The Stumps of Shamus Forest
- Thread starter jon-monon
- Start date
Hi George, they are pretty easy to make, with no painting or staining required.
I bought 4 or 5 sizes of dowel rods, from 1/4" to 5/8". You want to get them at 1/8" to 1/4" smaller than the largest stump you want to model. I also got a couple of packs of black sculpy, which is a clay that you can bake to cure. There are other brands that work the same. If I wanted the bark to be a color other than black, I would get white sculpy and paint them after the fact. I tried brown sculpy, but didn't like the results.
I cut the dowel a little less than half way through, then turned them over and again cut a little less than half way through. I was not carefull to line up the cuts evenly. Sloppyness add to the realism
Then I snapped them by hand. Smaller dowels were cut too long, so they could extend into a drilled hole in the layout. Larger stumps were cut a little short of the inteded height.
Then, using a beer bottle, I rolled the sculpy out on a sheet of wax paper (after kneading it a little). Then wrap it aroundthe dowel and form roots by hand. I carved deep into the bark with a pick, you could use a small nail or any small pointed object. Then I used a small, toothbrush sized wire brush and made some smaller lines inthe bark.
Bake at 275 for 20 to 30 mins. The instructions indicate much less bake time and warns not to overbake, but it worked better to bake them longer. I guess the dowel removes some of the heat.
Let them cool for 15 or 20 minutes befor eeating, I mean planting on the layout
ops:
I bought 4 or 5 sizes of dowel rods, from 1/4" to 5/8". You want to get them at 1/8" to 1/4" smaller than the largest stump you want to model. I also got a couple of packs of black sculpy, which is a clay that you can bake to cure. There are other brands that work the same. If I wanted the bark to be a color other than black, I would get white sculpy and paint them after the fact. I tried brown sculpy, but didn't like the results.
I cut the dowel a little less than half way through, then turned them over and again cut a little less than half way through. I was not carefull to line up the cuts evenly. Sloppyness add to the realism
Then I snapped them by hand. Smaller dowels were cut too long, so they could extend into a drilled hole in the layout. Larger stumps were cut a little short of the inteded height.Then, using a beer bottle, I rolled the sculpy out on a sheet of wax paper (after kneading it a little). Then wrap it aroundthe dowel and form roots by hand. I carved deep into the bark with a pick, you could use a small nail or any small pointed object. Then I used a small, toothbrush sized wire brush and made some smaller lines inthe bark.
Bake at 275 for 20 to 30 mins. The instructions indicate much less bake time and warns not to overbake, but it worked better to bake them longer. I guess the dowel removes some of the heat.
Let them cool for 15 or 20 minutes befor eeating, I mean planting on the layout
ops:The Stumps
Hey Jon:
Man I could smell the sap when I looked at those stumps!!! You can bet that your tutorial is bookmarked by this copycat:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
JR
Hey Jon:
Man I could smell the sap when I looked at those stumps!!! You can bet that your tutorial is bookmarked by this copycat:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
JR
Way nice Jon!!
man those are nice stumps, and easy to do. So you got the best results from using the black sculpy, they look great.
Can you dry brush a bit after they are baked? (not that yours need itops: )
Drew
man those are nice stumps, and easy to do. So you got the best results from using the black sculpy, they look great.
Can you dry brush a bit after they are baked? (not that yours need it
ops: ) Drew
Re: Way nice Jon!!
Thanks all you good folks!
I had actually planned to dry brush them after baking, but I decided to just leave them alone. I might go after the wood that's exposed with some inkohol. Yes, I think dry brushing would work well. It might even liven up the brown ones that I didn't care for.
Thanks all you good folks!
Originally posted by Drew Toner
Can you dry brush a bit after they are baked? (not that yours need it
I had actually planned to dry brush them after baking, but I decided to just leave them alone. I might go after the wood that's exposed with some inkohol. Yes, I think dry brushing would work well. It might even liven up the brown ones that I didn't care for.
Jon, thanks for the great tutorial. I'm saving it. I don't model logging, I just like to see what you guys do. Stumps can add interest to other scenes and I'll use your technique when I want a stump.
One question, can I empty the beer bottle before I use it, or do I have to wait?
George
One question, can I empty the beer bottle before I use it, or do I have to wait?
George
You're welcome George, glad it can help you. By all means, empty the roller first, and just in case you should drop it, you may wish to empty several more to have ready as spares
One thing that's very nice about these stumps, or ones crafted by other means such as water putty, is that they can be made to conform to the terrain. If you use a commercial stump on a 45 degree grade, it won't point up as a natural stump does, unless you modify it, or make an unreal shelf for it to grow on
One thing that's very nice about these stumps, or ones crafted by other means such as water putty, is that they can be made to conform to the terrain. If you use a commercial stump on a 45 degree grade, it won't point up as a natural stump does, unless you modify it, or make an unreal shelf for it to grow on
Absolutely great work, Jon!
I took some ideas for my layout too... Now I know, how not to hide my castle in the top of the hill... I'll "cut" the trees in front of it...
Keep the good work!
I took some ideas for my layout too... Now I know, how not to hide my castle in the top of the hill... I'll "cut" the trees in front of it...
Keep the good work!
Great idea Richardo!
Scupley has a web site, but I haven't looked at it much:
http://www.sculpey.com/
Scupley has a web site, but I haven't looked at it much:
http://www.sculpey.com/
Originally posted by jon-monon
You're welcome George, glad it can help you. By all means, empty the roller first, and just in case you should drop it, you may wish to empty several more to have ready as spares
Jon,
I think I'll empty a couple of rollers this afternoon just in case I want to make some stumps soon.
You know you gotta plan ahead.George