Vines

As you know by now I'm busy with a wine farm, therefore vines are needed. I will show you how to create these now.

Get a piece of hardboard (MDF) and cut to size. Drill holes in the centre along the entire length.

Insert cocktail sticks in every second hole.

Cut a slit into both sides of board.

Now raid your wife's\mom's  needle work box for some thread.

Tie the thread as shown.Where thread meets cocktail sticks put a drop of glue to prevent thread from slipping up or down.

The next few steps we will create the plant stem section.

By using copperwire twist into desired forms.

Dip these forms into brown acrylic paint and allow to dry. Essential to dip and not spray, for desired look.

Insert and glue these forms into boards.

Then glue on the bush material, this is duvet stuffing that has been dyed green.

The only steps that remain are to flock and add grapes. Due to stock shortages I'm forced to stop here but will complete when stocks are replenished.

This is a complete one courtesey of Dream Trains.

Cheers
Paul

Laying ballast

Here I will be showing you how to lay ballast on your track.

Here is the track on the cork track bed.

Cut cork track bed egdes at a 45 degree angle.

By using a old credit card sprinkle ballast lightly between track and card. Don't sprinkle to much!

Using a sponge spread ballast in between sleepers, sleepers must be clearly exposed.

Using the credit card remove excess ballast from the inside of track.

Using an old coach, run it along the track a few times to check that tracks are clean.

We will now use the following to make our solution to fix the ballast to the track.

PVA Glue
Dishwashing liquid
Water

Formula for mixture.

70% Water
30% Glue
4 drops dishwashing liquid (needed to break surface retention)

Using a syringe squirt the solution in the centre of the track it will automatically run over the 45 degree edges. Do not be shy with the quantity of solution being squirted.

Do short pieces at a time, with gaps in between to give time for previous section to set.

When finished it should look as follows.

And

This is a very tedious process so be patient.....

Enjoy
Paul