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nziainz
New Hire
New Zealand
11 Posts |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
 Posted - 06/11/2012 : 4:44:43 PM
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I have been working on the deepest module. No pic's today for that but I have been looking for tree making material. I was finally about to find some Ming fern. I finally found the importer and the said the last they got in was so bad they will no longer import the Ming fern. I found a few places that had just a few stems left most at about $12 -$18 a bunch. about 3-4 stems per bunch. Well I finally hit the jackpot. I found a place that had 23 cases in stock. It was listed for $12 a bunch 12 bunches per case. I was told it was being discontinued and that this was about 1 year old. She told me she would let me have it for $2 a bunch $24 a case. She said this may shed a little because it was older. So I bought 1 case to check it out. I figured if It was halfway decent I could just dip it in matte medium to keep it from shedding.
Well it came in and really looked good. I was able to dip it in matte medium and you really can't tell it once dry. Here is a pic 1 small clipping from one stem.. I order 2 more cases to make tree with...
Ty
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Frank Palmer
Crew Chief
USA
634 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2012 : 7:32:00 PM
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| Ty, one thing we did to prolong the needle drop was to spray the finished tree with 50/50 white glue and water. And I sprayed it on pretty heavy, a couple of coats. It works fairly well, but you’ll always get needle drop. I used my air brush to spray it on. Some people are going to say, oh glue in an air brush. But hey, white glue will dissolve when wetted again; paint on the other hand is harder to remove when dry. |
Frank |
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k27rgs
Fireman
Australia
4287 Posts |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2012 : 8:32:51 PM
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Mario,
I spoke to the lady that imported it into the US. From talking to her all the preserved Ming Fern came from the same place and she imported most of it. She said the last that she got in was so bad that She would no longer bring it into the country. I have talked to most of the retailers and they all have told me it was discontinued. So the source of good fern may have dried up..
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2012 : 8:41:16 PM
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Frank,
Thanks for the advise. I plan on dipping all the Ming fern into Matte Medium which is similar to the glue/water and hanging it upside down to dry before making the trees. I dipped that first branch it it to test it. It dried clear and i really can't tell it was treated with anything..
ty |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2012 : 8:24:03 PM
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Ok guys It took me a week to get this much done. I am not a great rock carver. But hopefully after its all together and done it will look OK. I just kept adding layers of foam until I had both sides done. then I figured I had to close in the back. I knew trying to make a backdrop look right would be difficult in the low of an area.
Once I got all the foam done I then painted the whole thing with an earth colored flat latex paint. I then used matte medium to apply Zip texturing to the whole thing. I still need to do a little more weathering.
I thing once I get some foliage in there it will look alot better.
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adrian_batey
Crew Chief
Australia
672 Posts |
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nziainz
New Hire
New Zealand
11 Posts |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2012 : 1:43:01 PM
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Adrian,
I have seen those before and considered using that type foam I looked into buying that foam locally and it was very very expensive. I have even been looking for discarded seat cushions but have not been luck. It seems the local roofers use the old foam for padding for their knees...According to a local upholster.
I am on a tight schedule. Trying to get this up and running(basically all modules ready for scenery). My wife will be going on a missions trip with our church to Nicaragua the first two weeks of July. I will be on a staycation which will be dedicated to getting this running...
ty |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2012 : 7:31:17 PM
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Ok I am working on the shallow module. I am now a believer in Frocks. I was not looking in the right place for the foam. Anyway have the rock walls almost done. I am using the same gorilla glue to glue them together. It works well, you just have to wait a for it to dry.
Hope to have pic's soon.. |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2012 : 10:43:27 PM
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Ok Here are pic's of what I have so far. This type foam a little easier to work with . The rock walls look better than the last.
ty |
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k27rgs
Fireman
Australia
4287 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2012 : 02:40:23 AM
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Ty
In recent times I have been coating the foam rubber with Texture paint ( I dilute with water and add 2 coats ). It costs nearly A$70 a can in Australia, but gives a much better "rock" finish than joint compound.
In the USA the texture paint sells for only US$20 a 4 litre can. That's cheap. This stuff keeps the weight down to nearly nothing.
I believe the Sundance Layout used "FRocks" coated with tile grout, which would have been heavier.
You can purchase the Texture paint already with colour, but I always use white and add paint colour at a later stage.
I use cheap liquid nails ( $2.00 a 320g tube ) to glue everything in place and dries / holds within minutes.
I'm enjoying your journey
regards Mario
PS. IT's "FRocks" ( Foam Rocks )
not Frocks ( worn by the other half [:-love] ) 
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http://www.modvid.com.au/html/body_worldwide__miniatures.html
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Edited by - k27rgs on 06/25/2012 02:43:27 AM |
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adrian_batey
Crew Chief
Australia
672 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2012 : 03:07:00 AM
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Rockwork is looking a lot better now.
I think it will look really nice when you start adding more colour and scenic material to it.
quote:
Originally posted by k27rgs
Ty
costs nearly A$70 a can in Australia, but gives a much better "rock" finish than joint compound.
Mario, are you just buying it from bunnings or mitre10 something like that. I would assume 1L would get a lot of Frocks done in a smaller scale such as hon3 |
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fockewulf37
Engine Wiper
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2012 : 05:22:43 AM
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I used the tile grout. Frank had told me about that and I just happened to have about 3 partial bags laying around. I did about 2 coats with the grout and then with a good thick coat of a flat latex paint.
Ty |
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G Scale Modular
