Rustons Sidings.

[47137]

12 hours ago, sb67 said:

 

Thanks Richard, my plan is to rough the area up a bit and scrape some bits away to expose some earth below then add another layer randomly using some beige grass fibres then see how that looks. 

A question I'd have is if I do random areas that are not connected where do I ground the nail? 

 

I don't know. I bought the Flockit machine by Green Scene, and from what I remember the grass stood upright even when the nail fell out of the scene during application.

 

I'd be tempted to get a sheet of kitchen foil and apply some blobs of PVA glue onto this. Attach the ground wire, apply the grass and let everything set. Then peel off the blobs of glue and attach them to the layout. I have no idea whether this would work, but I've seen people at shows selling what look like isolated tufts of grass, at quite remarkable prices too, so it might be worth a try.

 

- Richard.

[sb67]

Thanks Richard, I will try that.

I've been watching Giles Flavel's videos on static grass, highly recommended, and planted some tufts around the place. Just got to let them dry then tease the fibres out until I've got the look I like.

 

[jamest]

On 21/02/2020 at 10:02, 47137 said:

I'd be tempted to get a sheet of kitchen foil and apply some blobs of PVA glue onto this. Attach the ground wire, apply the grass and let everything set. Then peel off the blobs of glue and attach them to the layout. I have no idea whether this would work, but I've seen people at shows selling what look like isolated tufts of grass, at quite remarkable prices too, so it might be worth a try.

 

Hi,

 

Kitchen foil should work if you want to make the tufts and transfer them to the layout - I use an old quality street metal tin lid upside down (don't know if you can still get metal ones). You can attach the clip to the upstanding lip around the edge and it is easy to remove the tufts with a razor blade or steel rule as the lid is relatively sturdy. It also catches all the fibres well too - even the ones that don't stick - so you can tip them back into your container to use again.

 

I have a grassmaster and I get sketchy results on large areas sometimes - the 'circuit' between nail and device seems ineffective and I don't get good results - but if I test with the lid as above it is fine. I even keep changing the battery to make sure it is not low on power. I think I need to read more online instead of just expecting it to work by trial and error!

 

Definitely worth persisting with though as it looks great when done right.

 

Love the tufts in the picture above though - the colours look just right.

 

Regards,

James

Edited February 24, 2020 by jamest

[chuffinghell]

On 21/02/2020 at 10:47, sb67 said:

Thanks Richard, I will try that.

I've been watching Giles Flavel's videos on static grass, highly recommended, and planted some tufts around the place. Just got to let them dry then tease the fibres out until I've got the look I like.

 

 

Looks great!

 

I do have reasonable success with static grass using a War World Scenics applicator (Same as the Peco one, WWS make them for Peco)

 

However I'm yet to perfect making tufts but then I've been using grease proof paper instead of foil so that might be where I'm going wrong

[teaky]

Nick Wood (Much Murkle) makes tufts and larger patches of static grass using neat No Nonsense wood glue from Screwfix on pieces of thick polyethylene sheet.  He had some of these as examples during a hands-on demonstration where we used pieces of foam-core board to apply static grass using one of the Peco applicators.

[MAP66]

9 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

 

Looks great!

 

I do have reasonable success with static grass using a War World Scenics applicator (Same as the Peco one, WWS make them for Peco)

 

However I'm yet to perfect making tufts but then I've been using grease proof paper instead of foil so that might be where I'm going wrong

Last year at Ally Pally, I remember WWS demonstrating their applicator and the grounding nail was not used, the guy demonstrating stated that the fibres pick up enough charge as they fall through the air and still land upright.

I would not have believed it if I hadn't witnessed the demonstration for myself. 

[sb67]

I tried making some tufts using foil but they have stuck fast to the foil! I'll have to cut then off carefully. 

I had a clean up of the tufts and planted a few more weeds, I'm getting there,

 

 

[jamest]

11 hours ago, sb67 said:

I tried making some tufts using foil but they have stuck fast to the foil!

 

I think something thicker and sturdier, like a metal lid, lends itself better to removing the fibres once dry.

[sb67]

 

I think this bit's done for the time being. The painted backscene really looks out of place now so I might have to put some young trees growing to disguise it a bit.

 

 

Had a bit of a play shuffling some wagons around this eve.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what to do with this area, my initial thoughts were a coal stage and water tower but there's not enough room for both. 

[teaky]

Could you put a water tower at the end of the siding instead of the young trees?  One on legs rather than a brick built structure so that your new grass and scrub is not obliterated.

 

Then you still have a coal stage and a water crane where you were thinking.

 

[sb67]

9 hours ago, teaky said:

Could you put a water tower at the end of the siding instead of the young trees?  One on legs rather than a brick built structure so that your new grass and scrub is not obliterated.

 

Then you still have a coal stage and a water crane where you were thinking.

 

That's a good idea but I wanted to suggest the tracks used to go further, hence the 'lifted' bit of track, which might not be too visible in the photo's. I guess if it looked new, it could have been an addition after the track was lifted? 

Worth exploring I think.

[NHY 581]

10 hours ago, sb67 said:

 

I think this bit's done for the time being. The painted backscene really looks out of place now so I might have to put some young trees growing to disguise it a bit.

 

 

Had a bit of a play shuffling some wagons around this eve.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what to do with this area, my initial thoughts were a coal stage and water tower but there's not enough room for both. 

 

 

Hi Steve. I wouldn't plonk anything on the front edge (brown shed). Leave it open. This should give a more 'open' feel. 

 

Rob. 

[sb67]

Thanks Rob, my initial idea was that's where a coal stage would be but I don't want it to look cluttered so I'll prob only go with a hut no bigger than the brown one. 

I've seen some pics of industrial water cranes that are no more than pipes sticking up from the ground so I might put something like that somewhere.

[jamest]

Fantastic work Steve,

 

Love the last photos - the siding looks great - everything blends in really well - I really like the arched retaining wall and bar gate, the colours and weathering look just right.

 

My vote would be to leave the area in front of it open, with perhaps some clutter, etc. - but its your layout, and you seem to have made the right decisions so far!

 

regards,

James

[chuffinghell]

Great stuff Steve, it's looking superb! 

[Alister_G]

This is looking great Steve, really good.

 

I would agree with Rob though, leave the front space open and bare, it will give a much better feeling of openness.

 

Al.

[sb67]

Tried to do some rosebay willowherb but it looks a bit white in the photo's. I got to stop faffing with this bit and get on with the rest of the layout! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chuffinghell]

That looks fantastic!

 

How did you do it?

 

Chris

[sb67]

Thank you Chris. I used some long field grass fibres, dipped them  in some watered down pva then some mauve scatter. To create the base of the plant I dabbed some pva on the ends of the static grass then sprinkled on some green scatter. The long  grass fibres were then planted by smearing some pva on the base of them and sticking it in the plant.

The methods all come from Gordon Gravetts book on modelling grasslands,it's a bit painstaking but an enjoyable way to lose a few hours and de-stress after watching football! 

[MAP66]

26 minutes ago, sb67 said:

Tried to do some rosebay willowherb but it looks a bit white in the photo's. I got to stop faffing with this bit and get on with the rest of the layout! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time well spent I'd say Steve, looks superb and great observation for nature reclaiming the landscape. 

Keep those photos coming. I think many of us (me included) would be interested in your method for making the Willowherb.

 

All the best

Mark

 

[sb67]

Thanks Mark. I've just explained it prior to your post. The techniques were all copied from the book, the fibres were woodland scenics field grass. 

[Sweet pea]

Fantastic work Steve! This just gets better every time I click onto your thread. 

[sb67]

Thanks Kev.

 

I've been working on another bit and built a wall for the end, once the glue has dried I'll trim it up a bit.

the hut isn't fixed, just wondered on peoples thoughts on it? I know it's a southern region hut but thought being an industrial line they could have obtained it from BR, I was thinking of putting something similar on the front? 

 

 

 

 

[MAP66]

On 02/03/2020 at 21:13, sb67 said:

Thanks Mark. I've just explained it prior to your post. The techniques were all copied from the book, the fibres were woodland scenics field grass. 

Thanks for sharing Steve, I think I submitted my post at the the same time of your answer.

You have mentioned Gordon Gravett's book several times now,  I am now sold on investing in a copy.

 

Regards

Mark

[Stubby47]

22 minutes ago, MAP66 said:

Thanks for sharing Steve, I think I submitted my post at the the same time of your answer.

You have mentioned Gordon Gravett's book several times now,  I am now sold on investing in a copy.

 

Regards

Mark

Definitely worth getting the set, lots of very useful tips and easy to follow methods.