The battle of Gata Forest 1365

[Susofrick]

Given the casualties something to be casual about. Oh, this is going slow! Sorry!

[Peter]

Great looking casualties! The arrows are good done!

[SamSagace]

Excellent work ! I see some progress in the project ... one step done !

[MABO]

Nice to see that you are still working on this project, Gunnar.

[Dad's Army]

Take your time Gunnar, seems these guys are dead anyway...

[SamSagace]

Take your time Gunnar, seems these guys are dead anyway...

[Kekso]

Hahahaha, splendid comment Remco

[Susofrick]

Yup, they're starting smell, well, strange.

[Susofrick]

Hmm, took six years to grow a tree. Did one before, but was NOT satisfied with it. Used too thick wire. Well, a project ain't dead until it start to smell and my dead doesn't smell anymore! The new wire-tree was quite easy, but how do you get paint to stick to it??? Do I have to wash it? Tried thinned-out woodglue and it did not stick to the surface.

Ah, yes! Pics! Sorry!

The new tree:



A comparison with the old tree:

[Michael Robert]

Gunnar,

from the pictures the wire used for the tree seem laquered (or varnished). No wonder wood-glue (or white glue) won't stick.
You need to scrape off the varnish - now certainly difficult. Since it is made from metal you can also burn it off by holding the tree into the fire. That tree won't burn!
Afterwards some scraping to get rid of ashes and make the surface more rugged: Bingo! You can paint it with water-based paints or diluted white glue.

We'll wait for your result. We have patience
Michael

[Ben90]

You could otherwise cover the tree with a thin layer of papermache (maybe from toilet-paper) or use milliput to cover up the plastic. But nice tree so far!

[Peter]

That was a very long wintersleep from this project!

Paul, Beano Boy has a nice tutorial on making trees this way.

[Susofrick]

Couldn't find that turorial. Now that I know how to do it I can change to other kind of wire. Nice! It was a quite sparse forest so I don't need that many trees.

[SamSagace]

Hey Gunnar, nice tree !
I think that wood-glue could work. And adding paper-toilet is also a good idea ( 1- wood glue 2-paper ).
You can try to remove the varnish with acetone , it works for paint. ( tried on some mithril figures)

[... and I've seen a nice Mordor Orc drummer on the table ... seems to be M312 ]

[Bessiere]

For getting wire to take paint might I suggest using a sandblaster to rough up the surface and remove any hand grease remaining?

[Beano Boy]

There are many ways to cover scratch built trees before painting and flocking them.
Using cheap toilet paper and white glue seems to be a good one suggested here within this topic,
and one i have also used myself.

Over many years i have experimented in lots of ways to dress up trees.
Presently using twisted wire,glue and desert Chinchilla clay is an avenue of ongoing samples.


THE TWIST

i kind'da like both trees Gunnar.
i would advise that you to work on both trees at this ongoing time.
Perhaps add a bush to your scene?
Odd numbers look attractive to the eye,
so 3 items will hold the eyes of interest in photographic terms.

A table spoonful of white glue
added to 2 table spoons of water
with a good squirt of washing up soap in it,
will work well in making a resin,
if you add Polly Filler or its like to it.
Or you could add a spoonful of Plaster of Paris if you have some.
The mixture aimed for and needed is a creamy one.
The soap will act as a plasticiser so will prevent the stuff going off quick,
giving one plenty of time to work it on with a cheap brush.
i use a 20 Pence Brush from the local toy shop.

THE TWIST

It is natural out in the world that trees twist while growing
and they define this motionless corkscrew well so my advice is try to retain some of it.

[Susofrick]

Continued a little with my trees. Found some thin, quite hard, wire that I bought for this purpose years ago and then forgot. Since I have to cover them with something (started with toilet paper) I can use both wires. Thought about burning away the green stuff during the weekend since we're probably having a little barbecue fire, but it felt a little radical! So here are the latest pics on my treework:

Shiny:



And both (one with toiletpaperwork started):



And maybe, as Paul (BB) suggested, just paint one without cover. Fun to try this!

[Susofrick]

Tried to burn the rubbery stuff from a wiretree, but well, eh







I think it's better to cover it in toilet-paper. Un-used!!!!!

But it was quite fun to burn it!

[Susofrick]

I didn't save the burned tree, I made another one. Now I have three trees, two that I will cover in paper and one that I will just paint at least try to). Well, now this topic will rest a while until I have finished my trees and in the meantime it is back to my Crimeans and Ålla's furniture.



Even if it was a sparse forest (if that is correct English) I will need more trees.

[Peter]

I heard a complain from a house that they are building somewhere around yours. Seams that all the electric wire has been gone. You don't know something about that, don't you?

Can't wait to see that hundred trees that you will make Gunnar. So far, so good!