I want my layout to appear as though it has DENSE pine forests around it in most spots, requiring 100's of trees. I currently buy ready made ones from Grand Central, and have fount that the Medium size which I use is cheaper to buy than the WS kits. But I have bought 60 trees so far for about $60, and I think a buck a tree isnt THAT bad, but does anybody have any other cheaper brands or know of a good way to mkae pine trees?
Pine trees?
- Thread starter Kevinkrey
- Start date
May I suggest using your detailed trees in the foreground and making background trees with less detailed trunks. If your forest is going to be really dense then the trunks won't show except along the edge of the forest. Painted dowels and Woodland Scenics or some other clump foam would do the trick. There are also several tutorials on The Gauge regarding tree making.
Hey Kevin
Here is what I did... (down towards the bottom of the page)
http://forum.zealot.com/t119867-2/
I used these trees from cake decorations. Used brown spray paint (the kind used for plastic) and when they dried, dipped them in a 50/50 glue/water mixture, then sprinkled conifer coarse foam on them.
Easy Peasy. I liked the glue/water better than the hairspray, because I didn't have to run a coat of dulcoat on 'em afterwards. The hairspray leaves a high shine on the trees. I have just laid my 360th tree and still have a few more to go. I think I figured I am getting one tree for .28 cents, after figuring in the cost of the paint, glue and foam.
Here is what I did... (down towards the bottom of the page)
http://forum.zealot.com/t119867-2/
I used these trees from cake decorations. Used brown spray paint (the kind used for plastic) and when they dried, dipped them in a 50/50 glue/water mixture, then sprinkled conifer coarse foam on them.
Easy Peasy. I liked the glue/water better than the hairspray, because I didn't have to run a coat of dulcoat on 'em afterwards. The hairspray leaves a high shine on the trees. I have just laid my 360th tree and still have a few more to go. I think I figured I am getting one tree for .28 cents, after figuring in the cost of the paint, glue and foam.
I used some of those "bottle brush" Christmas trees - the ones with the bristles trapped in a twisted wire "trunk". I snipped off random hunks of bristles with scissors, then sprayed the trees with hairspray from a pump applicator. An application of coarse ground foam finished the job. Mine are supposed to represent cedars. Sorry I don't have any better pictures, but they are supposed to be background trees. 
They're the darker ones towards the rear of the photo:
This is the same area, from a different angle. The three straight out from the end of the track are a hunk of cushion foam - its peaks and pockets look somewhat like the papier mache "flats" for eggs. I brush-painted the white foam with dark green latex paint, then used hairspray to affix some ground foam.
The above view was taken with the camera on the layout - from normal viewing angles, the sameness of the "trees" is not apparent.
:-D
Wayne
They're the darker ones towards the rear of the photo:
This is the same area, from a different angle. The three straight out from the end of the track are a hunk of cushion foam - its peaks and pockets look somewhat like the papier mache "flats" for eggs. I brush-painted the white foam with dark green latex paint, then used hairspray to affix some ground foam.
The above view was taken with the camera on the layout - from normal viewing angles, the sameness of the "trees" is not apparent.
:-DWayne
you can also skewer furnace filter material and dip it in ground foam to make some quick and easy trees.i've used it before and i think its a little better than bottle brush but worse than making them out of wire and rope threads.--josh
The dowel idea seems best for me, but is there a way I could put wire on dowels to make them look better?
