HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Thanks Bill. I'm always trying. Jim 
Building the Pinnacle Creek Mining & Timber Co. RR
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HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
New Topic: Tree bark.
For years I've been making my own trees and have been quite satisfied. As I worked my way up from Z through N, and finally HO all my tree trunks seemed okay scribing the wood with a saw blade. Moving to On30 puts these tree trunks in a bit more prominent place viewing wise. So I though I would experiment with adding something to make the bark more 3 dimensional. The reason for all this is in this photo. The trees on the next layout will look more like this one up against the tallest tree on this current layout.
This adding stuff to make 'bark' is not new and I looked at different techniques on the internet. All of them work, and almost all of them were different. With them being different I took some bits from all the methods and tried to come up with my version. This is, of course, how I approach modeling and always have in the 11 or so years I've been doing this. Study then do it my way. Jim
For years I've been making my own trees and have been quite satisfied. As I worked my way up from Z through N, and finally HO all my tree trunks seemed okay scribing the wood with a saw blade. Moving to On30 puts these tree trunks in a bit more prominent place viewing wise. So I though I would experiment with adding something to make the bark more 3 dimensional. The reason for all this is in this photo. The trees on the next layout will look more like this one up against the tallest tree on this current layout.
This adding stuff to make 'bark' is not new and I looked at different techniques on the internet. All of them work, and almost all of them were different. With them being different I took some bits from all the methods and tried to come up with my version. This is, of course, how I approach modeling and always have in the 11 or so years I've been doing this. Study then do it my way. Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Next thing to do is make a 'practice' trunk. I use balsa wood for these larger scale trees. They are easier to carve and sand. Here we see two 'new' trunks. These made me give some thought to making a better attempt at bark. To practice I simply use a small piece of .5"x.5" balsa wood piece from my LHS. Micheals may have this size for these larger trees. Simply rough cut the wood making a sort of roundish piece. After this I use 120 sandpaper to round everything down.
After sanding I scribe the wood with my hand saw. Then I goop on WS Foam Tack Glue. You can use Eileen's or Elmer's if you want.
Jim
After sanding I scribe the wood with my hand saw. Then I goop on WS Foam Tack Glue. You can use Eileen's or Elmer's if you want.
Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Next I use Arizona Rock & Mineral's foliage. Show is the name on the packet. I used this particular product because if has a rougher cut than saw Woodland Scenics ground covers.
Finally, after sprinkly this ground cover on the glue and rolling it a bit in the dish I end up with this:
Don't worry about the color this will all be taken care of in the final step. Jim
Finally, after sprinkly this ground cover on the glue and rolling it a bit in the dish I end up with this:
Don't worry about the color this will all be taken care of in the final step. Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Here is a peek at the final result. The trunk is still wet. I've added black wood stain to the particles. Near the top .5" I added brown.
This not dry, but I have learned one thing and I think you will agree, that this is not the tree trunk of anyone's dreams. Give me some time and I will try some other material. This particular ground cover is too bulking. Maybe a fine grain is what we need? What did we learn here? Simple. Practice makes perfect. Don't use a bunch of full sized trunks. Work small. This saves time, effort, and money. This result probably cost twenty cents. Imagine if we did fifty tree trunks and then stepped back for a progress look. Also, this is another reason to take photos of our work. If it doesn't look good in the photo, then it probably won't look good to your neighbor. Lessons learned. Jim
Post Script: I'm sitting on some really big news right at this moment and will have to spend the next week really working on a project. Sorry, I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet so bear with me. I will check in daily and answer queries, but the next segment of the Great Tree Bark Adventure will have to wait until next week. Jim
This not dry, but I have learned one thing and I think you will agree, that this is not the tree trunk of anyone's dreams. Give me some time and I will try some other material. This particular ground cover is too bulking. Maybe a fine grain is what we need? What did we learn here? Simple. Practice makes perfect. Don't use a bunch of full sized trunks. Work small. This saves time, effort, and money. This result probably cost twenty cents. Imagine if we did fifty tree trunks and then stepped back for a progress look. Also, this is another reason to take photos of our work. If it doesn't look good in the photo, then it probably won't look good to your neighbor. Lessons learned. Jim
Post Script: I'm sitting on some really big news right at this moment and will have to spend the next week really working on a project. Sorry, I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet so bear with me. I will check in daily and answer queries, but the next segment of the Great Tree Bark Adventure will have to wait until next week. Jim
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Jim,
I finally had to sign up so that I could say that your work is just awesome. I am just getting back into the hobby after a 20 year break and will be using your layout as my benchmark. I am currently only on page 67 of the thread, but plan to read it all.
Thanks a lot for taking the time and effort to document it so well.
I finally had to sign up so that I could say that your work is just awesome. I am just getting back into the hobby after a 20 year break and will be using your layout as my benchmark. I am currently only on page 67 of the thread, but plan to read it all.
Thanks a lot for taking the time and effort to document it so well.
Very well done Jim. An end of series cliffhanger
Thanks! And thanks for not spoiling it for me! I need to catch up quickly on the complete thread before much more happens. Currently on page 112...
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Welcome three88bu. Nice to see a new modeler show up here. Tell your friends about us. Welcome back to modeling as well. Many of us take breaks from things in our lives for whatever reason. Good that you returned. Comment and ask questions as you wish. No pressure here.
Toot, Nice one! But the news is BIG!
Thanks, Bill. Jim
Toot, Nice one! But the news is BIG!
Thanks, Bill. Jim
Thanks Jim. I'm sure ill have a few questions eventually. For now I am just absorbing all the good info here as I slowly work my way back into the hobby. For now i'm just concentrating on turning my box of a million pieces of MDC Shay into something that runs acceptably which is no small task.
Looking forward to what you have up your sleeve next.
BLewis49
Member
This discussion is kinda quiet. Hope everyone is OK. Have'nt seen anything in three days.
Jim, I was reviewing your methods for water using WS Real Water and Mod Podge. What method did you use to generate generate the ripples after the Mod Podge application and how many layers? Bill
Jim, I was reviewing your methods for water using WS Real Water and Mod Podge. What method did you use to generate generate the ripples after the Mod Podge application and how many layers? Bill
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Bill, One the WS Realistic Water, or other water products are completely dry, 48 hours in warm weather, I apply Modge Podge right from the jar. I spread it out and wait a couple of hours, in warm weather again, the I just tease and form the wave patterns with the side of my little finger. If I want steeper waves I will tease the MP with the dull side of my long Exacto blade. Of course some folks simply do all this with just MP. This is not wrong and I use it this way, to model dirty or opaque water. Always use glossy MP products.
I've been busy on another project I hope will be of some interest to you all. Can't say more than that right now. Jim
I've been busy on another project I hope will be of some interest to you all. Can't say more than that right now. Jim
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Bill, While this is a thread disguised as a blog I guess, it has been around long enough that viewers come and go. Doesn't make me worried. Folks are still looking in for content. I will be back to the tree bark class latter this week. No pressure on anyone but me to participate here. Maybe everyone is shoveling snow??? Jim
BLewis49
Member
OK, Jim, no more worries on my part. I will be patient. you are right there has been a lot of folks come and go and there is a lot good ideas and techniques floating around this thread. Will be looking forward to any future input. I agree about the snow as I was shoveling it here in OKC as well. Bill
HOexplorer
Well-Known Member
Okay, back to the tree bark. I haven't been loafing this last week. Actually, I've spent more time on Youtube and other sites checking out how 'they' made tree bark than was probably healthy. One thing I notice about other methods was none was very easy. The easiest is the way I've been doing this all along. Simply scribing the dowel with sharp nails or a handsaw blade then painting. Some folks had really good stuff but their videos were over an hour long. Way to long for my taste. So I've got a photo of my previous example using the more coarse ground cover. Before I show it remember I was not satisfied. Sometime last week I picked up the dowel and the covering seemed a bit spongy. I could actually squeeze the ground cover. I then rolled the dowel on my desk and compressed the ground cover. Here is what happened.
While it may not look different is it is. Not perfect or maybe even acceptable, but from 2-3 feet okay. Here is a comparison shot.
So, what have I learned? First, I make my modeling without regard to viewing distances. I demand my eyeball as close to the action as possible. Not everyone is like me and 3 feet may be acceptable. Not for me. Second, I've decided to continue on with my scribing of my tree dowels with a sawblade. Reason is it is acceptable to me given the amount of trees I use and the time left in this game for me. I will still study and see if there is a better, more simple, way to do 'front' trees than the way I do them now. Jim
While it may not look different is it is. Not perfect or maybe even acceptable, but from 2-3 feet okay. Here is a comparison shot.
So, what have I learned? First, I make my modeling without regard to viewing distances. I demand my eyeball as close to the action as possible. Not everyone is like me and 3 feet may be acceptable. Not for me. Second, I've decided to continue on with my scribing of my tree dowels with a sawblade. Reason is it is acceptable to me given the amount of trees I use and the time left in this game for me. I will still study and see if there is a better, more simple, way to do 'front' trees than the way I do them now. Jim
Railrunner130
Well-Known Member
Jim,
I like how you do trees versus the example on the left. However, I see a use for the left. Perhaps a slightly modified version of the left tree technique would be good for simulating moss. That's one thing I've been looking for and haven't seen much of.
I like how you do trees versus the example on the left. However, I see a use for the left. Perhaps a slightly modified version of the left tree technique would be good for simulating moss. That's one thing I've been looking for and haven't seen much of.
