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model tree making
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Most of the trees on County Gate are towards
the back of the model where individual detail is less important. Copses
and woods when seen from a distance usually show foliage down to the
ground. Colour differences between species of trees are also less
apparent. For these we have used sea moss supplied by International
Models. The moss is trimmed to shape with scissors and is then sprayed
brown. The moss is sprayed with spray mount and is then dipped into the
scatter material. Mostly we have used Woodland Scenics 'coarse turf -
medium green'. This we buy in large jars in enormous quantities! Some
trees are given a second application of scatter of slightly different
colouring...some scatter is from GreenScene, and others from International
Models. Where new growth is shown, a slightly lighter green scatter is
applied to the tips of branches.
Remember, just because a manufacturer of
scatter calls the colour 'elm' does not mean that it is correct. Always
check personally.
The trees are planted by drilling into the
Polyfilla substrate and gluing in with epoxy. Each tree has to be
correctly shaped to fit into its position in the copse. Nature tends to
use every space available to collect sunlight.
Trees that stand more alone and those towards
the front of the model need a different technique. Poplars and birches,
for instance are made using fine wire armatures soldered together. We use
up to 50 strands of 3 amp fuse wire, carefully twisted together into finer
and finer branches. The visible branches and trunk are painted with bark
product from
Treemendus prior to spray painting. Depending upon the species,
scatter is either attached to the armature direct, or small pieces of sea
moss are glued to the wire armature and then treated with scatter.
We use much more scatter on our trees than
many modellers so the trees appear very dense, which is usually the case
when viewing from a distance.
making 'prime trees'
The
elm and oak described 'planted' by the Glenthorne Hotel. The new backdrop
is now in place - click on image to enlarge
For prime broad leaf trees near the front of
the model, we are now using a method using sage brush or heather as the
armature with sea moss. Such trees are very delicate and should be placed
where they are not likely to be damaged by folks playing with the trains!
We have been very lucky to have a kind US trucker who collected sagebrush
for us from the Nevada desert. I have noticed that there is a very similar
plant to sage brush higher up on the hills of the Canary Islands, so for
Europeans, next hols you can get gathering!
Materials
- Sage brush, heather or any other well shaped
woody plant stem
- sea moss
-
PVA glue
-
spray mount and fixative
- scatter
material
- Clothes pins or small clamps
- Tweezers
- Straight pins
- Side cutters
Description of Materials
The trickiest part of making
this type of tree is finding the correct materials. Sage brush or heather can be
found simply out in nature. They should be put in a microwave and 'baked'
for a few minutes to kill off any fungus, bugs, etc.
Spray mount is by far the best
spray glue for this application. Spray fixative, used by artists is far better
than hair spray for finally fixing the foliage.
I use Woodland Scenics medium
green coarse turf to add 'leaves' to the trees or other scatters from
Greenscene, which I am now beginning to prefer.
A pair of clothes pins or a
small clamp works well to hold the armature while working with it. When
connecting two clothes pins in an L fashion they also serve as a convenient
stand to keep the tree upright when drying.
A pair of tweezers helps out a
lot when trying to attach sea moss to the branches with PVA.
At the base of each tree I fit a
straight pin in to help hold the tree in place when 'planted' on the layout.
After the pin is stuck in the end is clipped off with a pair of side cutters.
A simple pair of side cutters or anything else
which will cut a straight pin will work just fine.
Some use polyfibre to
create the foliage. I have given up with this method as now and again it
shows and destroys the entire illusion. Sea moss (Teloxys
aristata of the family Chenopodiaceae) continues with
arborisation and is much more real. Here we are making a large old
elm for Glenthorne meadow. Elm is a very brittle tree, so I have included
some dead cracked branches and some parts which have had the attention of
a tree surgeon.
Sagebrush Tree Construction Steps
-
Prepare the armature.
Select a portion of sage brush which is typical of the species of tree
you require. It is always a good idea to look at real tree species in
winter. Stick a straight pin into the base of the tree to add stability
when 'planted'. Clip the pin head off after inserting the pin.
-
Armatures can also be
made using twisted wire. This is the preferred method if an actual tree
is being modelled. Heavier wire is twisted together to form the trunk
and this is attached to bundles of 3 amp fuse wire for lighter branches.
The armature is soldered together, washed, and then coated in bark
material from Treemendus. This can be carved to create texture. A
combination of wire armature and sage brush off cuts can also be used.
old oak modelled on a
tree on the way to Woody bay (7") - click on image to enlarge
beginning to add sea moss for a large elm - click on image to enlarge
elm - click on image to
enlarge |
English oak - click on
image to enlarge |
elm - click on image to
enlarge
-
You may choose to add
ivy growing on the tree trunk at this time -
Over a bag or in some
other environment set up to catch the overshoot, spray the sea moss with
spray mount. Be careful to spray away from the main trunk and from above
- try to spray in bursts instead of one constant stream.
-
Carefully and slowly
sprinkle on the flock. Darker flock can be applied to the bottom side of
the sea moss then apply some lighter to the top of the tree to give it a
bit of a highlight. It is very important not to overdue the flock. You
should still be able to see through the tree after the flock has been
applied.
-
It may be possible to
light spray paint the flock to obtain the right leaf colour.
elm (12")- click on image
to enlarge |
English oak (10") -
click on image to enlarge |
an old elm suffering
from die-back and an alder tree (approx 8") - click on image to enlarge |
a horse chestnut and an elm with die-back
- click on image to enlarge
elm modelled on a tree
near Woody bay (12") - click on image to enlarge
Time taken to build each
tree is around 5 hours.
conifers
A different technique is
needed for conifers. My favourite material is Asparagus fern (Asparagus
densiflorus 'Sprengeri'), bought from a florist shop. First, separate the
fronds from the main stem and spray the desired colour (a darker green
unless you are modelling Larch). Use acrylic paint for this.
Then immerse the fronds
completely in a glycerine/water mix (1 : 3) overnight. This will preserve
the fronds and prevent them becoming brittle.
immerse in glycerine/water mix overnight - photo Charles King
The trunk is made with
dowel which needs to be sanded down to size with a gradual taper. It
should be left uneven and 'distressed'. It can then be dyed the correct
colour or painted.
completed trees -
Charles King
The best commercial conifers I have seen come
from Canyon
Creek Scenics. The trunks are just first rate.
the
work of Rick Reimer
Some of the best trees I have seen are
produced by Canadian Rick Reimer. He also markets some of his materials.
His article is reproduced
here.
shrubs
and hedges
Most of our shrubs and
hedges are made using either sea moss or small wire armatures in a similar
manner to making the trees. Hedges vary according to the area in Britain.
During the 1930s, photographs show that hedges in north Devon and Somerset
were somewhat unruly affairs. There were of course no Bushwhackers!
Planting individual hedge plants takes a long time, but the effect is well
worth it. The one exception on our model is the trimmed hedge in front of
the Glenthorne Hotel. This was made using insulation material used under
carpets in the car industry. This was trimmed to shape and treated with
scatter. Additional scatter was added on the outside of the fence to
depict through growth. About 1500 individual plants have made up the
hedges on sections 1 and 2.
trimmed and wild hedges in front of the hotel
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