Twig Tree Trunks

[Heedless Horseman]

Had anyone made much use of garden twigs as treetrunks? Obyiously, they would have a limited 'life' in their 'Natural' state... though a 'renewable resource'! 

But... has anyone experimented with spraying them with varnish? Might this halt decay... or significantly slow it?
I don't want to go down the path of 'preservative treatments', though.

I was actually sort of contemplating use for larger scales... 28mm or 1/32... set in Jungle or 'Last Of The Mohicans' forest. Bought in 'scenics'... IF available... would be prohibitously expensive en masse. Wondering if garden twigs, either for fallen trees, or set in a blob of concrete, as standing trunks, might do the job?
'Fish Tank' plastic plants would do ok for soft stuff... 'ferns' / 'Bamboo', etc.

Just a 'concept, atmo! 

[jimduncanuk]

The terrain making chap at Last Valley uses natural twigs without any problems.

I have had some of his stuff for years and it is still fit for purpose apart from flock shedding.

[hammurabi70]

As a teenager I used pine cones for trees with my Airfix 1/72nd figures.

[Orcs]

As long as you use a woody twig it will just dry out. I still have a piece of terrain with a twig from a cherry tree from my parents garden that must me 35 years old

[Leman]

Alder cones make remarkably good 6mm trees or 10mm orchards.

[FierceKitty]

Pipe-cleaner poplars if you need a lot of trees at minimal cost.

[Raider4]

Pipe-cleaner poplars if you need a lot of trees at minimal cost.

Twigs are free . . .

[Leman]

Do they make good poplars though, designed to keep German troops cool. 

[Glorfindel]

I really liked this idea for making cheap and effective Cypress trees (very useful for Italian based games).   This was taken from the following blog:

https://sologeneral.wordpress.com/


"Take (a 5cm roofing) nail and blunt the end a bit. Dip in pva and dip into flock and let it dry. You can then build the foliage up by spraying with hair spray and applying more flock. Finally I give it a spray with matt varnish to hold it all together."


See top image here for finished result:

https://sologeneral.wordpress.com/terrain-and-scenery/


I've tried it out and have been very pleased with the results.   Very cheap and you can set up a good production line.


Phil

[toxicpixie]

Crikey that IS good! Did you paint the nail first or leave it blackened for contrast/shade underneath?

[Glorfindel]

The pic is taken from the 'Sologeneral..' blog so not mine.   

When I tried it out, I didn't paint the nail before adding the flock as the only part visible when you
have finished is the head (which you can then disguise by covering with your usual basing material).

A really nice method with the benefit of being able to choose the size of the nail (or whatever you
want to use) plus the colour of the flock.


Phil

[toxicpixie]

Right I'll have to give that a try! To the model shop for fine foliage!

[Terry37]

You can also use railroad ballast and paint it. I use super glue and sprinkle he ballast on, and you can add as mush as you wnat by adding layers.



Terry

[FierceKitty]

I wnat to see a green-faced woman threatening a Kansas girl and her little dog too!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Would the Dog be called ToTo?