Dulverton Station '62 - Let there be grass...

[Douglas G]

Hi Anglian,

 

Having tried Dylon dyes and finding they don't work with artificial fibres, I came upon a dye for polyester artificial fibres called iDye Poly, an American product but available from this supplier in the UK:

 

http://www.thedyeshop.co.uk/acatalog/Polyester_Dyes.html

 

You have to boil the dye up with the fabric, so the other night I got a little cauldron bubbling up on our cooker with some samples of teddy bear fur, and also an alternative I have been trying out called Plushfelt. I used iDYE Poly Green. The Plushfelt took up the colour up within a couple of minutes, so I took all the fabrics out, rinsed and dried them.

 

The colour in the Teddy bear fabric was not very strong so I think it could have done with dyeing for longer. I tried the Treemendus fur with the dye and it didn't look too bad, just a bit dark and rather shiny. The Treemendus fibre is quite brown. especially at the tips, so the grass came out rather brownish when the dye is used. I also tried some yellow teddy bear fabric which strangely came out blue. I have found that the fur can be coloured with marker pens and marker pen ink to vary the colours in patches, as well as using acrylic paints, which can clog the fibres up a bit.

 

For me a big issue with teddy bear fur is that if you trim it down to scale length for 2mm models, the weave of the fabric backing becomes very obvious. It has to be left quite long.

 

However, I got very interesting results with the Plushfelt using the cashmere tan coloured version as the base fabric. The colour is not as intense as I would like - it looked too dark when in the pan but dried much lighter. However, the method definitely seems to have promise. Here is a quick photo done with my desk lamp:

 

 

In the corner you can see where I tried colouring with different green Letraset Promarkers, which also shows promise.

 

To me Plushfelt has several advantages. Firstly, it is already shorter than teddy bear fabric, so needs less cutting down.  And secondly, as the backing is felted fibres, not fabric, the backing is never obvious, even when you cut the fibres quite short. A third advantage is it is cheap - a piece 110 X 50 cm cost me just £3-50 here:

 

http://www.k-craftteddies.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10_12

 

As I said, it was the cashmere tan that gave the best results. I also tried the smoky brown, but this came out too dark once dyed. The shop owner also gave me samples of the white and cream, but they came out a bright bluey-green. Perhaps combining with a yellow dye would help with these colours.

 

When I have time, I will start a thread on Plushfelt with more pictures and information.

 

I will come back later to your other interesting comments.

 

Regards,

 

Douglas

Edited January 24, 2014 by Douglas G

[Anglian]

Douglas – that's all great information for which I'm very grateful. When I first got into fur experiments I went to the craft fair equivalent of Warley to see if I could find a dye but they all told me 'no way not at home.' Clearly they were wrong. The method I found that worked for me after I discarded brushes and the airbrush was to use the tips of my fingers just to gently rub in the paint. Your finger tips are so sensitive you can make very delicate marks and the action of rubbing the paint in stops the fibre sticking and clogging. I used thin paint, mixed from two Dulux match pots. You need very very little paint with this method, if the fur gets wet, I think it's ruined it.

 

This is a shot of my second experiment to cover a large area. I think I need more long pale stuff and more detailing, of course adding weeds and perhaps meadow flowers as dots of paint. I'm not sure on the latter it might get too busy.

 

 

But thank you for the Plushfelt suggestion, I'm definitely going to try that.

 

I hope it's Ok to post this image on your thread, if you feel it's a hi-jack I'm only to pleased to remove it, no offence intended at all, just sharing ideas.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Anglian

[Douglas G]

Douglas – that's all great information for which I'm very grateful. When I first got into fur experiments I went to the craft fair equivalent of Warley to see if I could find a dye but they all told me 'no way not a theme.' Clearly they were wrong. The method I found that worked for me after discarded brushes and the airbrush was to use the tips of my fingers just to gently rub in the paint. Your finger tips are so sensitive you can make very delicate marks and the action of rubbing the paint in stops the fibre sticking and clogging. i used thin paint, mix from two Dulux match pots. You need very very little paint with this method, if the fur gets wet, I think it's ruined it.

 

That teddy bear fabric looks great - the range of colours is very subtle and realistic.  What sort of Dulux paint did you use? And what colour was the original fur? The iDye says the fabric should be boiled with the dye for 30-60 minutes, so perhaps I could get better results with a longer dyeing time and a light coloured fur, which I assume you used.

 

I totally agree with what you say about observation - it is the key.  Art teachers always say "paint what you see, not what you think you see". I think that sometimes people accept an unrealistic colour and appearance in a commercial landscaping product just because it is that, a commercial product. DIY techniques allow you to copy reality viewed from a scaled distance, and if it looks right compared to the real thing, it IS right. So working from colour photographs is very important.

 

Regarding Easitrack, I have been giving it a lot of thought. You're right that the points at Dulverton only had a slight curve, if at all, and straight points will look fine. And at the entrance to the passenger loops there were very long high speed turnouts that are far longer than the Peco Long code 55 points.

 

But there is something about making points that just doesn't appeal to me, and I do appreciate the robustness of the Peco Code 55 points, despite their foibles.  I know that the track at Dulverton was Bullhead and that Easitrack would recreate this, but at normal viewing distance from the side, would it be obvious? And there is the issue of the three-way point at Dulverton , for which the Peco three-way is ideal. How easy would this be in Easitrac, I wonder?

 

By concentrating on the buildings and landscape I am putting off the final decision on the track, and am half hoping some finer scale ready made points in N will appear.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Douglas G

[Anglian]

Thank you! The fur colour is called Pampas. Most recommend Wolf but I think that is too dark, this is much finer softer fur. I bought the end of a roll and have bought another sample since called Pampas, it's good but not as good as the original batch. If anybody knows where I can get more I'd be interested to hear from them.

 

I can't get the link to work for the plush felt, probably getting stacks of hits and crashing their site. From other net images it looks very interesting.

 

The Dulux colours, oh crikey I'd have to go in and get them to tell me what the tins were as those little label they stick on have long since gone. If you'd really like to know I will go in and find out. I did a very rough 50/50 mix but I used so, so little paint, the fur is so fine and soft and colours so readily. It's really fast to do. The slow bit was cutting it down. It's so fine I couldn't get a pet clipper to cut it, the blades kept clogging so it was all cut by hand with hairdressers scissors (cheap ones). The long grass I looked at was only green in the tips, say 6". but underneath was brown so fur is ideal. I guess I could pop into a pet parlour and ask if they could try cutting it, buying the same clippers they use, if successful. I suspect they are really expensive ones to cope with day-in-day-out use.

 

I think the thing with dying is you get even colour and I don't think that looks quite right.

 

Have you thought of having the track made for you? Your buildings are so staggeringly good that I think they deserve the best 9mm track, I really do. Keith Armes (sp?) who built Chipping Norton certainly used to offer track building. I wouldn't see a harm in asking if he could build it in 9mm not 2mmFS. I know it's outsourcing but perhaps no different to the concept of buying ready made.

 

Can't the PECO points be cut through in the sleeper base so they can be bent a tad? I saw Melton Mowbray at St Albans and that used PECO Code 55 and it did look really good from the side on viewing angle. They weathered and ballasted it well, well enough to make me do a double take.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Anglian

[queensquare]

Still following these experiments with great interest.

With regards to track I couldn't agree more - code 40 with correct sleeper spacing would look so much better - whether that is to 9mm/N or 2FS/9.42 is immaterial. I have built a lot of 2mm track and if you haven't built any before I wouldn't recommend Easitrac for the pointwork  for a beginner. Soldered pointwork is, in my view, much easier to build, easier to 'tweak' and much stronger. Don't be put off by those who tell you that there is a visual incompatibility between soldered  pointwork and plastic plain track - have a look at Tucking Mill. If you don't fancy the extra work of putting little chairplates under the rail then rail soldered direct to PCB sleepers still looks good and certainly far superior to Peco - see Highbury.

If you haven't built pointwork before then I can understand it may be a bit daunting but I have no doubt, looking at the stunning quality of your buildings, that you could build it. If you haven't already got a copy I would recommend picking up the 2mm association trackwork book.

Keith Armes still offers a trackbuilding service, I'm sure he would be happy to build to N gauge standards. Contact details for Keith are in the 2mm yearbook.

 

Jerry  

[Douglas G]

Thank you! The fur colour is called Pampas. Most recommend Wolf but I think that is too dark, this is much finer softer fur. I bought the end of a roll and have bought another sample since called Pampas, it's good but not as good as the original batch. If anybody knows where I can get more I'd be interested to hear from them.

 

I can't get the link to work for the plush felt, probably getting stacks of hits and crashing their site. From other net images it looks very interesting.

 

The Dulux colours, oh crikey I'd have to go in and get them to tell me what the tins were as those little label they stick on have long since gone. If you'd really like to know I will go in and find out.

 

Hi,

 

It was the type of paint I was wondering about mainly - was it emulsion? If so, I'm surprised it coloured the teddy bear fabric, as I think it is water based. Most people seem to be using acrylic paints of one sort or another (although that is also water based, it does adhere to smooth, shiny surfaces). With dyeing, I see it only as an initial way to get a base colour, and then would want to introduce variation and more precise colouring with paint or inks. I have also wondered about dripping on the dye after the main dyeing, to try to get variations in colour in patches like you get in real grass.

 

I think your results are so good that it would be worth you starting a new topic on teddy bear grass under the Scenery section, to spread the word. I think many larger scale modellers will miss it here under a 2mm scale topic. There have also been some posts and useful information about teddy bear fabric recently in the 2mm "What's on your workbench" thread, and again it would be good if it could be pulled together in a dedicated thread.

 

Cheers,

 

Douglas

 

PS I couldn't get the link to the UK Plushfelt supplier to work last night either after I posted my message - as you say perhaps it was getting too many hits!

Edited January 25, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

I have just had a quick search of "teddy" (no, not THAT sort of teddy!) and "faux" (for faux fur, the other name for teddy bear fur). I found these two very informative threads from a while ago:

 

Teddy bear fur for OO scenery

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/12146-teddy-bear-fur-for-oo-scenery/

 

 

Faux fur grass (RMweb Archive) - I see you started this, Anglian, when you were doing your own experiments

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7643

 

 

The first article includes some interesting discussion and opinions about faux fur, and discussion of lint as an alternative. The second article has useful photos and more discussion of alternative techniques. 

 

I am going to give both threads a read in detail. Isn't RMWeb wonderful for sharing information and answering questions in this way?

 

Douglas

[Anglian]

Hi,

 

It was the type of paint I was wondering about mainly - was it emulsion? If so, I'm surprised it coloured the teddy bear fabric, as I think it is water based. Most people seem to be using acrylic paints of one sort or another (although that is also water based, it does adhere to smooth, shiny surfaces). With dyeing, I see it only as an initial way to get a base colour, and then would want to introduce variation and more precise colouring with paint or inks. I have also wondered about dripping on the dye after the main dyeing, to try to get variations in colour in patches like you get in real grass.

 

I think your results are so good that it would be worth you starting a new topic on teddy bear grass under the Scenery section, to spread the word. I think many larger scale modellers will miss it here under a 2mm scale topic. There have also been some posts and useful information about teddy bear fabric recently in the 2mm "What's on your workbench" thread, and again it would be good if it could be pulled together in a dedicated thread.

 

Cheers,

 

Douglas

 

PS I couldn't get the link to the UK Plushfelt supplier to work last night either after I posted my message - as you say perhaps it was getting too many hits!

 

Douglas

 

Douglas, thank you for your kind comments. I have done as you've suggested and started thread within the scenery section. It was interesting to see the old thread on this on the previous forum. And yes sharing ideas is the great thing about the internet.

[Douglas G]

I have been having a frustrating week or two trying to work out how best to do the back left corner of my layout behind the hotel where it will butt up against the backscene. The problem comes from the outbuildings to the left of the hotel, which I think were the former Brushford cattle market. These will need to be partly cut off at the back for the backscene to pass behind, and I don't want this to be obvious.

 

This is how this section was originally in my model:

 

 

As well as accommodating the backscene, the other problem I have is that I have hardly any information about how this area actually looked in 1962.

 

This is the only photo which shows part of the wing that used to be at the back of this area, running across towards the hotel:

 

http://www.francisfrith.com/dulverton/photos/carnarvon-arms-hotel-c1960_d60055/

 

At some time in the mid-1960s I know that the wall at the front and the wing at the back were demolished to make an access lane, I think when the hotel built stables at the back.  This was shown in an aerial photo I have from 1967.

 

This picture shows how it looked when I visited a few years ago after the Hotel had closed - it had became known as the Clock Tower Complex for obvious reasons (it is now converted to housing):

 

 

The hotel is out of sight to the right and I am standing on the road to take the picture. Just behind the lorry and skip there used to be a wall that ran across from the building on the left across towards the hotel but this was demolished for the access lane. I am not sure what this area actually was - there are various chimneys and small outbuildings shown in the Francis Frith photographs.

 

For my model I will have to do a bit of guessing, and I wish I could find more photos dating from the early 1960s. Anyone know of any?

 

To solve the problem of the backscene, I eventually I hit on the solution of extending the base of the layout scenery back by a couple of cm or so. This sunken section below the main plywood board level is made from Sundeala board, and I have been able to stick on some extra material:

 

 

 

All I now need to do is add a new surface with black plasticard.

 

Now the buildings in the corner will appear to be complete, with the cut through the roof sections being hidden behind the ridges.

 

Hopefully I can now make a bit more progress.

 

Douglas

Edited January 29, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

After a lot of fiddly work and the feeling I wasn't making any progress, I have finished the extension to the back of the section of board that will have the Carnarvon Arms Hotel and part of Brushford Cattle Market in the far left corner.

 

 

 

 

It is now ready to add the grass and soil in the garden - the first bit of surface for the landscape apart from the concrete areas. As the lawn is very short and is situated at the back of the model I think using sieved Woodlands Scenics Fine Turf will be fine for the grass - static grass is too long and won't recreate the smooth, even effect of a lawn, I think.

 

Here are some pictures of the real thing I took several years ago when the Carnarvon Arms Hotel was still open - my brother was helping me survey the hotel and station, and we had some fantastic cake with a cup of tea afterwards. It is a great shame the Hotel shut because of the foot and mouth crisis. These pictures are looking in the opposite direction to the ones I have just posted of my model. The first shows the sort of lawn effect I am trying to achieve in my model. The second and third shows the section of garden with tall conifer trees that is on the right of the pics of my model of this area. There was a path curving down from the parking area at the side of the hotel down beneath the trees to the lawn behind, and this is also in my model, although it will mostly be hidden by trees.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, this is a photo of the station and hotel access road at the front of the hotel, with the main road to Dulverton on the left on an embankment. This access road is at the front of the pictures of my model above - the embankment is on a separate section of board.

 

 

 

Douglas

Edited February 9, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

Another bit of frustration.

 

Yesterday I tried to stick down some Woodland Scenics fine turf for the lawn at the back of the hotel onto a coating of Woodlands Scenics Scenic Cement, which I have not used before. I brushed on the cement and sprinkled on the turf scatter through a tea strainer. I thought the cement seemed very thin when I applied it. Now after 24 hours drying, when I tapped off the loose scatter, the covering was very patchy and I found it was really easy to rub off the scatter with my finger.

 

I did not use PVA as I was worried it might dry shiny, but I have found in the past on a test piece that the WS fine turf does stick well to PVA.

 

The only thing I can think of is that the surface was plasticard painted with matt humbrol enamel paint- may be the paint was too smooth for the glue to stick?

 

The adhesion is so poor that I can brush the turf off and start again, and this is what I am going to do. I then have a choice of Evo-Bond PVA, Green Scene Grass Masters Flock Cement or Woodlands Scenics Scenic Glue to use the second time round.

[Revolution Ben]

Hello Douglas,

 

 

I've used Woodlands Scenics fine turf with their scenic cement or matte medium (I think they are pretty much the same thing) before and been happy with the results.

 

 

I've tended to do things in layers - some scenic cement, then sprinkle on the turf, then apply more scenic cement with a pipette and allow it to wick into the turf, then possibly adding a little more turf.  And, on top of that, perhaps some static grass depending on the type of grassland I am trying to replicate.

 

 

Don't panic if everything looks white for a while - in my experience the cement does dry clear, and matte.

 

 

cheers

 

 

Ben A.

 

(Edited to correct typo)

Edited February 10, 2014 by Ben A

[grahame]

I've been following this thread since the beginning and pleased to have caught up with the last couple of days updates.

 

It's great looking stuff. High class modelling and a layout that looks well planned and actually demonstrating one of the major benefits of N gauge : a realistic railway in the landscape.

 

G.

[Douglas G]

I've tended to do things in layers - some scenic cement, then sprinkle on the turf, then apply more scenic cement with a pipette and allow it to wick into the turf, possible adding a little more turf on top.  And, on top of that, perhaps some static grass depending on the type of grassland I am trying to replicate.

 

Thanks for that information, Ben.

 

I was trying to do it with one application of glue and one layer of fine turf sprinkled on top, and maybe trying to do it in one go was the problem. The scenic cement is very thin stuff, so I suppose with one layer underneath it would only be in contact with a small amount of the turf particles. Nevertheless, I am not impressed that it was so easy to rub the particles off the surface.

 

It didn't help that there are virtually no instructions on the bottle, e.g. the drying time, how thick to apply it, etc.

 

As this area of grass is to be a lawn, I don't see the need for any other layers to be applied on top. I may give the PVA a go as even if it dries shiny, it will be covered by the turf. I also think it would be a good idea to paint the surface a dark green rather than the brown I have used so it doesn't show through if the turf does rub off.

 

From what you say I could also spray the Scenic Cement on top to help seal it all in place.

 

For other areas, where I intend to use static grass, I will paint the base with acrylic just in case it is the enamel paint being too smooth and non-porous that is part of the problem. These areas will have a plaster and scrim coating on top of styrene insulation.

 

I seem to be taking two steps forward and one step back a lot at the moment. It is all a learning process...

 

Cheers,

 

Douglas

[Douglas G]

Here are a couple of pics of the results with the Woodland Scenics scenic cement:

 

 

 

You can see where I rubbed the scatter away with my finger - it was very easy to do.

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Douglas,

 

You can try spraying on the glue but I found it went quite "spattery" and that applying with a pipette gave a better result. In my experience once the turf is down to your satisfaction it definitely needs some kind of additional glue application to "lock it" in place.

 

I like the way you are integrating your buildings etc into the overall scene.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Douglas,

I've been observing your trials and tribulations on here with great interest and while I can't add anything to help, I must say that your thread is very interesting and I wish you the very best with your layout.

Keep up the good work because it looks to me like this is going to be a classic!

Cheers,

John E.

[Douglas G]

Hi John and Ben,

 

Thank you so much for your kind comments - I do appreciate it and I find it very encouraging to get feedback.

 

I now have a plan B. I will scrape all the scatter off and start again. This time I will spray the lawn area with Humbrol matt grass green acrylic spray, but leave the soil area under the trees as brown. Then I will stick the scatter down with Woodland Scenics Scenic Glue this time - hope it sticks!.

 

I will also change the colours of scatter I use. I will swap the WS Fine Turf "Soil" for Fine Turf "Earth", as this is a lighter, more reddish colour more like the soil under the trees in the photo of the real thing above. And for the lawn I will swap the Fine Turf "Green Grass" for "Burnt grass" (odd name that) as it is a more yellowy, less bright green. This is more like the real photos and it should also help to give an impression of distance for this area, which will be at the back of the layout. I have also used false perspective in the path that runs down the lawn - I have made it narrow towards the back so it looks further away, or at least that is the idea...Then at the back I will probably put a small sized hedge to again give the impression of distance and hide the join with the backscene. The real boundary was much further back.

 

It is interesting what you can see in a photo of the model compared to a photo of the real thing. Even though I have used the Fine Turf for the grass and have sieved it through a fine sieve, the particles of scatter don't half look enormous compared to the scale of the grass blades in the equivalent view of the real thing. The last two pics above show the base on top a piece of dyed Boots Lint I have been experimenting with. The lint fibres are much more to scale. I don't think the lint is suitable for a lawn, but I am hoping it will work for a grazed field.

 

Onwards and upwards...

Edited February 11, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

I have just removed all the flock - it was a bit worrying that almost all came off with the hoover and only a small amount needed to be loosened with a fibreglass pencil.

[Douglas G]

Well, the trial and tribulations continue with the landscaping.

 

Having taken off all the grass flock from the lawn, I redid it using Woodland Scenics Scenic Glue. The Woodland Scenics Green Grass Fine Turf I used the first time (as in the pics above) was too dark for lawn grass IMO. Strangely in their Fine Turf Woodland Scenics don't do a lighter green except for the Burnt Green, which turns out to be too brown for my purposes. Yet they do have lighter greens that would be suitable in their coarse turf. Having looked at different fine flock products, I decided to use Gaugemaster GM 150 Foliage Light Green, as it was the closet I could find to the colour of the real lawn in early summer. This product is actually in clumps, so I sieved it through a tea strainer to get the smallest particles possible.

 

This time the grass flock stuck on well. I then gave it a spray with Deluxe Materials Scenic Spray to seal it. However, at certain angles there was a noticeable sheen to the glue on the base, despite the adhesives supposedly being matt. It didn't look right to me. There was also a variation in the colour of the flock particles - those that had absorbed more glue were darker - actually a better colour. I thought a solution would be to brush it all over with Matt Medium, which I have read can be used to seal flock. However, this lifted the flock up into clumps and it came away in patches in places. Another disaster! I think part of the reason the finish was looking shiny at the base is that the lawn is made from plasticard painted with enamel paint, which is smooth and non-porous, unlike with plaster or wooden surfaces.

 

So back to square one. I have used water and kitchen towel to loosen the glue and scrape the lawn take it back to the paint once again, ready to give it a third go.

 

However, before going any further and risking problems on the actual model, tonight I have tested Woodlands Scenics Fine Turf flock using six different adhesives on small squares of plywood first sprayed Humbrol olive green acrylic paint. Then over the weekend I am going to split each into three sections, and try sealing with sprays of Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement, Deluxe Materials Scenic Spray and Windsor and Newton Artists Matt Varnish. I want to see what gives the best adhesion, most smooth surface and least shiny effect.

 

The adhesives I have used are:

 

Evostick Evo-Bond PVA

Woodlands Scenic Scenic Glue

Grass Masters Flock Cement

Finescale Model World Fast Grab White Glue

War World Scenics Premier Fast tack Glue

Deluxe Materials Scenic Spray

 

It is becoming clear to me that scenery adhesives are not all the same and can give very different results. Also it is clear to me that different people have different opinions on what works. For example, some say that hair spray can be used as a fixative and light glue for tree foliage, but others say that it is too brittle, and that matt medium or repositionable spray adhesive should be used. I think the only thing is to experiment and find out what works for me...

Edited February 21, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

A lot of faffing recently in my modelling with not a lot to show for it.

 

My trials with scenic adhesives gave good results with all the products I tried except for the Evo-Bond PVA and the War World Scenics Premier Fast tack Glue, both of which gave patchy and thin coverage. Perhaps the smoothest finish suitable for a lawn came from the Grass Masters Flock Cement, available from Green Scene. I am still not sure what colour flock to use for the lawn. I want to try reducing the size of particles in Woodland Scenics Light Green Coarse Turf using a kitchen grinder/mill, as this colour is near what I am after and is not available in their fine turf.

 

The other bit of faffing about comes from getting the curve of the rear of the landscape at the right-and end behind the hotel and outbuildings. This curve will form the line of the backscene. I think a larger radius curve would be better than what I have at the moment, so I will need to recut the edges, made more difficult by the different levels in this section where the land drops behind the hotel.

 

More positive results come with my efforts to produce "bottle-brush" style trees for the garden of the hotel.  After searching around for a suitable wire that was not to thick, but which would not break when twisted to form the tree, I found Homebase Light Duty Garden Wire which does the trick. The picture below shows the first tree I have made with the first layer of Gaugemaster Dark Green foliage added with PVA. Once this is dry I will add a second layer of foliage. The trunk is from plastic tube.

 

Edited February 27, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

That tree seems to have just the right shape to it

 

 

Thanks Mickey. It is meant to be the tree on the right in this photo:

 

http://www.francisfrith.com/dulverton/photos/carnarvon-arms-hotel-c1960_d60036/#utmcsr=google.co.uk&utmcmd=referral&utmccn=google.co.uk

 

It will need the odd protruding bristle (sisal string) trimming off before the next layer of foliage is stuck on wherever it is bare. I estimated the correct height by extrapolating from the hotel roof with a ruler.

 

There will be several more conifers to do for the hotel garden, of different types, plus some more trees, pines I think, across the road next to the road bridge.

 

I did buy some Gaugemaster pine trees with a view to trimming them to a more random shape, but I decided making my own was better. The trick is to make them bigger than you need and then trim them down to size.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

Once more ordinary PVA is not up to the job.

 

Now that the glue has dried, most of the foliage scatter has fallen off revealing the sisal fibres beneath.

 

I'll have to try another glue, either the Green Scene Grass Masters flock Cement or the Deluxe Materials Scenic Spray, which I know is very sticky but which might get right in among the fibres where I don't want the foliage to be.

 

What is it about me and glue that doesn't stick....?

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Douglas,

 

I have found in nearly all scenic applications that an initial application of glue is not enough. Now I always apply a second top layer to "lock in" any foliage, foam, or whatever. When I make trees I apply the foliage then once it's in place I either spray repeatedly with really cheap, firm hold hairspray or drizzle on pipette after pipette of thinned PVA.

 

That usually does the trick!

 

Your tree looks just the part!

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[cromptonnut]

You may well have come across these pictures before but as I found them earlier I thought I'd share the link just in case they are helpful.

 

http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/taunton-to-barnstaple.html

 

 

You'll have to scroll down a bit to find Dulverton.