Embrace an Angry Wind, Western American Soldiers from 1778 to 1865 (3 Viewers)

Step Four - once sanded, the surface is dry brushed to highlight features of the bark and provide color to match the tree you are trying to simulate. After the paint has dried, additional small branches are added to the tree in a layer approach starting at the top of the tree and then working down until you have the desired look. The branches are added by creating a hole in the surface with either a push pin or small nail, glue added to the branch then inserted. Small branches can use white or wood glue, larger branches require super glue to allow quick drying.

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After all of the branches are added, I remove the working nail from the base of the trunk and replace with a permanent base made of 1 or 2 thin washers and final pin/nail to provide stability and a means to attach the tree to diorama bases using magnets. The bases are finished off to match the ground floor of the final large forest diorama base

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Step Five - After the tree is complete, I clean up and have fun with the new tree!!!! As you can see, this tree will play a part in my next diorama about the Sherfy house. As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments for improvement for the tutorial and how to make a better tree. Chris

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Chris, all I can say is, how many can you build and how much would they cost! {sm3} Great stuff mate, they have turned out brilliantly and the tuition was just fine.

Tom
 
Hi Chris
Thanks very much for the step by step guide, very interesting and a great result.
Well done.
Steve
 
Chris, first, the tree looks great and something you can use endlessly in future dios. Second, thanks for the tutorial, excellent description and pics. What are the end branches and foliage made of? Thanks, Chris
 
7th OVI said:
Step Five - After the tree is complete, I clean up and have fun with the new tree!!!! As you can see, this tree will play a part in my next diorama about the Sherfy house. As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments for improvement for the tutorial and how to make a better tree. Chris
Click to expand...

Great tutorial !!

A lot of work, but great results...the "Magnet" idea with the washers is interesting...could you explain how you place the magnets on the base ?

I also would like to know if you purchased the 'small' branches with foliage, or made them ?

Thank you.
 
Ivanhoe said:
Great tutorial !!

I also would like to know if you purchased the 'small' branches with foliage, or made them ?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

That is my question also. Where did the small branches with foliage come from. I missed that Step Also.
Thanks for the tutorial and I hope you divulge your source of the small branches.

Howard
 
They look great.How come anytime I try something it never comes out looking like this.Must be because I have no artistic talent.^&grin
Mark
 
Thanks everybody, here are the answers to the questions.

I build them in batches of 3 and generally can do a batch start to finish in 3 weeks elapsed time, which means if all I did was build trees, I could have 3 trees coming off my assembly line every week as each batch is completed in parallel. I have no idea what I would charge for them as I never thought anyone would want them. Tom, you ever make it to the states for a show I am attending or in the Seattle area, I will be more then happy to give you one as a gift. Do you really think people would buy these trees if priced right?

The source for the small branches or foliage I use is "Large", "Medium" or "Small Oak Trees" from Grand Central Gems (www.grandcentralgems.com), they make materials for serious railroaders and modelers. They will come in packs of 6 or 12 or other various quantities based on the size. For large trees, like the one I just built, I usually use 1 to 2 packages of Medium size per tree. I tried buying the material once in bulk but it was more than I needed so I continue to use Grand Central Gems as a source It is the same material that Ken and Erica have used in some of their trees and foliage from Hudson and Allen. I had one time thought about making trees with laser cut leaves, especially for maple trees, I have made a few and will make some for small vignettes or close ups. That will be another tutorial at some time.

Magnets, I drill holes in the large or master bases and then super glue magnets into the base, when creating the surface, I use washers the size that is put on the trees with wax paper wrapped around them to leave a clean space for the base of the trees. Sounds more complicate then it is. I need to make a base for the big trees anyway. I love the magnets and metal bases on the trees as I have used it in a number of ways for staging, temporary storage and so on to prevent that accidental "tip over" that causes chaos in the toy soldier ranks. I can do a tutorial on that if you would like for the master bases and how that is done.

I have tried making trees for my dioramas for almost 10 years and this is the best I have come up with so far. I do not know if I am an artist, more like stubborn or obsessed with the detail.

As always, I appreciate the kind words and hope this helps. Chris
 
7th OVI said:
Thanks everybody, here are the answers to the questions.

I build them in batches of 3 and generally can do a batch start to finish in 3 weeks elapsed time, which means if all I did was build trees, I could have 3 trees coming off my assembly line every week as each batch is completed in parallel. I have no idea what I would charge for them as I never thought anyone would want them. Tom, you ever make it to the states for a show I am attending or in the Seattle area, I will be more then happy to give you one as a gift. Do you really think people would buy these trees if priced right?

The source for the small branches or foliage I use is "Large", "Medium" or "Small Oak Trees" from Grand Central Gems (www.grandcentralgems.com), they make materials for serious railroaders and modelers. They will come in packs of 6 or 12 or other various quantities based on the size. For large trees, like the one I just built, I usually use 1 to 2 packages of Medium size per tree. I tried buying the material once in bulk but it was more than I needed so I continue to use Grand Central Gems as a source It is the same material that Ken and Erica have used in some of their trees and foliage from Hudson and Allen. I had one time thought about making trees with laser cut leaves, especially for maple trees, I have made a few and will make some for small vignettes or close ups. That will be another tutorial at some time.

Magnets, I drill holes in the large or master bases and then super glue magnets into the base, when creating the surface, I use washers the size that is put on the trees with wax paper wrapped around them to leave a clean space for the base of the trees. Sounds more complicate then it is. I need to make a base for the big trees anyway. I love the magnets and metal bases on the trees as I have used it in a number of ways for staging, temporary storage and so on to prevent that accidental "tip over" that causes chaos in the toy soldier ranks. I can do a tutorial on that if you would like for the master bases and how that is done.

I have tried making trees for my dioramas for almost 10 years and this is the best I have come up with so far. I do not know if I am an artist, more like stubborn or obsessed with the detail.

As always, I appreciate the kind words and hope this helps. Chris
Click to expand...

Chris, that's very kind of you to offer and maybe in the not to distant future I might make it across the big ditch and visit the good old USA. I still remember my last trip fondly back in 1997 and I enjoyed my visit to Seattle. Nice city and the state of Washington is very nice as well. As for your trees selling, I have no doubt they would sell. The only issue would be getting them to someone in one piece!

Tom
 
Chris,
I am sure you can sell those trees. I have encouraged Erika in the past for W. Britains to make and sell the large Old growth trees that they use in their Dioramas. I am sure that a polystyrene mold for the trunks would be inexpensive and reduce the cost of manufature of these trees and shorten lead times.I pay a lot for commercially made trees form JG minatures and Build-A-rama but they still are not large enough to reflect early American old growth forests. Thanks you for sharing your modeling skills. I do a little modeling myself but am still a novice.

Howard
 
Chris,

I agree with everyone else here. This tutorial is quite helpful. I don't know how much of an enterprising spirit you have but the market for these is probably huge. I think you wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand.

As Howard said above, I too spend a lot on trees from JG Miniatures and from an outlet called Scenic Express. Their trees are nice but it would be great to have some kind of custom made trees to reflect an early American forest.

Thanks for sharing this with us and please don't hesitate to add more, especially a tutorial on how you do the tree bases.

Mark
 
I agree with these guys these trees would sell well.
Mark
 
I have also talked to Ken and Erica in the past but tree making is very tedious and time consuming work. With everything else they do and are now doing with WB, there is just no capacity for them to make trees. I should probably put this in another thread but here goes. I think have worked out the details (boxing, shipping, handling, costs, time, etc.) to allow me to produce some deciduous trees for anyone who is interested. They will be in 3 basic sizes, 4 - 6 inches, 6 - 10 inches and 10 to 14 inches in height. Lead time will be about 3 to 4 weeks per batch of 3 and I am open to any custom work. I can only do so many so delivery will depend on my back log if there is any, I may make some for stock if the demand warrants it and target to start in October. As far as the pine trees, I suggest you obtain the pine trees that I have used in my dioramas direct from the Scenic Factory, if you want I can make custom pine trees using theirs as a basic model and then create battle damaged and uprooted ones (look like a tank ran them over) that John does not offer.

I am retired and not looking for a new career in miniature landscaping and will do my best and price these trees competitively. These trees are my artistic interpretation of what a 1/30 scale tree looks like and may not be for everyone as "art speaks to all of us differently". PM me if interested and we can work out the details, Chris
 
It has been some time since I have posted anything on the forum. I have had some personal challenges that are hopefully ending soon. I did have time to create a quick diorama of the back yard of the Sherfy house at Gettysburg with members of the 114th PA. I thought I would take an image of the backs of the figures to show the detail on them as we usually focus on the fronts. Look for more posts and the re starting of my Miniature Tree business in the coming few months. All the best and a happy holidays to everyone on the forum.

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Great looking diorama there Chris.
Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more of your dios.
I used your tip with the lights on my Quatre Bras British line facing French column attack on my dio last week !
Hope you are overcoming your challenges, the forum certainly helps take your mind off of things for a while.
Steve
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Great subject Chris, I know you're a western theater enthusiast, but I'd love to see you expand on this one and tackle Barksdale's Charge, I know you'd do a superb job on it.

Best of luck with your issues, hope they weren't too bad, Merry Christmas to you and yours.........
 
Thanks for showing your process for making trees, Chris! That is very instructive and give me ideas....

Prost!
Brad
 
Well, I lost my last post, just to let you know that I am back from my challenges and hard at work on the next diorama which will involve the Clash of Empires figures. I will be working on one for the Peach Orchard and one based on the Troiani painting titled Retreat by Recoil. Just got the Mass. battery flag and it is stunning. Appreciate all of your well wishes and patience it has been a long 6 months but I am back doing what I love. I am also offering trees for sale on a separate thread if interested. Thx Chris
 
Thought I would start small, in the spirit of WB's symposium in the western part of Ohio, here is a vignette that depicts a potential scene that may would have occurred during Crawford's Expedition. It is the summer of 1782 and Col. Crawford has led a group of approximately 500 militia, mostly from Pennsylvania, deep into the Indian territory. The object was to destroy Indian towns along the Sandusky river to slow or even stop Indian raids that had been occurring against rebel settlements. After a day of fighting, the Indians and Tories from fort Detroit had surrounded Crawford's force. The decision was made for Crawford's force to retreat in the evening but confusion caused the command to become splintered that resulted in small groups trying to make it home to Pennsylvania. The Indians and Tories pursued them and in some cases caught the small groups with dire consequences for the militia. This would even include Col. Crawford and his group. This scene shows the point where the Indians catch up with Crawford's group in Western/Central Ohio. Hope you enjoy it. Back to the Civil War in the next scene. Chris

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