Just wondering if you anyone here has ever done a thatched roof and what was the technique used?

I thought i could use coconut mat and tape and do it one row at a time.
But if anyone has a way of doing it really effectivly then im all ears.

Thanks.
David.

Gday David
Do you have any access to hemp rope, the type plumbers use? Should be good for scale, and is already matted together at a good thickness which once cut to desired lengths should be good to align on you roof beams...
Be interested to see your results mate
Cheers
Brad

I found this tutorial/diorama build good.

I am also considering making a thatched roof for my diorama.


Good luck.

Cheers guys thanks for the help.

Ok here is the subject that is being upgraded its a old house my dad built some 20 years ago and its now becoming a rural russian house very small very simple.




Maby a little small i might have to make the door bigger.





The paint on the house is still wet and its oil paint so will ake a while to dry.
im going to add some more lighter wood tones to the house as its a little dark.

The dio im planning is to include the t34-85 (not fininshed yet)
And my prize model at the moment.
The DML Tiger 3 in 1 late.
(just got it)

Some Russian Infantry and Some Germans.

When i Get some more progress on the dio i will make a W.I.P thread and post some more about it.

I just finished working on a russian barn.
I had a heck of a time finding what to use for the thatched roof and what I didi was that I bought a wisk broom and cut off the bristles and used that. After a little bit of weathering with some pastels, it looks pretty good.

If I might make a suggestion, it would be to get away from any use of brushes, bristles, etc. Almost anything you use is likely to be way overscale. I've tried it and found not only were the individual pieces too big, they didn't lay down convincingly on any surface.

Instead, try looking at the roof as a single mass. Lay down a layer of putty, say milliput or something that has a long drying time, and 'comb' it into thousands of very thin rows so it looks like a laid-down thatch roof.

use horse hair and if you have a music shop near by ask them to keep the old bow strings for you, nice straight horse hair, and it has 101 uses for scale model dioramas

Ok here is the progress so far.
The roof has been laid.
I used jute rope for the roof sticking it on with with glue and then as this only sticks the bottum strands of jute i over sprayed it with spray on glue.

so...













Feed back plz i think its good but someone always manages to find somthing wrong and thats what im looking for

Other than that the building is almost done.

The thatch looks pretty good, as does the building. You've done a good job. To add to the base you could put a 'cap' row of thatch on. Just a very short section at the very top of the roof. What you did is fine and I quickly found photos to back it up. I saw a few where they have a top row cap Wikipedia link this is totally up to you.
One thing that I would recommend you do is to add veritical corner pieces to the house. The clapboards have a gap, see you 7th photo in your post. Just a small square vertical board that fills that gap.

Great detail in your house, nail holes, window frames, nice color.

Thanks for the advice Scott.
I knew it was missing something on that roof.
And those beams running down the corners should prop the house right up and make it look professional.

David, that's a very nice Russian hut you have there.
I have to agree with Scott on the corner posts to hide the joins of the clapboard.
You don't see many clapboard/thatch roof Russian huts, [ that dosen't mean they didn't exist ]. Thatch roofs suggest a more rural location [ way out there ], and most where log types.
I hope these refs. will help.
Notice the long sapling/log lengths on the roof cap and gables. Also the random lengths to keep the thatch down. The first pic. appears to have canvass ? attached to pole lengths over the roof cap. The second pic. has an even more interesting roof cap arrangement, anti snow device ?
Once again, very nice work and this should be a looker when completed !
Cheyenne

Thanks Those are some really interesting pictures there.
might have to try my hand at some of those log houses.