| Author |
 Topic  |
|
bpate
Fireman
Australia
3090 Posts |
 Posted - 01/12/2004 : 11:50:29 PM
|
Scenery (work in progress) report.
We did some landscaping last night and built a 'gum tree'.
This is the second tree I have built and the first attempt at a gum tree. The bark falls off a gum tree in strips and I have tried to simulate that. Do you think it is too big? Any other comments/suggestions please?
This is the other end of the temporary layout and now has a tunnel and small hill. It is at the plaster with floquil earth base colour stage.
This is a rock face I shaped and carved using my dental pick as the plaster dried. Now for detail painting.
 |
Edited by - bpate on 01/12/2004 11:51:56 PM |
 |
|
|
Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23277 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 07:18:29 AM
|
Barry,
The tree looks very good. In terms of it being too tall, I don't know how tall gum trees grow. But, I am sure you can find out, and then do the math to see if it is out of proportion to your scale. From the angle of your shot, it does look "on the tall side".[:-eyebrows]
The plaster work looks very good. Can't wait to see it after paint and scenery.
Bruce
|
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
|
|
|
Rick
Administrator
USA
17863 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 07:56:40 AM
|
Barry,
Your tree looks good, but like Bruce said, I'm not sure how tall they get.
Maybe I missed something in one of your other posts in another thread, but why is this a temporary layout? |
|
|
|
Bbags
Administrator
USA
13054 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 08:04:45 AM
|
Hi Barry
I like the looks of the tree and what you have done with the scenery so far.
As for the height of the tree I have 80 foot Oak trees in my back yard which convert to almost a foot tall in HO.
However to me that would look too tall on a layout so I think most people tend not to have tall trees on their layout.
Also if the tree was in the foreground and contained a lot of foliage it might become a view block.
So I guess if it looks too tall to you then it probably is too tall.
P.S. I forgot to offer my congratulations to you on your forthcoming marriage. |
John Bagley
Modeling the Alaska Railroad in HO in Wildwood Georgia. |
|
|
|
bpate
Fireman
Australia
3090 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 08:31:33 AM
|
Thanks for the comments. It is as I feared, whilst they get to 200 feet tall, this one is about 80 scale feet but it just looks too big on the layout. Good thing it is all reusable.
It is a temporary layout becuase my permanent area, the garage is not enclosed as yet and this one is at the end of the living room, so not a permanent solution. I am using it as a practice layout, where I can experiment with techniques.
Thanks John for the congrats on the forthcoming wedding. I am a very lucky man.
|
|
|
|
bpate
Fireman
Australia
3090 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 6:59:18 PM
|
Tree surgery...I have done some radical surgery to this tree to get it to what I hope is a more visually acceptable height. A benefit is I get a second smaller tree as well as a by-product. Do you think this is better now?
 |
|
|
|
Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23277 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 7:33:36 PM
|
[:-thumbu]
And for getting a second tree in the process ...
[:-thumbu][:-thumbu]
Bruce
|
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
|
|
|
Drew
Fireman
USA
1173 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2004 : 9:40:52 PM
|
Modeling A Dirt Road Or Path
A few years ago, I read an article in MR by Tony Koester on how he did this, & I thought I'd give it a try...
I use sifted dirt for ground cover, & since I model in N scale, the dirt is fairly coarse...in other words, in terms of scale, there are some pretty big dirt clods layin' around! 
I wanted to depict a dirt track leading from the main road to the right, leading around to the rear portion of this structure...So, after I had bonded the sifted dirt with diluted white glue, & let it dry thoroughly for 24 hrs, I took a small piece of sand paper, & simply sanded a path into the dirt...
I am very happy with how it turned out!
Here's a view from another angle...
 |
-Drew-
"Life is all the stuff that happened while you were making other plans." |
|
|
|
Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23277 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2004 : 9:48:24 PM
|
Drew,
That worked very well. Many thanks, that is not a technique that I have seen before. |
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
|
|
|
jwmurrayjr
Engine Wiper
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2004 : 3:59:50 PM
|
We're finally making some progress on our scenery. Here's old # 428 coming down the grade between some carved plaster rocks and some basic ground cover. I added a little "animation" to the mogul before posting the photo::
 |
Edited by - jwmurrayjr on 02/03/2004 9:15:20 PM |
|
|
|
Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23277 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2004 : 12:07:55 AM
|
Jim,
It looks like that scenery is coming along nicely.[:-thumbu] |
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
|
|
|
Jim T
Fireman
USA
1148 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2004 : 11:24:26 AM
|
Great looking scenes Drew and Jim. [:-thumbu] Drew, you're path really looks good in the last pic of the series........looks just like the real thing. Jim, love your rock work. I've got a mountain to the point of needing ground cover so your pic is giving me some good ideas.
Cheers, Jim |
|
|
|
MikeC
Administrator
USA
21584 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2004 : 11:49:15 AM
|
About a month ago, some of us were discussing using tile grout for basic ground cover.
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5483&whichpage=2
So I picked up a couple packages of Polyblend sanded grout the other day and tried some experiments with it. I used a blend of "Summer Wheat" and "Tobacco Brown." The dry mix was a ratio of 2 oz. Summer Wheat to 1/2 oz Tobacco Brown.
I used a piece of scrap pink foam for the base and randomly heaped the dry grout on. After I had a small patch ( about 3" X 2.5")of it on the foam, I used an eyedropper and "wet" water to moisten it.
Later, when it dried, I took these photos. While they're not very good pictures, they do illustrate the results. For the second and third photo, I sprinkled some ground foam and other scenic material on. I didn't use any matte medium or other adhesive with it. (That's another experiment coming up.)
Two observations: first, the grout adhered pretty well to the foam. And that surprised me. I thought it might not stick without a coating of paint on the foam. Second, the grout dried to the same color as the dry mix - which is actually darker than I want. The next time, I'll use less of the Tobacco Brown or more of the other color.
I want to experiment some more with this, but I think it has real possibilities as scenic material. There is one caution, however: it contains portland cement. Breathing too much of the dust or leaving it on your bare skin for long could be hazardous.
 |
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man. I have a railroad to run.
Visit the Central Missouri & Southern
|
|
|
|
teejay
Fireman
Canada
5834 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2004 : 10:12:46 AM
|
In planning for a couple of hills on one end of the layout I decided to use foam for the first time . As it turned out I bought ' bead board ' by mistake but will use it for building up the base .
The correct pink insulation ...can it be scribed in some fashion to look like a rock facing .Has anyone done this successfully and coated it with hydrocal of PoP ?
TERRY |
|
|
|
MikeC
Administrator
USA
21584 Posts |
|
|
Topic |
|
Scenery
