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So Close

15/3/2016

The main concern when installing the tree is not the actual installation of the tree but rather installing the ground texture and scenery around the tree without getting unwanted dirt and static grass on the tree itself.

With a bit of care and patience the process went quit smooth. I added some of the ground up leaves around the base and under the tree to simulate fallen dead leaves which really adds to the realistic effect and I placed some static grass tufts (not yet glued in place) to see how it will look.

Overall I'm more than happy with the final result and it looks even better with a little human element added to the scene with the car, people, dog and if you look carefully in both photo's you can see the birds. I think the dog will benefit from a little paint touch up, it looks ok straight from the packet but it could look a little better.
It won't be long before I finish editing the video and have it posted to YouTube.

Additionally in the next video (after the apple tree video) I'm thinking about adding a short piece of paved road to this scene? I'm undecided just now but I'll give it a try and if it looks good I'll make a video for all to see :)

Cheers
Luke

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Wire Frame Tree

11/3/2016

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Something you don't see much of on model railroads are models that accurately show the roots. That's why I decided to film a new tutorial video detailing an easy... yet somewhat time consuming way of making a very realistic tree which really shows of the roots.

The image above shows the completed apple tree with birds, roots and all, I'm in the process of carefully installing the tree to ensure the roots get highlighted.
That's one main problem with these types of trees, they take a bit of time and pre-planning to install but provided you have just a small amount of patience you'll be more than happy with the result and realism that these type of trees provide.

The two images above show the tree in it's bare wire state and then in the second picture you can see the tree installed and embedded into the ground. The ground is simple Plaster of Paris and the tree is carefully pressed into position.
Below you can get a good idea of how the latex covering and foliage sits over the wire under-frame of the tree. Basically the two images above were combined to show how the wire frame looks superimposed over the completed tree.

I've almost finished the tutorial for making this tree and I'll post an update once it's completed. It's a great little tree and I'm sure a lot of you will really enjoy having a go at this one.

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Next Project

8/3/2016

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Now that the tutorial for building the incinerator and installing the Seuthe Smoke Generator has been completed, which you can watch on my YouTube channel or via my website, I’m working on the next big project which will be “Realistic Scenery Volume 5” I’ve yet to come up with a title for this video but the general idea is the scene will comprise of a remote road crossing the train tracks with a crossing signal.

The project will take some time before it’s ready for publication due to the size of the project and its complexity, I plan to do a very detailed comprehensive guide and leave no stone unturned.

Hopefully it won’t take too long to complete however I’ll be posting some shorter easier projects in between.

As an example, I’ve always been curious about making wire tree armatures and being able to model a nice roots system below the tree. So after a short experiment earlier today I came up with this little tree as a starting point just to see what I could come up with.

So far so good, I think it will make a good little tutorial once it's done.

I was really happy with how easy it was to create this detailed root structure, I’m not overly concerned with the state of the branches that make up the canopy because they will inevitably be covered by foliage, I used florists wire for twisting and forming the trunk and branches then coated it with Woodland Scenics Latex Rubber to smooth out and remove the wire strands from showing through.

So in the meantime while I’m working on “Realistic Scenery Vol 5” I’ll post some shorter videos like this tree tutorial to keep the channel active.
Below is an example of the type of scene I'll be replicating in the realistic scenery video.

So stay tuned for more great videos.

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Almost Finished

1/3/2016

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It's amazing how much of an effect a very small detail like this small incinerator make to an already interesting scene! Since my last blog post I've made some changes to the overall setup of the smake generator.

I had to shorten the total length of the tube in which the smoke had to traverse, the smoke itself is quite heavy and dense, I found that the smoke as it passed through the tube was cooling down so much that it would start to sink back down the tube before reaching the top and it would end up billowing out the bottom with the occasional puff making it to the top.

In the end I had to shorten the tube down to a maximum of 10cm and to combat heat issues I insulated the aluminum tube with silicone tape which to my amazement worked quite well. Prior to adding the silicone tape I could only hold the aluminum tube for a few seconds before it was too hot however with the silicone tape I can easily hold it for as long as I want and it's not too hot to hold.

The foam board I'm using has a maximum working temperature of +70º C, it's hard to judge just how hot the aluminum tube actually gets however I've run some test with the tube insulated and I've also tested it with the tube not insulated. With the tube not insulated there was no deforming of the foam in direct contact even at the hottest point on the tube, the fact that I can hold the bare tube for a few seconds before it becomes too hot seems to indicate it's probably hovering around that 70º C mark. Even though it doesn't melt the foam I still insulate the tube as a precaution.

Here is a basic cross-section of how it would look when installed on the layout. The hottest part of the tube when it is ON is closest to the base of the tube. To make the hole in the foam I used a large round file and tapered it out towards the base as can be seen in the photo and the tube is pressed into position by inserting it into the red washer.
I'll have much more info in the tutorial video that should be posted quite soon.

This is how it will look from the base, if you have a plywood base then all the insulating may be unnecessary however you may want to add the insulation as a precaution anyway.

Stay tuned for the tutorial, I've finished filming and now all that needs to be done is the final editing and the script for the voice over. Once the filming has been completed the rest generally flows quite quickly even though the final editing is the most time consuming part... it's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, as I get closer to finishing the tutorial I'm more motivated to get it done!

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So Close

Wire Frame Tree

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Almost Finished

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