Looking for some suggestions for getting some free scenery stuff for making grass and tree, bush’s, ballast.
Ive looked at woodland scenic s stuff to pricey for me. Ive started to detail our clubs modules for the up coming season and dont want to spend a small fortune on store bought scenery stuff.
Suggestions?? picture would be nice.
Nick goggle Maui Mike, He has some nice idea’s on trees.
in this thread you’ll find some greens:
http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/17297/under-pressure
and here you can see how to destroy table-xmas trees:
http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/20154/fir-trees
for ballast i use either cat litter, or filter sand (the sort, they sell for pool filters)
both get toned grey with black toner powder for portland cement (dry mixed)
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This is a very relaxing aspect of our fabulous hobby.
Go to the archives page for old newsletters at my
club’s website:
http://www.backyardrailroaders.com/newsletter.html
and download the Dec 2013 newsletter.
On pages 3 & 4 there’s an article about how I’ve made
hundreds of free bottlebrush-type fir pine trees from
discarded artificial xmas trees. Though the pix show
mostly smaller trees, I have made many that are
18"-24" and a few even taller the same way.
An article on willow trees will appear in an upcoming issue
this Spring. You might want to keep your eyes open for that.
Depending on the size you want to make, the willows will each
require two to four dollars worth of material, unfortunately…
(But a couple of willows make a big statement…)
Cheers.
Go to floral supply shops or places like Michael’s Craft Stores and look for artificial plants for flower arraignments. Some small leaf types of them can be used almost verbatim for trees and shrubs.
Look up how they did scenery way back in the 50’s and 60’s, making plants and trees using wire armatures colored sawdust and ground up cleaning sponge, all for dirt cheap. Korm’s methods are similar to this just scaled up.
For ballast, kitty litter, the NON CLUMPING type, thats VERY important, you want OLD SCHOOL Johnny Cat clay litter, and I use a container filled with water that has had a water based paint of the color of your choice mixed in, (10-20%paint to 80-90% water) I then used a old time cooking strainer to dip the litter into the water, all you have to do is get it wet, then lay it out to dry on a flat surface, preferably in warm sunlight and let it dry out. Objectively this is best done on a hot summer day. Laying it is as easy any other scale, get it down then use a 50-50% white glue/water mix to fix it down.
I just built 14 tall pine trees, thanks to a guy called Maui Mike, just goggle him. he’s awesome. went to Michael’s and home depot. you have to see his vids. Regards, Ron Goggle rock n roll rio grande # 3
I’ve seen folks use solid carpet remnant… by removing the weave in straight lines and in alternating rows it makes a passable field of crop stubble… Sorry I don’t have a pic
All Google brings up is chicken and lip balm!
rock n roll rio grande
Thanks Joe. 
I’ve used Napa Floor Dry, sawdust and aquarium filter carbon for coal. Dirt and sand also glue down well. I run a magnet through anything I’m considering as a ballast.
Thank you Gentlemen, Great ideals and I’m starting now. Keep um coming…
Nick
Well the GF picked me up a few items to start messin with, plus i got a few 5gal pales of saw dust to try I will post out come as I can.
