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Making Palm Trees

a technique by Eric Sikkema
22
Comments

Step Four: Painting

When you have completed your leaves and your trunk is dry you can paint this.

  • As base color I used Track color by Humbroll.

  • Dry-brushed it with Natural Wood by Humbroll.

  • And for the final touch I gave it a wash with a acrylic Desert Yellow by Polly S. (see photo 4)

Step Five: Assembly

Now you have all your components ready to build your palm tree.

  • First wrap some coconut fiber around the top of your tree trunk . This is to imitate old grow of branches.

  • Now put your trunk in to a bench vice.

  • Take a small point tweezers and a pointy object. In my case I used a small watch makers tool. Stick the watchmakers tool into the top of the trunk a create a small space to insert carefully the first branch into the trunk. Do this till you have used all of your leaves. On this tree I used 12.

When you are ready tour tree can look like this.

I wish you all the best with this small workshop.

Eric "De Modelbouwer " Sikkema
Project Photos
CLICK TO ENLARGE


Photo 4

About the Author

About H.L.Sikkema (demodelbouwer)
FROM: NOORD-HOLLAND, NETHERLANDS

hello i'm eric and i live in the Netherlands. I'm married with ilona and have three daugters. for the last year i am a very active modeller. Before that the hobby was only a time distraction. I'm a modeller for over 35 years now and i like to share my knowledge with others in any way i can.


Comments

Spike9077
Eric, thanks for recognizing the idea. I can't blame you for not having enough time to translate anything. I hardly have enoguh time to get in any modelling. So theres no rush, just be sure to tell us when its done. :-) :-) Thanks, Mark
JUN 22, 2002 - 02:08 AM
demodelbouwer
O.K. Mark, I hope to finish the English Version of the site after the summer. So bare with me... But first i have to go on holidays ( to Germany ) ( Belgium ) ( and France ) for the next few weeks. I stay in touch have my notebook with me .... Eric
JUN 22, 2002 - 02:28 PM
Spike9077
Thats no problem Eric, while your on all your trips, I can be learning how to read Dutch. Now that will be a challenge. :-) :-) Actually I can wait. I have to get some modelling in. If I was busy reading your site and Armorama, then I would really have no time for any modelling. Thanks, Mark
JUN 23, 2002 - 07:19 AM
parrot
exellent,but by old elictical wire do you mean like extension cords or what?
JUN 25, 2002 - 04:12 AM
ArmouredSprue
Hi Eric, A really excellent article! I loved it But I got a few questions: what is the gauge of the eletrical wire did you use for the trunk? Also, I didn't understand why did you use the green coated iron wire, why don't you stick with the supplied wire of the artificial leaf? How did you fix the leaves on to the top of the trunk? Did you just insert them to the coconut fiber? Congratulations for the excellent article, and sorry about all questions! :-)
JUN 26, 2002 - 08:56 PM
demodelbouwer
Paulo, So many questions so litte time first : the " gauge " as you named it, and i think you mean how thick the elec.wire is ? The wire is aprrox 1 to 1.5 cm thick ( it is a 5 treads electra wire the one used by machines ) second : i use the greencoated wire so i can bend the leaves more easely into the shape i want them to be. The original plastic centres can not be bend. third : The leaves can be inserted in to the top of the trunk by making so space between the elec wires with a small watchmakers screwdriver. The aprrox. 1 cm of green coated iron wire can then be pushed in to the top of the trunk. Just hold the the leave into a tweezer and place it in the top. And now comes the greencoated elec.wire in handy. It is firm and can be bend so you can sort your leaves in to a nice Palmtree. I hope these answers helped you out Greetz Eric
JUN 27, 2002 - 05:54 AM
ArmouredSprue
Thanks Eric, that´s what i was thinking, but wasn´t sure! Cheers! And enjoy your vacations!
JUN 27, 2002 - 07:55 AM
FabioMoretti
Good idea Sikkema, very nice job...thank´s for sharing with us... Cheers
JUL 11, 2005 - 12:24 AM
retiredyank
Or, you could go to your LHS and by some by Woodland Scenics for about $10.
NOV 14, 2009 - 12:17 PM
DogEgg
And which Woodland scenic palm trees are they?
NOV 14, 2009 - 10:27 PM
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