Fallen leaves

[Taigatrommel]

Hi,

 

I've just been sticking a load of trees into my layout, and I would like to try and give a good representation of the leafy bed (leaf mould?) that you would generally find under established trees. I was wondering whether anyone's had any good successes modelling this, and if so, using what methods/materials?

 

Thanks in advance!

[PaulRhB]

Some of the coarser flocks might work, I think it's the Peco ones that are like small rhomboids and more like a leaf than the woodland scenics foam. Mix a couple of the brown shades to get variety.

There are some German firms that make laser cut leaves for HO, I saw them in Continental Modellers Nurenburg report but I can't remember the manufacturer and they were expensive when I looked them up at the time.

[PhilH]

Tea leaves?

[Andy Y]

Treemendus do a rather nice Forest Floor mix which contains bits of twig etc in addition to leaves- http://www.treemendusmodels.co.uk/productguide.htm

[PhilJ W]

Look at some of the military modelling stuff. It is available in 1/72 scale which may be a bit overscale for HO but it is available in different types of tree such as oak or maple (and others).

[Taigatrommel]

That treemendous stuff looks great. I'll drop them an email in the morning and ask whether it contains organic materials, and if so what- some (including seamoss for instance) can get halted by MAF here under biosecurity laws.

[DavidB-AU]

You could just stop the trains and claim it's leaves....

 

Cheers

David

[Taigatrommel]

Somehow I missed PhilH's suggestion of tea leaves on my first look... that's a nice simple idea, and I think could be just the trick. I'll still chase up the treeemendous avenue, their products look very good.

[bertiedog]

Tea leaves?

 

Absolutely, dry crush a bit for OO scale, and it is perfect, mix green tea and ordinary for a colour variation and spray over with Testors dullcote or an acrylic artists matt varnsh. It seems pretty indestructible, fades a bit with age, great for piles of autumn leaves or a scatter around trees.

 

Stephen.

[Andy Y]

their products look very good.

 

 

I particularly like their Earth Powder.

 

 

It's a cruel close-up but it shows the variety of particle size and the tone; a useful bald patch disguise!

 

A little goes a long way.

 

 

[bertiedog]

Another item of use is the 16pence budget Sainsbury's pack of mixed herbs, comes with "sticks", leaves, and "dust" in a nice green/ brown mix! I use use old packs forgotten in the kitchen...... seriously why buy in expensive, imported as well, materials when you have the real thing, soil, sand, gravel, leaves, vegetation etc, all available free or at low cost?

 

Stephen.

[gwrrob]

I particularly like their Earth Powder.

 

 

It's a cruel close-up but it shows the variety of particle size and the tone; a useful bald patch disguise!

 

A little goes a long way.

 

Another vote for this product.Very useful.

[signalmaintainer]

1) Grab some handfuls of fallen leaves (it's spring there, so perhaps they'd be a bit moldy), toss them in a blender with a bit of water, and purree. Use a plastic drinking straw to force down any reluctant participants.

 

2) Scoop out the mess, dump it into an old T-shirt and squeeze into ball to force out the moisture.

 

3) Spread out the chopped up stuff on a cookie sheet and dry at lowest oven setting when SWMBO is out of the house.

 

4) Once dry, pass the mess through a tea strainer so you'll have a fine and coarse grade. There: now you have a cheap and realistic material for a forest floor that really looks like dead leaves. Spread as required, and add suitable twigs for broken and fallen limbs to suit.