Large Scale Central

Making a large tree and treehouse

General Discussion
#1

My friend and myself are building a new train trailer, if interested check it out, in this forum.

We were in need of a large tree that has a tree house in it. We have 2 structures with around 6 inches in between. We were wanting to make our version of a great idea we saw on the

Sundance G scale layout in Florida. Where boys are in a tree house sneaking a peak at a naked lady having her portrait painted by an artist. We placed a lady with a skimpy bikini top

and a small cloth covering her front, being photographed by a photographer.

So the big question is how do you make a large tree that will support a large limb that overhangs the train track and supports a tree house.

So the following picture is where it starts

IMG_5766 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

#2

I designed this and drew it up and sent to the cnc plasma cutter. I had my shop foreman to cut this out of 1/8" steel. As the machine was cutting it out, I asked him can you see a tree in this?

He looked at me with a puzzled look and said, NO!!. BUT!!! knowing you if you tell me there is a tree in here, I believe there is one in here. Well this is not his first weird thing I have had him cut for me.

So What are your thoughts??

#3

Well I can’t wait for a couple answers, so here we go.

IMG_5767 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Now you can see the start, The trunk is rolled into mostly round, the roots are bent out.

#4

IMG_5768 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Now the limbs are being shaped. I set the tree in between the 2 structures to check the fitting or positioning of the limbs.

So I come up with this shape, keeping the main limb for the tree house in the mind to remember I have to build a tree house up there.

IMG_5769 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

I use Magic Sculpt to build up the limbs getting them ready for placing small branches from SCENIC EXPRESS

#5

Dennis;

The tree is looking great. I do have a question. On a real tree there is a root system as intricate as the above ground tree. As I look at your project, I have to think, “How will he keep it from getting top-heavy?” Will you have a fastener for the base, or will you conceal additional weight in the bottom half of the trunk? OR is it something else altogether?

Best wishes, David Meashey

#6

Thanks Dave

I will place 2 screws into the magic sculpt in the root system thought the 1" foam under it down into the 5/8" plywood. Magic Sculpt is very tough, we will plant some

weeds over the screw heads.

#7

The following picture shows the limbs before and after the leaves have been added to the small trees.

I bought a box of the tree foilage below from Scenic Express …https://www.sceneryexpress.com/

The small limbs are soaked in Matt Medium and removed , excess shook off, then sprinkled with the leaf foilage from scenic express.

SuperTrees are a natural scale tree form indigenous to the Artic tundra of Scandinavia. A distant cousin to our western sagebrush, their intricate detail and perfect branch structure produce an incredible scale tree unsurpassed in realism.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jfDauB][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2jfDauB]IMG_5776[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/56388842@N06/]Dennis Rayon[/url], on Flickr

IMG_5815 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

I added the two story tree house with a pirates crows nest flag

IMG_5819 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

The one boy is laying out on a big limb with a telascope looking at the nearly naked lady

The one boy has a sling shot getting ready to shoot, Welllllll not quite sure what. Then the other boy is hollering at the peeper.

#8

IMG_5821 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Just in case young girls wants to climb the steps

#9

Awesome. Great whimsy. Love the treehouse. “No girls a loud” unless they are older ladies with few clothes on? Nice job as usual, Dennis!

#10

Thanks Jim, It was fun and a totally new thing to make. The tree between the buildings really topped off the effects of realism.

Truthfully a lot of this trailer has brought new things to both of us.

#11

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50048798096_e8980ae420_b.jpg)

spanky and our gang he man woman haters club

#12

I love it thanks for the share, Bill