Trees!
Entry posted by Miserable
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Ok, so I admit that back in the day I was in the bright green flock and trees made of sponge on sticks persuasion somewhat. This time I'm quite keen on making a bit of an effort, so ... to google. What's out there, how do trees 'work', and of course - how much?
The 'how much' was a tad eye-watering, so out went off-the-shelf (not that any of them, in 7mmm scale were all that suitable anyway, a definite US bias there), and the various kits available either didn't do it for me, or were far too small - trees are great big things as a rule. In my searches I came across a post on a US site that talked about making trees from wire, which triggered a memory of an article in Railway Modeller from way back in the day. Seems like a plan. This is how I went about it..
Step 1 : Guestimate how broad the trunk will be for the amount of wire used. By 'screen measuring' it seems that the diameter of the trunk of an 'average' British deciduous tree is abound 10% of it's height, so through rigourous highly scientific assessment one reel of 0.4mm x 20m ought to make a six inch tree.
Step 2: Put a couple of screws in your bench, six inches apart, and wrap the wire around them. Look forward to many happy hours untwisting the reel...
Then cut through the wires at one end to release them, but keep them around the other. Turn it so the open end is facing towards you and divide the wire into two bundles. Keeping a little tension on wrap the two bundles round each other. Looking at pictures of real trees, stop where you want the first branches to split. Turn one of the two bunches away from trunk, divide this bunch into somewhere about half again and repeat until you get to single wires. Keep a randomish pattern to the branching, though trees theoretically are all terribly geometric, in reality deciduous have a highish random element.
I forgot to take photos, but here's tree No.1 nearly done.
Another terrible photo, but - making it look like a tree. The first plan was burnt umber poster paint (because I'd got some, and it's thick) mixed with PVA and applied liberally. It's looked ace until osmosis kicked it, then it reverted to nicely painted wire. Another coat improved things, bit it was going to take a long time to apply enough coats. So mixing in some DAS clay with the above was tried - it sort of worked, but getting the clay to form a slip didn't go so well. Finally just DAS clay was applied on PVA and brushed over with a wet paintbrush and finger to work it in. Success! Apart from being Trump orange. A coat of Humbrol Dark Earth fixed that, with a chalking session when dry. Principally brown and black was used, but with a tiny bit of green near then end to get the sort of mossey hue trees have, particularly on the southern side.
Before chalking.
In the absence of any green stuff for the top, I thought I'd have a go at a twelve inch tree next. 40m of wire! It took a long time but...
Again, no chalk yet (ok, I forgot to take photos).
Only another 20 or so to go...
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