How to make twisted-wire N scale oak trees (Abridged Video). All the Oak, 1/5th the Rambling! [For a detailed play-by-play, see the three-part "How To" video series]
Great video, thanks for sharing it. I was just at a clinic on the weekend where one of the sessions was scratchbuilding trees (using caspia and polyfill for hardwoods and skewers and furnace filter material for softwoods). I was the only N-Scaler there so of course the usual ribbing was in abundance. I will be trying this technique next! The results looked excellent.
I'm just learning to make trees, this was a fabulous idea to get the leaves. I have been using very fine coloured saw dust can only hope the effect will be the same.
Yes, I use real dirt. Just make sure to bake it (about 200 deg. for 30 minutes or so) so nothing grows or greens over time ;) A fine tea-leaf sifter works well to get down to almost N size.
"N" is for "Normal"! :) I try to scratch build everything I can, and I like N because you get 4 times the layout compared to HO! Much greater scenery-to-track ratio, yet still big enough to have a lot of detail. Lots of great steam locos and pre-1900's stuff coming out now, too.
Great how to wideo! Best I`ve seen on youtube regarding this Method:) Is polyfill the same materialf you use as stuffing for small pillows and similar? (If so I know what it is called in my Language) Thanks for sharing Regards JC
Thanks, JC. Yes, polyfill / polyfiber is the material used to stuff pillows. Woodland Scenics sells a green-dyed polyfill that I used in the videos, but WS is expensive. A large bag of white polyfill is only a few dollars. If you use white polyfill, then dye or spray paint it dark green or dark grey BEFORE you glue it to the branches.
Thanks, MC. I have a crafts (?)- hobbystore nearby that sells plaster/pottery/paint-stuff. they probably have the polyfill. Just a tip: I bought a DALER ROWNEY system 3 500ml bottle With burnt umber. It is a bit more than 2x the price of WS burnt umber pigment but is 10x Paint and quality for the Money. You must thin With water most of the time and if you want the light color from WS you need to add white acryl Paint, but this is real Paint.So if you wanna try saving some cash buy a small tube With a color you use a lot to see if you like the qualyties of this Paint. This is a link to the Productpage so you know what to look for in Your hobbyshop if you wanna try it: www.daler-rowney.com/content/system-3-range Thanks agan for the upload and info. I`ll be trying this Method soon:) Cheers JC
Great tree vid. Having a go as I wright this. What's the something polly fill? That the flock sticks to ? If u could send me a link or something that would be great and thanks again for a great Video
Thanks! The polyfill / polyfiber in the video is the green stuff from Woodland Scenics, but you can get a big bag of white stuff cheap at any crafts store--just make sure to color / spraypaint the white stuff dark before you attach it to the tree branches.
M.C. Fujiwara what is the grimy black spray paint for is it just for color or is it to help the foam to stick to the polyfill? and i presume the hire spray is used like a glue right?
+Sam ewyk The grimy black / dark grey spray paint is to create slight shadows underneath. The hairspray is like glue (don't use spray adhesive!) used to attach the groundfoam. I spray the bottom first & sprinkle foam underneath, then the top. Wait 10-15 seconds, then tap the clothespin or trunk to help thin out the foam.
What is the length of the static grass on your model. Also, I have been trying to find someone who can explain what the different scales mean, i.e., n, o, ho. Can you help me. I want to order some stuff for my fairy house landscape, but not sure which to order. Thanks
+Bigmaude31 The grass is combinations of 4mm & 5mm Heki (available from Scenic Express) mixed with 2mm Woodland Scenic. I varied the ratio / color combination depending on where I was "planting". In terms of scales: O = 1:48, HO 1:87, N 1:160, Z 1:220 (A boxcar in HO is about 6" while in N about 3.5"-4") HO is the most prolific scale with the most offerings from manufactures. Looking through an online catalog like www.modeltrainstuff.com/ will give you a good idea of what's available.
+Chillmanits Sten Woodland Scenics coarse medium green foam is good. I think I sprinkled some WS fine "weed" on top too. I really like AMSI ground foam: amsistuff.com/ Greater range of colors and better "fluffier" texture than WS. I think I used the "Spring Green" for my vineyard. WS foam you can get anywhere. Try www.modeltrainstuff.com AMSI I get from my local train store (AMSI is a local SF Bay Area business), but you might be able to order directly from AMSI, or get your hobby store to order it.
Found some piles of the tannish dirt next to a refinery fence across the street from my local model train store :) First I shake it through plastic screen-door mesh to remove any rocks or bones, then I bake it on (very old or foil-covered) pizza sheets in the oven at 250 deg. for 30 min. to bake out anything that could decay/grow greenish later. After it cools off, I use a tea strainer with very, very fine metal mesh (found at an Asian 99-cent / 100 yen store) to sift & separate the baked dirt into piles of very very fine dirt & the larger-granule leftovers. But even the finest-sifted real dirt is too grainy for N scale compacted dirt: for that I like to sift colored sanded grout over the wet paint or on top of the fine-sifted dirt. You can see examples of the grout surface on a lot of my modules at our Silicon Valley Free-moN setup at the Great Train Show in Richmond, CA back in January: ruclips.net/video/CxV_QLUXysw/видео.html Hope this helps!
+Sam ewyk Poly Fiber / Polyfill is the stuffing used in pillows, quilts, etc. Woodland Scenics offers some already dyed green: woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/FP178/page/1 Notice that's $4 for a 0.5oz bag. Or you can get a 32oz bag of white polyfill for $6 at a craft store: www.joann.com/32oz-poly-fil-premium-polyester-fiberfill/7400203.html And then dye / spray paint it yourself. (But you must dye/paint the polyfill BEFORE you attach it to the tree branches :) )
I appreciate how this was straight to the point. Great tutorial!
I've been trying to make trees for sometime...this is the best method I've seen. Thanks so much!
It looks real... Good job!
That's the best "making tree" video I saw so far -thank's for that!
Great video, thanks for sharing it. I was just at a clinic on the weekend where one of the sessions was scratchbuilding trees (using caspia and polyfill for hardwoods and skewers and furnace filter material for softwoods). I was the only N-Scaler there so of course the usual ribbing was in abundance.
I will be trying this technique next! The results looked excellent.
Great work!. Thanks for taking time to share.
Hello from Moscow, Russia!
Many thanks for this clear tutorial. I'll try to make some stand-alone trees for my HO layout.
me too, so easy to follow the instructions.
Thanks for sharing. Looks greate
I'm just learning to make trees, this was a fabulous idea to get the leaves. I have been using very fine coloured saw dust can only hope the effect will be the same.
Thank you so much for the information. I now have a better concept and will be able to make my purchases accordingly.
Nice video, i'll have to give this a try . thanks for sharing...cheers
Yes, I use real dirt.
Just make sure to bake it (about 200 deg. for 30 minutes or so) so nothing grows or greens over time ;)
A fine tea-leaf sifter works well to get down to almost N size.
"N" is for "Normal"! :)
I try to scratch build everything I can, and I like N because you get 4 times the layout compared to HO!
Much greater scenery-to-track ratio, yet still big enough to have a lot of detail.
Lots of great steam locos and pre-1900's stuff coming out now, too.
This is a great tutorial. Thanks for sharing I liked and subbed to your channel 👍
Great job . Could you actually use a real branch for the trunk and put wire around the branch and do the same thing just curious
Really nice work. One of the best looking trees I've seen. But I couldn't help notice the grass. How did you do that?
that is cool . a swing under the tree would look great.
Good looking tree.
Un can use to cover the wires of the tree with Woodland Scenics Flex paste it works great.
Brilliant! Genius! A fairly simple too (at least you make it seem seas). Thanks for yet another fantastic tutorial/demo.
Great how to wideo! Best I`ve seen on youtube regarding this Method:)
Is polyfill the same materialf you use as stuffing for small pillows and similar? (If so I know what it is called in my Language)
Thanks for sharing
Regards JC
Thanks, JC.
Yes, polyfill / polyfiber is the material used to stuff pillows. Woodland Scenics sells a green-dyed polyfill that I used in the videos, but WS is expensive. A large bag of white polyfill is only a few dollars.
If you use white polyfill, then dye or spray paint it dark green or dark grey BEFORE you glue it to the branches.
Thanks, MC. I have a crafts (?)- hobbystore nearby that sells plaster/pottery/paint-stuff. they probably have the polyfill.
Just a tip: I bought a DALER ROWNEY system 3 500ml bottle With burnt umber. It is a bit more than 2x the price of WS burnt umber pigment but is 10x Paint and quality for the Money. You must thin With water most of the time and if you want the light color from WS you need to add white acryl Paint, but this is real Paint.So if you wanna try saving some cash buy a small tube With a color you use a lot to see if you like the qualyties of this Paint. This is a link to the Productpage so you know what to look for in Your hobbyshop if you wanna try it: www.daler-rowney.com/content/system-3-range
Thanks agan for the upload and info. I`ll be trying this Method soon:)
Cheers JC
Great tree vid. Having a go as I wright this. What's the something polly fill? That the flock sticks to ? If u could send me a link or something that would be great and thanks again for a great Video
Thanks! The polyfill / polyfiber in the video is the green stuff from Woodland Scenics, but you can get a big bag of white stuff cheap at any crafts store--just make sure to color / spraypaint the white stuff dark before you attach it to the tree branches.
M.C. Fujiwara what is the grimy black spray paint for is it just for color or is it to help the foam to stick to the polyfill?
and i presume the hire spray is used like a glue right?
+Sam ewyk The grimy black / dark grey spray paint is to create slight shadows underneath.
The hairspray is like glue (don't use spray adhesive!) used to attach the groundfoam.
I spray the bottom first & sprinkle foam underneath, then the top.
Wait 10-15 seconds, then tap the clothespin or trunk to help thin out the foam.
ok thanks :)
Can you make an Autumn colored wire tree?
What is the length of the static grass on your model. Also, I have been trying to find someone who can explain what the different scales mean, i.e., n, o, ho. Can you help me. I want to order some stuff for my fairy house landscape, but not sure which to order. Thanks
+Bigmaude31 The grass is combinations of 4mm & 5mm Heki (available from Scenic Express) mixed with 2mm Woodland Scenic. I varied the ratio / color combination depending on where I was "planting".
In terms of scales: O = 1:48, HO 1:87, N 1:160, Z 1:220
(A boxcar in HO is about 6" while in N about 3.5"-4")
HO is the most prolific scale with the most offerings from manufactures.
Looking through an online catalog like www.modeltrainstuff.com/ will give you a good idea of what's available.
Where did you get the foam/course turf from? Any recommended sites?
+Chillmanits Sten Woodland Scenics coarse medium green foam is good. I think I sprinkled some WS fine "weed" on top too. I really like AMSI ground foam: amsistuff.com/
Greater range of colors and better "fluffier" texture than WS.
I think I used the "Spring Green" for my vineyard.
WS foam you can get anywhere. Try www.modeltrainstuff.com
AMSI I get from my local train store (AMSI is a local SF Bay Area business), but you might be able to order directly from AMSI, or get your hobby store to order it.
Thats brilliant!
Are you using real dirt for dirt?
Muy bonito
Gracias
do i have to spray paint it after putting polyfill on?
+Sam ewyk If you use white polyfill, then spray/dye it before you put it on the tree.
Please put the list of the materials
Excellent.
What did you for the dirt?, and where did you get it?
Found some piles of the tannish dirt next to a refinery fence across the street from my local model train store :)
First I shake it through plastic screen-door mesh to remove any rocks or bones, then I bake it on (very old or foil-covered) pizza sheets in the oven at 250 deg. for 30 min. to bake out anything that could decay/grow greenish later.
After it cools off, I use a tea strainer with very, very fine metal mesh (found at an Asian 99-cent / 100 yen store) to sift & separate the baked dirt into piles of very very fine dirt & the larger-granule leftovers.
But even the finest-sifted real dirt is too grainy for N scale compacted dirt: for that I like to sift colored sanded grout over the wet paint or on top of the fine-sifted dirt.
You can see examples of the grout surface on a lot of my modules at our Silicon Valley Free-moN setup at the Great Train Show in Richmond, CA back in January: ruclips.net/video/CxV_QLUXysw/видео.html
Hope this helps!
Just Love It
con que mezclas en pegante?
+Demian Bacca aserrín de madera, bien tamizada / wood sawdust, sifted fine, & mixed into the white glue
what is polly fill?
+Sam ewyk Poly Fiber / Polyfill is the stuffing used in pillows, quilts, etc.
Woodland Scenics offers some already dyed green: woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/FP178/page/1
Notice that's $4 for a 0.5oz bag.
Or you can get a 32oz bag of white polyfill for $6 at a craft store:
www.joann.com/32oz-poly-fil-premium-polyester-fiberfill/7400203.html
And then dye / spray paint it yourself.
(But you must dye/paint the polyfill BEFORE you attach it to the tree branches :) )
oh ok thanks you should do a video on that. if you want to that is :)