Hydrostone Rocks (1 Viewer)

[mikemiller1955]

I made some hydrostone rocks...I had bought some rubber molds some time ago...I bought them when I first started hobbying...when I built the bricks for my castle...

just out of boredom...I made a few rocks and painted them...gluing them to some styrofoam...

One good thing came out of this project...

I have always had trouble gluing to styrofoam...

I found out that a "hot glue" gun bonds extremely well and extremely fast...

EXTREMELY WELL AND EXTREMELY FAST...

Rocks to styrofoam...styrofoam to styrofoam...anything to styrofoam...in seconds...

Glue guns are cheap...about $5.00...glue sticks about the same...$5.00.

 

[OldDragon]

Hello Mike

Your rocks are .. awesome. Where did the vegetation & trees come from ?

Happy holidays

OD

 

[marco55]

I agree with OD Mike.
Mark

 

[mikemiller1955]

Hello Mike

Your rocks are .. awesome. Where did the vegetation & trees come from ?

Happy holidays

OD

Thanks...the trees I made from branches I collected...I have a good sized forest now...about 30 hand made trees...the shrub behind the front guy is JG...the rest of the groundwork is just moss run through a coffee grinder.

 

[Wraith]

Thanks...the trees I made from branches I collected...I have a good sized forest now...about 30 hand made trees...the shrub behind the front guy is JG...the rest of the groundwork is just moss run through a coffee grinder.

Hot cup of mossee first thing in the morning? Mmmm.....sounds nice.
They look very good, and very realistically painted up. Nice one.

Simon

 

[OldDragon]

Mike

Just admiring the rocks & the trees again ... and remembering your earlier river dio. Have you thought of going for a "waterfall " .. ?
That would be nice ... No

OD

 

[Deitz]

Excellent work, you rocks and trees are awesome.

 

[mestell]

Excellently done rocks Michael.
Mike

 

[mikemiller1955]

Thanks for the compliments on the trees and rocks...

I'm amassing a pretty good sized forest...

kind of needed if you collect French Indian War...

I have around 30 trees already...

one batch of light green and one batch of dark green...

I'm showing them seperated...

but they look good together...the different shades of each group...

the hardest part about making the trees is finding the armatures (trunks)...

because you want something sturdy...full...intricate...realistic...a certain height and definitely 3 deminsional...

when I play golf...I find myself occasionally picking up a branch here and there...my friends think it's hysterical...

after a round...I usually go home with some plastic baggies filled with some delicate wild weed, tiny shrubs or forest growth...and use it in the dioramas...

it's hard to beat Mother Nature for realism and the price is right.

I have seen these trees for sale....and they are not cheap!!!

 

[mikemiller1955]

Thanks for the compliments on the trees and rocks...

I'm amassing a pretty good sized forest...

kind of needed if you collect French Indian War...

I have around 25 trees already...

one batch of light green and one batch of dark green...

I'm showing them seperated...

but they look good together...the different shades of each group...

the hardest part about making the trees is finding the armatures (trunks)...

because you want something sturdy...full...intricate...realistic...a certain height and definitely 3 deminsional...

when I play golf...I find myself occasionally picking up a branch here and there...my friends think it's hysterical...

after a round...I usually go home with some plastic baggies filled with some delicate wild weed, tiny shrubs or forest growth...and use it in the dioramas...

it's hard to beat Mother Nature for realism and the price is right.

 

[marco55]

I was just outside collecting some stones (boulders in TS world)and some tree branches myself.One question Mike,the branches I get around here doesn't have armatures.Do you find yours that way or do you glue them on?The ones I find I usually use for deadfall.And people look at me funny also.Screw Them!
Mark

 

[mikemiller1955]

I was just outside collecting some stones (boulders in TS world)and some tree branches myself.One question Mike,the branches I get around here doesn't have armatures.Do you find yours that way or do you glue them on?The ones I find I usually use for deadfall.And people look at me funny also.Screw Them!
Mark

Mark...the branches or armatures...that I use...I don't modify by gluing additional branches to them...I have thought about that and I'm sure it will work...

I'm sure they could be easily modified to be bigger and more full by attaching additional limbs by a drilled "female" hole and "male" stem method to the trunk...then glued...

I recommend a hot glue gun...

the best pieces I have found...have been on 6 shrubs I lost to saltwater flooding from Hurricane Ike last year...

the shrubs were Chinese Boxwoods...a real common shrub...

the best pieces I usually find are on small shrubs that you find in the woods...like on the edge of a golf course...

I actually keep a pair of pruning shears in my golf bag...hehehehe...

and yes i get funny looks too...

me and the golf pro at my local house are good friends...he lets me borrow a cart and is aware that I am chopping up his landscape...he even gives me sand from the fresh deliveries for the bunkers...the little bit I take...nobody will miss...be careful of snakes...always take a golf club and watch were you step.

 

[chalklands]

Pretty impressive trees Michael. What do you use for the green stuff?

 

[mikemiller1955]

Pretty impressive trees Michael. What do you use for the green stuff?

Woodland's scenic clump foliage (any hobby store...many different colors available)...

adhesive spray...Wal Mart $1.95 a can...

spray armature limbs and sit for a few minutes...gets tackier...

dip sticky armature into the bag of foliage...let sit and dry...

after it dries...add some more foliage with a hot glue gun to fill in needed spots...

recommend hot glue gun from Wal Mart...about $5.00...

and glue sticks about $5.00...

be careful of stringy "glue strands" and burning your hands...

and then a coat of Krylon matte spray to hold all in place...Wal Mart $2.77 a can...

pretty cheap trees...

I have seen these from $20.00 (smallish)...to $80.00.

 

[chalklands]

I'll have to try this technique. They do look good. Well done!

 

[marco55]

I have seen these from $20.00 (smallish)...to $80.00.[/QUOTE]

Yes,These trees are way overpriced in my opinion.
Mark

 

[mikemiller1955]

I have seen these from $20.00 (smallish)...to $80.00.

Yes,These trees are way overpriced in my opinion.
Mark[/QUOTE]

Thank you Pete...

yea Mark...

some of them are really expensive...

I think you can make your own for $2.00 to $3.00 each...

seems like the more I make...the easier and better I get at it.

 

[chalklands]

Yes,These trees are way overpriced in my opinion.
Mark

Thank you Pete...

yea Mark...

some of them are really expensive...

I think you can make your own for $2.00 to $3.00 each...

seems like the more I make...the easier and better I get at it.[/QUOTE]
Maybe you should go into business!!

 

[thebritfarmer]

Wonderful Mike, you really are good at this stuff. Just a tip I learned (and if you have one) a hairdryer will get rid of those pesky glue strings.

 

[mikemiller1955]

I had a few leftover rocks and tried to make a cliff or mountainside wall...

I did this one with a black wash instead of a brown wash like the first one...

It's only 24x12...I had run out of styrofoam too...but I think it will hold quite a few figures because of it's length...

The trees are removeable...there is a picture below without the trees...

I might put Jenkin's Gatherer's or Hunter's on it...

I have 7 sets of USCH05...so I may make a line of Scott's marching with USCH08...10 and 11.

The Knights and Saracens may work well with the wall too...

and the Frontline IWC.4 might work well with it...

I guess any wagon would work on it...

Anyway...whatever I do...it will sit on my shelf til I get tired of it and then make something else to take it's place...