Deano353 Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 I am making a diorama which needs a lot of foliage, the leaves are going to need to be quite big. So can I take actual leaves and maybe coat them in klear and then use them or will they still turn brown and die and pretty much ruin the diorama? The bags of leaves on websites I have seen aren't really what I need so can real ones be used, and if so would Klear preserve them or is there something else that will? Any advice on this is much appreciated as I have not done this before so I really don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhouse Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 I think @Badder is the chap you need to talk to! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Newsome Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 If memory serves me correctly you can use glycerine. Never having done it myself I can't be much more help I'm afraid but it might be a good start for an internet search. I also seem to recall you can use hairspray. Roger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 (edited) 47 minutes ago, bhouse said: I think @Badder is the chap you need to talk to! Hi and thanks for the advert, Brian! I hope you are well? 1 hour ago, Deano353 said: I am making a diorama which needs a lot of foliage, the leaves are going to need to be quite big. So can I take actual leaves and maybe coat them in klear and then use them or will they still turn brown and die and pretty much ruin the diorama? The bags of leaves on websites I have seen aren't really what I need so can real ones be used, and if so would Klear preserve them or is there something else that will? Any advice on this is much appreciated as I have not done this before so I really don't know. Hi Deano, First off, what scale is your diorama going to be? I'll assume it's going to be 1/35th or greater. Whatever scale, I would strongly advise against using real leaves of any sort. Coating them with varnish will only preserve them for a while - they will turn brown, become brittle and will eventually crumble because all organic things will decompose over time, Of course, wood/woody things will last longer, but leaves and flowers will spoil fairly quickly. At the moment, I am experimenting with using mosses - more to use as whole plants rather than leaves - preserving them in glycerine (glycerol) which is available from chemists in large bottles, or from supermarket bakery/cake-making shelves, in small bottles. The glycerine is drawn up into the living moss (or other plants/flowers) and into the living cells. It kills the cells/plant, but sets like a gel and is supposed to make them last - how long, I don't know yet, but certainly long enough for advanced diorama-makers to think it's worth the effort. But back to leaves. I use paper. With the acid content, and woody fibres, dry paper will basically last forever - certainly for longer than any of us will live! They don't need varnishing and accept paint/inks readily. There are purpose-made leaf paper punches available (some of which I have purchased) but they are quite expensive and many are not 'well thought out'. For instance, I have punches which will punch out say, 4 oak leaves, each in a different scale. All very well, but if I want 100 1/35th oak leaves, that's a lot of waste of paper and time. It would be better to have 4 leaves of the same scale on one punch. So, I also hunt through the shelves at hobby stores (Hobbycraft) and look for punches which are NOT for punching out leaves, but have parts within the pattern that DO resemble leaves. I have around 8 punches (all much cheaper than purpose made leaf-punches) and some of those will punch out 28 small leaves in one go - plus small circles that can be used for flowers. Those that punch out 'paper-chain' snowflakes are particularly good 'with 6 leaf shapes per snowflake (1 on each of the ends of the arms of the 'star'. There are other punches which punch out a pattern where the 'offcuts' are the useful parts. Have a good look at those paper punches and try to find some that suit your needs. Hobbycraft regularly sell new and different designs so I always have a look whenever I visit. Assuming that you go for paper and paper punches - I punch out loads at a time and store them in little pots. When it comes to fixing them to branches/twigs, I use medium CA, or more recently CA Gel. I apply blobs of the CA along the 'twig' and pick up the leaves with a piece of stretched sprue, which I lick first. Then I offer the leaves up to the blobs of CA, only JUST touching the leaves to them. The CA will grip the leaves and pull the leaves off of the sprue. I am very careful not to let the CA soak into the leaf and stick it to the sprue. Whilst I do use real twigs/plant stems to make tree armatures, I have and do use nylon monofilament fishing line to make twigs and CA to glue paper punched leaves and/or crushed herbs to them. I have lots of pages dedicated to making plants/trees, but if you want more info it's probably best to have a look at my 'Ever Evolvin' Dio' in the diorama WIPs in this forum. There's info and examples of paper punches and what I've made with them (ivy, ground plants, flowers, etc) plus the nylon fishing line and herbs/paper technique AND my experiments with preserving and using moss and glycerine - which I'm not entirely convinced will last long term. I hope you haven't got eye-strain from reading all that, but hopefully I've helped! Rearguards Badder Edited June 22, 2019 by Badder 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 Wow that's awesome thanks, I really appreciate the response there. So I'll leave the real leaves then. I will check out the diorama and your work thanks, I will have to look for those punches you're on about. There aren't any hobby shops left so I will have a look on Hannants I think, unless you can recommend any site that sells them? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Deano353 said: Wow that's awesome thanks, I really appreciate the response there. So I'll leave the real leaves then. I will check out the diorama and your work thanks, I will have to look for those punches you're on about. There aren't any hobby shops left so I will have a look on Hannants I think, unless you can recommend any site that sells them? Hi Deano, Glad to have been of assistance. I didn't realise you are a Belfastian, or is it a 'Belfie'? Surprised there are no hobby shops there. I was meaning 'craft' shops more than model shops. Have a look on line for craft shops. As I said, I recommend 'general' paper punches those designed specifically for punching out leaves. I'm using one now, actually, a big orange thing that punches out a 1 inch diameter 'snowflake' style pattern, but the offcuts provide 6 largish (5mm long) leaf shapes which I use for 'dock leaves' plus 6 small circles which I use as flowers by pressing into the centre with a cocktail stick to turn them more into a trumpet shape, and a single central 'star' shape, which right now I'm using to make oil filler caps for a Tiger I tank engine. They are a bit oversized, but better than doing without. As for sites that sell them, I'd look for paper punches on amazon, find the seller then search the seller's website. Can I ask what scale you are working in, and what it is exactly that plants/trees you are planning to make? Rearguards, Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Newsome Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 You might also consider PE leaves depending on what scale/size you're working in, for example.... https://www.hfminis.co.uk/shop?category=accessories~etched-brass-(foliage) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Deano353 said: Wow that's awesome thanks, I really appreciate the response there. So I'll leave the real leaves then. I will check out the diorama and your work thanks, I will have to look for those punches you're on about. There aren't any hobby shops left so I will have a look on Hannants I think, unless you can recommend any site that sells them? CraftWorld, Queen Street, keeps paper punches for the hobby of scrap-booking 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 Craft world? Damn I will get down there man and have a look, cheers for that Black Knight, also Roger I was looking but those are pretty expensive from what I have seen. I will show you guys what I am doing, also the scale is 1/32 I forgot to say in an earlier reply. Badder it's not Belfie hahaha actually I don't know what it is I haven't heard any term, maybe Belfast man? Something like that. We used to have a really good model shop on Upper Queen St but it closed down years ago then another called the modellers nook which also closed. Anyway I really appreciate the feedback her. I will get a few photos up here. The diorama, which is a present for a birthday is going to be US forces battling Japanese forces with a shot down P51 in-between them and half submerged in a river, I have the Bamboo 1/32 hut from Airfix for this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 'The Model Shop' was in Queen Street. Originally at the base of the old US Consul, later at the end of the street. Upper Queen Street is the other side of Wellington Place. The 'Nook closed a year and half ago. 'My Old Toy Box' model shop is still going strong in the New Smithfield Market Also check out the childrens craft section of a Tesco Extra shop. They keep small paper punches. And Easons keeps some 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 so far so good. Also yeah I know about my old toy box but I can never think what to get and it's probably a good thing that he doesnt take card as I never carry cash so Ive probably saved quite a bit because of that hahaha. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Theres an ATM at the back of Castle Court building, on the outside. A Halifax b/s one afair - It has often supplied me with the necessaries to part with in MOTB, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Newsome Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Another suggestion, it means ordering and paying postage from Germany though.... https://www.fredericus-rex.eu/en/Scenic-Modelling-landscape-design/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrfan Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 OK now we know the scale and type of vegetation jungles often have quite big plam and fern leaves so have a critical look at plastic house plants and aquarium plants. I use plastic house ferns and pluck off the individual fronds and use hot glue to make scale fern trees adding them to a new tree trunk. Sorry not the best photos of the plastic fern trees but you can see what I mean. layout018_zpsc475c584 by tankienz, on Flickr If you want coconut or oil palm trees also easily made with masking tape, florists tape and some florists wire. The coconuts are painted peppercorns. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted June 25, 2019 Author Share Posted June 25, 2019 That's great advice cheers, haven't seen the thread in a few days there. I like the idea of making it myself, those trees are exactly what I am looking to have actually. It's supposed to be a jungle environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrfan Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 (edited) There is a description of how I made the coconut trees spread through this thread http://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/26916/wwii-airfield-diorama-south-pacific Edited June 29, 2019 by dcrfan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 Cheers mate appreciate the info. Cheers to everyone as well for replying it's given me ideas which have been very ueeful for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 On 6/25/2019 at 10:56 AM, Deano353 said: That's great advice cheers, haven't seen the thread in a few days there. I like the idea of making it myself, those trees are exactly what I am looking to have actually. It's supposed to be a jungle environment. Hi Deano, Ah ha, a jungle environment is a big shift from what I was expecting. Mosses would be good for a lot of jungle plants so consider soaking some in glycerine. But I would still rely on paper leaves. At 1/32nd scale you'll find even more 'useful' paper punches than I can working in 1/35th. The fake plastic houseplants suggested by Dcrfan are also more likely to suit your scale as well) Rearguards Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 Plastic houseplants are a great call actually! Could save a lot of work. I will now begin the search. On Saturday. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 This is it so far. The base is small due a lack of space but the scale is huge so I'm doimg my best here. I've got about 15 soldiers to put in this. The bamboo hut is thr airfix 32nd one and the Mustang is a really old revell one. I have never made a crashed plane, bamboo hut, sandy base, or trees. I usually make jets so this is a complete break from the usual for me. Also if you guys can recommend any brands of clear resin for where the plane is gonna be crashed. It's going to be in a river something else I have not made. A lot of firsts. Although the trees and leaves are gonna be the hardest part I can think of. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 (edited) This is the hut, my first time trying to make plastic look like this. Also any constructive criticism for this so far would be appreciated as well. Edited July 2, 2019 by Deano353 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 (edited) I get my resin from this place, so much cheaper than the hobby shop. https://www.cfsnet.co.uk/ They also sell cellulose thinner and IPA at a very good price. The Dio is looking great by the way. Edited July 5, 2019 by rockpopandchips 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Hey man cheers. I bloody missed your post earlier I bought clear drying resin from a local shop and cost me £36.99 no idea if this is expensive for resin or not. To the earlier advice you guys gave me the plastic plants were a great idea I was actually picking up the parcel from hannants at my local depot in Belfast and across the road where I parked was a huge aquarium shop. It had loads of plastic plants which were to my eye close enough to work for the scale. Anyway here is the below photo of where I am at. Also thank you to everyone for the examples and information and ideas it has been of grwat help. So this is my progress. Almost there. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrfan Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 That really is looking jungleish. One comment all the greens are the same. Consider painting a few so there is some variety. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Deano353 said: cost me £36.99 no idea if this is expensive for resin Eeeek, in a word yes! Never mind your dio is looking great but I would take dcrfan's advice with the paint. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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