Cutlers Green Cameo (diorama)

[michael mott]

Well having posted a picture on Rob's Flaxfield thread and realizing that a small portable model that allows for a number of landscaping tests without getting overwhelmed and needing a distraction from cutting brass with a jeweler's saw. I thought why not have a play.
Using one of the 1/32 V2 parcel van bodies that will be modified a bit and "aged" as the "waiting room" and seeing a lot of fun details at the halt, also some commercial track albeit spiked and not chaired, but I can overlook that as I am not trying to make an exact replica but more of a possibility. and it is my railway even though I have adopted the Cutlers Green name.







So using an existing small baseboard a bit of 3/4" foam I have made a start.
Michael

 

[NHY 581]

That's looking very promising indeed, Michael.

Rob.

 

[3 LINK]

Good morning Michael,

I look forward to the updates, it should make a great diorama. I noticed the branches you are using to represent the trees look spot on with their height, although trees never seem to scale well on layouts. Have you had any thoughts yet as to how you will apply any greenery to the branches ?

Regards,

Martyn.

 

[michael mott]

hello Martyn, the tree structures are prunings from the Amure Maple in my back yard. In the past I have used a mixture of Woodlands and chopped fall leaves I will do a few more experiments with those same materials, just like any other additive process, the order and amounts of materials can make or break the desired results. One area that I have absolutely no knowledge is static grass and its application, should anyone care to share advice pitfalls etc I would really appreciate it. I will continue to share stuff that I figure out.
Michael

 

[michael mott]

Still playing with the layout of the trees and proportions of the base.



I think that I need to add a bit of depth to the area behind the van body to properly accommodate the trees. later photographs can be taken outdoors with real sky and distant landscape to create the illusion of place. The white backdrop is good for checking the massing of the immediate trees.
Michael

 

[3 LINK]

Hi Michael ,
I have been using the static grass method for some time now, and I only use one supplier now for the static grass and that’s Green Scenes, mainly because in my opinion the colours are very natural. Some suppliers seem to add some quite weird bright colours mixed in with the green. The static applicator I use is from Flockit, and that does the job. The grass I use is mainly 6mm in height as I model in O gauge, I sometimes use the longer grass which is 12 mm but that has a tendency to lay flat, but I use a hoover to tease it back upright, but don’t have the nozzle to close or you’ll be left with a bald patch. I put a piece of fine mesh or one of the wife’s stocking over the nozzle to catch any loose strands so you can always use them again. Hope this helps, here are a couple of my efforts.





All the best,

Martyn.

 

[michael mott]

Thank you Martyn, I appreciate you comments and the photographs.
Michael

 

[alant]

Hi Michael, if you only have a relatively small area to grass it is fairly easy to "plant" without using an applicator. I did the area in the photo below by pushing the grass into a bed of thick pva glue using my fingers. O gauge and a mix of 6mm and I think 10mm grass from memory.

 

[michael mott]

Hi Michael, if you only have a relatively small area to grass it is fairly easy to "plant" without using an applicator. I did the area in the photo below by pushing the grass into a bed of thick pva glue using my fingers. O gauge and a mix of 6mm and I think 10mm grass from memory.
View attachment 229140

Thank you for this Alan ? I really like the look of the grass dropping over it looks very natural. Did you take any photographs of the process?
Michael

 

[alant]

Thank you for this Alan ? I really like the look of the grass dropping over it looks very natural. Did you take any photographs of the process?
Michael

No photos of the process I'm afraid. I just planted a "pinch" of the grass strands and worked on about 4 or 5 square inches a time.

 

[NHY 581]

Hi Michael,

The basic process I follow is this,

Paint ground cover. I use a matt dark earth colour from an aerosol.

I use good quality PVA rather than a basing glue ( which is essentially a runny PVA ) The difference is that the wood glue PVA dries and therefore forms a skin quicker than the basing glue which takes longer to dry. Both will dry clear but the basing glue, such as that from Woodland Scenics will dry matt. A basing glue will be roughly double the price of a comparatively sized container of wood glue.

As you know, I model in 4mm but this will apply equally well to 7mm.
I always start with a layer of 2mm as a base layer.




I then use a layering glue from a aerosol and spray the 2mm before then applying 4mm in layers.



I would suggest an initial base if 2mm, then 4mm then 6mm ( 7mm if using Woodland Scenics products )




In between these layers you can add fine flock, leaf material or very fine flock to suggest flower heads. Simply put, it us what you make of it. Again, Woodland Scenics market a four pack set of flower heads which work very well. They also do a four pack called seed heads ( I think !). A pinch or sprinkle of either added to freshly applied layering glue will suffice. They land where they land.



Use a proper applicator. Those that look like a sieve are best avoided. Experience tells me they do not work that well at all.

I've had a few issues with Woodland Scenics static grass and now avoid it. I use WWS products which work very well but I'm not sure of your access to these in your part of the world.

Hope this helps.


Rob

 

[john lewsey]

Hi Michael ,
I have been using the static grass method for some time now, and I only use one supplier now for the static grass and that’s Green Scenes, mainly because in my opinion the colours are very natural. Some suppliers seem to add some quite weird bright colours mixed in with the green. The static applicator I use is from Flockit, and that does the job. The grass I use is mainly 6mm in height as I model in O gauge, I sometimes use the longer grass which is 12 mm but that has a tendency to lay flat, but I use a hoover to tease it back upright, but don’t have the nozzle to close or you’ll be left with a bald patch. I put a piece of fine mesh or one of the wife’s stocking over the nozzle to catch any loose strands so you can always use them again. Hope this helps, here are a couple of my efforts.

View attachment 229116

View attachment 229117

All the best,

Martyn.

Hi Martyn, could you possibly tell me the mixtures of shades that you use.
John

 

[Dog Star]

We have been using static grass on our 7mm layout for more than ten years. We started with fibres from general modelling suppliers and the colours were garish and/or tinged heavily with red or blue fibres. Yuk. Talking with Gordon Gravett he pointed me towards Greenscenes and suggested shades and lengths for our Forest of Dean layout. We have not looked back.

John Lloyd retired several years back and sold the Greenscenes business to Squires Tools from where I am happy to replenish stocks on a regular basis. The Greenscenes static grass fibres have yet to be incorporated into the Squires on-line catalogues... the staff taking telephone orders are aware of the Greenscenes products and provide the correct order codes.

We put down a base layer of 4mm Spring Green and then add a layer of 6mm Spring Green mixed with small quantities of Fawn and Straw for the late spring vegetation.

Rgds, Graham

 

[michael mott]

https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/attachments/20220304_153621-01-jpeg.229157/

Rob I really like the look of the trunk on this tree in this picture as well. Thanks for the sep by step of your way of doing the grass.

Graham, I might have the same issues re UK suppliers that members on your side of the big pond have with stuff from this side. I shall have to see what else there is here other than Woodland Scenics. Thanks for the information all the same.

Michael

 

[3 LINK]

Hi Martyn, could you possibly tell me the mixtures of shades that you use.
John

Hi John, sorry for the late reply. The name of the product that I use is Grass Masters on the older packets, but I think this still comes under the Green Scene banner. I use their spring and summer variety and on the packet it just says long, which is about 6mm. They now do a lush green but it doesn’t look that natural to my eyes. Sometimes I mix the spring and summer, and they do blend well.

Home Page

quality scenic modelling materials

www.green-scenes.co.uk

Hope this is of help to you.

Martyn.

 

[john lewsey]

Thank you Martyn, the colours in your photo look very natural to me.
John