Hemyock - Down on the farm...

[bgman]

Very believable well modelled, and I think it was Knobhead who quoted IIffle Stokes in his praise for your modelling of said tree.

Personally I think you have captured the same atmosphere as I.S. with this, and your methods to achieve it are a credit to you.

[aberdare]

Very believable well modelled, and I think it was Knobhead who quoted IIffle Stokes in his praise for your modelling of said tree.

Personally I think you have captured the same atmosphere as I.S. with this, and your methods to achieve it are a credit to you.

 

Thank you

 

Comparisons to someone like Iliffe Stokes is very humbling indeed, his work is something I have often marvelled at and to get anywhere near feels good.

 

 

I have been tied up with a few other things lately but have managed a little time here and there. I have been working on the open ground on the near side of the river and hope to complete the bank and meadow over the next couple of weeks, also the second tree and the cottages have been started as I like to have a few jobs on the go while waiting for things to dry.

 

I hope to make quite a lot of progress as long as nothing unexpected interferes with my time.

 

Just a few pictures to show the little done so far.

 

The second tree.

 

 

Different angle with cottage mock up in the background.

 

 

Both trees together, sorry about the lean but it wasn't pushed fully home.

 

 

I have now cut out a full card version of the cottage and this will be worked on as and when I want to. I cut out some more fencing on my cutter and these will be assembled too, as you can see I have plenty of options to work on, I also meant to post up some pictures of carriage wheels from the cutter but forgot so these will have to wait until I do more with them and hopefully built some carriages unique to the Tiverton area. These are from some of the pictures I was allowed to photograph in the Museum there.

 

 

More later.

[Alister_G]

Jim, that second tree is wonderful, brilliant job.

 

The whole scene is coming together a treat.

 

Al.

[knobhead]

You certainly have the knack when it comes to tree construction, Jim. The fact that you (like Iliffe Stokes) model particular trees is, I believe, the way to go. My own attempts at tree making have failed, at least partly, because I aimed at some generic variant without prototype.

 

Regards,

 

Stefan

[aberdare]

Thanks Al

 

I'm hoping to get most of the groundcover done this summer so I can locate the buildings and trees properly then I can look at the detailing and extending the baseboards to the mainline.

 

 

 

Stefan - I spend ages staring at trees now, I'll probably end up bumping into one if I'm not careful. I do get strange looks though when I am out photographing them and getting the odd measurement, the Villagers here are getting used to it now though.

[Andrew P]

Some great trees there Jim, that something else I need to learn about if I'm to have some realistic scenery.

 

Great job mate.

 

Bodge

[gazmanjack]

G'day Jim,

 

I will say, 'excellent wiring', great to see you 'branching out' into horticulture, it 'leaves' my trees for dead !

Jokes aside, this second tree is as good as the first.   Fantastic. The lean on the tree does make it look much more natural to the eye. We all know trees don't grow like telegraph poles. Well done and keep it on the lean.

 

Cheers, Gary.

[richbrummitt]

There are an awful lot of leaning trees, many with a significant - sometimes scary - deviation from vertical, around here at the moment.

[wenlock]

Not really sure how I've missed your recent posts, but somehow I've managed it! Those really are quite magnificent trees, fabulous modelling!

 

Dave

[aberdare]

Thanks for all the positive comments and the second tree is almost complete now so here is a few notes and photos to bring it up to date.

 

 

I completed all the wire twisting and teasing out of the branches but then decided that the tree wasn't quite right, I needed more small branches/twigs around the trunk as there were a lot of them back in those days, it will also give the Ivy I want to make something to hang onto. I twisted a few odd strands of wire and then soldered them onto the trunk where needed.

 

 

 

After a bit more tweaking and bending to reposition a few branches that became bent it was time to add the bark effect. The plaster mix was added to the trunk to cover the twists in the wire and to form the odd hole, it was then given a water/PVA spray again and the plaster dust blown on for the smaller branches which are too small and congested to do individually.

 

 

 

The tree after its first full application, more tomorrow after drying overnight.

 

 

 

That's it on the trees for now until I have added the final coats and added the ivy I have yet to make, there will also be the odd crows nest or two once I have made them before the foliage is added - I have made that though. I will be looking to do a Weeping Willow later and Silver Birch later but have to experiment with a few ideas first so that will be later in the year.

 

 

To get this part of the layout complete I really need to get the buildings completed, I had left these until I had got my Portrait cutter and have drawn some of them up, cut them and am now assembling them.

 

Here is the first one.

 

 

 

This has now been assembled and covered with scalescenes paper, there is just a small attached extension to add and then I will produce the windows which will be secured between this outer frame and an inner one which has also been cut.

 

 

 

That's it for now as I'm waiting for everything to dry.

 

 

 

[ChrisN]

Jim,

The tree is looking brilliant, well done.  Interested to see the rest of the build of the house.

[wenlock]

Another really fabulous tree! I can't wait to see your take on a Silver Birch or the Weeping Willow, definitely something to look forward to!

 

Dave

[aberdare]

Tree making is still ticking along in the background while I shift my focus to the cottages.

 

 

The first one is progressing well, the base structure and shell is complete and the windows are being added. A few pictures of progress to date , first up is the production of the windows which is different from my usual method of using strip plastic, this time they are cut on the portrait cutter and then completed by me.

 

The final cut and removal of waste.

 

 

 

They are then dabbed with a few blobs of 'glue & glaze' ready to stick to some clear sheet.

 

 

 

Once the glue has dried enough to hold the frame and glazing together the excess is cleaned off with a damp stiff brush.

 

 

 

They are then super glued to the inside of the building to hold them in place, another inner layer of card will be added for extra strength once all the windows are in.

 

 

 

A final view of what I term the front to show the added small extension that was on the building.

 

 

 

 

That's as far as Iv'e got so far but I will update again once any significant change in appearance has taken place.

 

The parts for the next cottage have all been cut and are waiting to be assembled, it is of a different style and may present me with a new challenge so I sense a trial run or two to get things right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaz]

aberdare

Have been so busy twisting wire for the miniature dogs that I have not had much time to read let alone write recently. The second tree is as good as the first. The pair is sure to look fantastic together. The grey colour works perfectly. I also like the scratch building on the house. You obviously have a steady hand for the windows can't be tweaked. Lovely work.

[Andrew P]

Nice work on the Cottages Jim,

 

Bodge

[aberdare]

Thanks Jaz and Andy.

 

 

The cottages have progressed a little more, enough to warrant a post anyway.

 

So now for the important bit, a few pictures and words.

 

 

First up are two shots of the first cottage, all windows and doors are now fitted and the front ones have lintels and sills, I have yet to do all the others, fit curtains and make doorframes.

 

 

 

 

This cottage has now had all the inner lining for reinforcement fitted and the floors are in though not secure until the curtains are in.

 

 

So onto the second building.

As I mentioned earlier this had been cut out and has now been assembled.

 

 

 

I then wanted to get a rendered type finish on here and that's something I have never done before, so after a bit of experimentation this is what I did.

I coated the surface in glue and then sprinkled plaster on through a sieve to give an even coat, then it was given a sharp tap on a tray to knock off the excess powder, once it had time to dry it was given a light spray of varnish to secure it.

 

This is the result.

 

 

 

I have now left this overnight to dry.

 

 

The cottages and the last trees in a rough position of where they will end up.

 

 

 

 

 

I was always a bit concerned about perspective on here and often wondered if some buildings should be made smaller to force some but in the event I don't think I need to. Here are a couple of shots to show the overall thing and when looking along the length of the layout I don't think there will be any issues.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for popping in and I'll post again soon.

 

 

Jim

 

[ChrisN]

Looking good Jim,

I do like those cottages and the rendered finish looks better than using Wills lime wash.

[Alister_G]

The rendered surface has worked really well, and I love the long views down the layout. As you say, I don't think you need to force the perspective, it works and looks natural just as it is.

 

It's going to be superb, it really is.

 

Al.

[nickwood]

It's going to be superb, it really is.

 

Al.

 

Can't agree more. Have you seen the latest issue of MRJ (230) Jim? A really nice feature of Chris Lamacraft's EM verison of Hemyock but I have to say yours has the potential to be every bit as good.

 

I may have missed it but is your intention to exhibit it eventually?

[southern42]

Love those trees, Jim.  Just superb and they sit nicely together as a pair - so natural looking at the end of some fine modelling.  I've seen people demonstrate similar techniques at exhibitions but to see them take shape so beautifully, here, is enough to make me think I'd like to have a go.  So thanks for posting. I'm thinking edge of park variety or, perhaps, a line of poplars typical at the boundary of factory playing fields in my modelled area.

 

Polly

[aberdare]

Cheers Chris,  I just needed a finer finish to the surface than the wills sheets could provide and of course there was also the length to consider as well as securing the plastic to the card, though this was the way on the station building. Iv'e also got a lot of card to use up so I might as well use it and save the pennies for other things.

 

Thanks Al, I hope you are right, I really do.

 

Hi Nick, Yes I did see Hemyock in the MRJ and very nice it is too. I'm just glad to be doing the early version of it though as I feel it just has much more typical BLT character. As for Exhibiting the answer sadly is no, that's something I don't have time for in my life as a carer so it was always built as a small part of something bigger and permanent. I was hoping to get to see you and MM but I can't see that happening anytime soon either as much as I would like to.

 

Polly, go for it. I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out when I started, I just had an idea of what I wanted and tried my best to achieve it, at the end of the day if it all went wrong it was only a bit of wire, some plaster and Oh! lots of hours. But like with any model we make we get a feel for it and know if its going right or not. 

 

 

Things still progressing in the shed slowly despite gardening taking up a lot of time. The rendered cottage is now a pretty solid box and is waiting for its windows, the other has just had the curtains hung and the floors fitted and is just getting a few last external window and door details.

 

Thank you all for your comments and I'll update after the next window cutting and fitting session.

[Andrew P]

Hi Jim, waiting for more pics please mate.

 

Bodge

 

WOW Jim I've just noticed that this is my 8,000th post. :locomotive:

Edited April 11, 2014 by Andrew P

[gazmanjack]

G'day Jim,

 

Those cottages are coming up very nice. The plaster finish is excellent. The two trees together look fantastic and the way they both lean makes it look so much more natural.

 

(Time for an update on the other forum...)

 

Cheers, Gary.

[Andrew P]

Jim I've just looked back through and re seen post #161 on Page 7, is that new shed from the Billy O range? as that's the ones I was looking at for my new pad if I don't keep the Pre Cast Concrete garage, (mine too has about a 4 to 5 inch drop in the back right hand corner).

 

Bodge

[aberdare]

Hi Jim, waiting for more pics please mate.

 

 

 

Patience Andy, a few coming up soon.

 

Jim I've just looked back through and re seen post #161 on Page 7, is that new shed from the Billy O range? as that's the ones I was looking at for my new pad if I don't keep the Pre Cast Concrete garage, (mine too has about a 4 to 5 inch drop in the back right hand corner).

 

Bodge

 

No Andy it wasn't, it came from Tiger sheds and had virtually the same spec but as they had a sale on at the time it was considerably cheaper. The only issue was their delivery times are anything but accurate but as I was in no hurry at that time it didn't bother me. If you need to know more PM me and I'll give you any details you need.

 

 

Gary, thanks for commenting and I nearly beat your reminder for the other Forum but I got side tracked that night by other things, I must admit I am well behind on there as I saw at the time.

 

Jim