Making Detailed Oaks and Maples

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Making Detailed Oaks and Maples

Scenery - Landscaping

Written by Ron Pare

Tuesday, 19 February 2008 03:12

My materials are basic modeling necessities, such as plaster, wire strippers, small diameter wire (I used telephone cable).
Cut the cable into 15" lengths, strip the outer covering off the wire leaving the individual wires with covering on, and fold in half. (This can be done in batches. I do about 20 trees = 20 lengths of 4-wire)

Take four wires already folded in half and hold them together for a tree. Twist them at the fold and spread the folded section like roots to stand the tree on. Next, make the main tree branches by twisting sets of two or three wires for trunks. Keep an eye on the prototype, so you can size realistically. Cut off the ends 3" - 6" long. Twist and turn them about into branches, adding some pieces that were cut off, as filler branches.

If you have around 20 twisted wire trees set up, continue. If not, then do 20 before you move on, as it will be a waste of plaster otherwise. Also, if you have rock mold, wash and soap them.

Okay, now we are ready for the casting. You can try your favorite medium. Since I am cheap, I buy big bags of wall compound. Sure, they turn out with some weight, but that is something I don't mind.

Mix your medium a little thin, but not too thin (too thin makes it too brittle). If dip is too thick, just gently shake excess off. Dip them any way you want. Put them down on a towel and let them dry.
Too thin? Dip them again. Too thick? Shake it off.

Let the trees dry completely. If it was necessary to dip twice (top and bottom) don't worry, paint will cover it. Just make sure they dry completely.

At this point, our trees should be dry. If you are doing O scale trees (I do it with HO scale), scratch lines vertically down the main trunk with your marking tool of choice. This will give space for the alcohol washes to look like bark.

I use grey and burnt sienna paint. If you aren't the best with this part, then do as I do and experiment till you are happy with the results, when dry.

I am using Lichen for my first set of trees. I will try something else at a later date.
Now, everyone's glue is different. I use hot glue. It's messy, but quick, and that is my deciding factor. Just make sure to clean up the stringers that hang off.

Last step to making the trees is to use a spray adhesive (I use hairspray for this). Sprinkle ground cover over the foliage, to make it more full.

Now this story isn't finished. It is actually just a placeholder for a very nicely refined tutorial. My goal is to constantly improve through comments and improved materials.