Normandy Bocage diorama

[AlanG]

Started to cut and shape some lollipop sticks for my wooden gate. Working out the sizes was 'fun'. Got to have a think about how to make it look old(ish) and slightly worn.

I've looked into the white vinegar technique to grey the wood.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Alan
This is very interesting. Moss looks to be a most useful natural resource and as John says it can just be dried.

I've looked into the white vinegar technique to grey the wood

Intriguing - you'll have to tell all.
Jim

 

[AlanG]

Intriguing - you'll have to tell all.

Place steel wool (not the one with cleaner bits in it) into a spare pot (yogurt pots are ideal) and put in a measured amount of vinegar. Leave this to do its thing for at least 24 hours.

When ready add the same measured amount of water to the solution. So if you added 10 cap fulls of vinegar then add 10 cap fulls of water.

Use an old paint brush and brush the solution onto your bit of wood. It will turn from 'new' to grey. The longer you leave the solution the more it'll turn the wood grey.

 

[Jim R]

Thanks Alan. Looking forward to seeing your results, if you go down that route.

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

Emmanuel Nouaillier had some great articles on making wood etc look old.
Sent you a PM

 

[GerryW]

In the recesses of my memory, there's something about using grape 'tresses' for trees (what's left after eating the grapes) that was mentioned a while ago - I've a couple that are drying out, for when I'll need them, looking as though they'll need 'leaves' and possibly the parsley leaves sound like a plan!

 

[AlanG]

Well although i had trunks for the trees i've yet still to find the main branches for them. And those i have found need selecting carefully for sizes. So as a back up i picked some well dried broken branches i've had for a while. And if i am honest they already give the sort of look for the branches going over top of the road look, i want. They still need trimming to size in places but they are a good starting point.
I'll still need to add finer branches for the foliage and i'm thinking of going down the seafoam route for that.

 

[Mini Me]

That's shaping up nicely Alan.
Rick H.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Alan
Certain things in model making are very hard to make convincingly and trees are high up on that list. It looks as if you are well into this. Seafoam seems a good choice for fine branches and twigs.
Jim

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Alan. Not tried DIY trees yet...

Keep up the good work.

Andrew

 

[AlanG]

Well i've taken the plunge and ordered some seafoam. Not exactly cheap is it? But i should hopefully get 36 small sized branches out of it. Enough for this dio at least.

In the meantime whilst i try and figure something out with the gate, i've went ahead and added a little bit of colour to the scene. Given the time period of the Normandy bocage battles, it was summer, which means flowers. So i've have added a little yellow and pink to the scene (glue is still drying hence why you see it)

 

[minitnkr]

Gardening coming on nicely.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Nice work on the greenery Alan. Especially like the tree shapes because they’ll frame the model really well.

 

[AlanG]

Cheers Paul & Tim. Having some fun with this one. Having looked at pictures of the bocage i recall quite a bit of it had over-hanging trees so to make the lanes quite dark and uncomfortable. They must have been very intimidating to go down knowing you could be attacked at any point and you had no room to manoeuvre.

 

[AlanG]

Few more added

 

[GerryW]

Something to bear in mind is that there's a 'hiatus' of flowers during June/July/early summer (known to beekeepers as the 'summer gap' - no flowers = no pollen) so don't go too overboard with the flowers
Also, trees will reach over the road at just above the regular traffic height (probably would be a hay/straw cart in the area?)

 

[AlanG]

Dandelions don't know what a hiatus is if my lawn is anything to go by lol

But i've added enough at the front of the dio for now. The rear still needs some work but that is for a different part well later on

 

[Jim R]

Hi Alan
That is looking excellent. What are you using for the flowers?
Jim

 

[AlanG]

Spending the morning cleaning up the branches ready for the seafoam (when it arrives) and painting. slow process but i have Wardruna, Eivor and Heilung playing away in the background. Nice and chilled

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Alan.

ATB.

Andrew