: where in the UK are you, I’m from Warrington, now in Mississippi
The cocktail stick up the trunk method - 2 minutes, if that.
The wire former method, between 1.5 and 2.5 hours per tree depending on the size of the tree. I have over 80 on the layout at the last count
Born in Wallasey, Cheshire in 1963, lived in Sunderland since 1965
Jon
Here’s a few of the trees from the first post in this thread glued in place, pictured with a couple of ‘guests’
Jon
Anyway another question, Im guessing any type of wire would work right?
Or does it need to be coated?
Is this the same as “Supertrees” by Scenic Express, if so I have some that I did
2-3 years ago that are starting to droop and bend over especially at the tip.
Anyone else have this problem.
Excellent Workmanship! Where do you get the seafoam?
Fergie
Jon, very impressive!! Excellent workmanship!!!
What is seafoam, other than the “foam on the ocean” ? and what part of the world is it available if it is a “thing”?
Also known as SuperTrees, available from one of my favorite scenery materials suppliers, Scenic Express.
Here’s some stuff about SuperTrees from their web site:
http://www.scenicexpress.com/supertrees.html
Their web site is rather disappointing, but call the 1-800 number and get their catalog. It’s absolutely fabulous! It’s the literal who’s who manual to what’s available for model scenery detailing, much of it in full color. No affiliation, I just love their catalog! It’s the cat’s meow for scenery modeling.
You can get a tumbleweed like bush of the stuff for $20, and have enough for 50-300 trees, depending on the size of trees you make. This stuff is my favorite material for modeling decidious trees and bushes.
Thanks for finding a link to a firm in the US, Joe. It looks to be the same stuff as ‘Forest in a Box’ and ‘Forest in a Flash’ I’m certain I have also seen it in WS blister packs in the UK, but I couldn’t find any mention on the WS website.
A word of caution to Australian modellers.
I have been informed that with the current laws on importing plants into the country, it will cost $60 (Aus) to have it ‘treated’ - there are seeds on the branches.
Jon
Is there some reason why almost all of the photographs have been “x’d” out?
Belay that: They are coming up on the second try. (Electrical phenomenon?)