Jeff "Sealhead" Winkel explains how he nearly got crazy by making a supertree. In this article Jeff leads us through the process of making a wonderful tree.

Super-tree or Super-nuts ?

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

I would like to thank Jeff for this great article...Thanks!

Woaw ! A hudge tree !!!!
I'll try it !

Thanks

Holy smoke! This tree is enormous. This whole diorama is enormous. Outstanding build. I am not sure I could ever make a tree like this.

Wow Sealhead when you told me you were spending a lot of time on the tree, I now see why, that is fabulous, I cant wait to see the whole "triorama" Cheers and keep up the great work. Kevin

Sealhead,

WWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!

First, triorama, what an idea! Those model railroad ideas can really help military modelers--an visa-versa.

Your tree is amazing. The foilage is stunning. Might your son have any leftover silver birch?

You have quiet the way of writing--no stuffy clinical 'peg A into slot B'.

A wonderful, inspiring, FRIGHTENING, article about and amazing piece of work!

Dear JPTRR,

I have a precious handful of the silver birch catkin seeds left. Even though our son has been gone too long (8 years since he graduated college), I almost hope he stays at least until next fall when I'll beg him to gather as much as he can for me and to share with others. They are perfect. I just have to figure out how to color the leaves before they are on the tree, so the overspray doesn't make me have to repaint the trunk and branches, as I had to do with the tree in the article.

Sealhead

I had actually started using the phrase "Triorama" to describe "dioramas" that were intended to be viewed from 360-degree perspective (such as a turn-table unit like yours). I figured that if a "Di" meant "Two", and represented a scene that represented a relief perspective (ie, heigth and depth), then by adding breadth, we got "triorama".

At any rate, "nice tree"

That's what I like about our hobby. We can do what we want. Some dioramas are designed to be viewed in the round and some are like bas-relief, and some shouldn't be viewed from the back (some shouldn't be viewed from the front) and some are in shadow boxes.
The nightmare I started just got in my head, the three scenes, and 11 years later, I'm still putzing with it.

Sealhead

Jeff,

Your diorama and tree look great. Thanks for the tree tutorial too. I was hoping I could squeeze one more bit of information from you.

The building in your diorama, is it a kit or built from scatch? If it is a kit can you give me some contact info of it's source.

Thanks,
Scott.

Dear Scott,

The farmhouse was scratchbuilt. The roof was a nightmare of trial and error. The bank building (in front) and the railroad roundhouse (in back) of the same building was scratchbuilt. The water tower was scratchbuilt, but will be redone. The accessories in the farmhouse like milk cans, etc. was scratch. The figures were a combination of figure kits, swapping body parts like heads and hands, and repositioning them to have the pose I wanted. The railroad track was scratch.
The tree, as you know, was scratch, and all the weeds, grass, bushes, trees, etc. to come will be scratch.

Sealhead

Dear Jeff,

If you don't mind my saying so, yes, super nuts is what you are (no offense meant). And that's what makes the thing (and the guy who created the thing) so great. You were nuts enough to begin the project, but you finished it. You didn't quit. You are an inspiration to all of us who fiddle with parts smaller than the average eye can see and create something out of virtually nothing. Thanks for the feature -- if the idea of the triorama, on its own, deserves a Best of Show, what more the tree?

Admiringly,

Andrew Oliveros

Dear Andrew,

Very kind of you Andrew (I think). But, I'll feel better when I finish the darn thing. My target is when we host the Nationals in 2006, but even that is a push with everything else on my plate.

I don't mind being called "nuts". I've had professionals tell me that. I have been told my persistence makes up for my lack of ability. There you go.

Also, it is cool that 2500 people decided to peek at this project and better yet to put a little something back into Armorama.com because it has done so much for me.

Sealhead :-)

I know how it is...but, way its been for me, you're never really done with any project -- every dio (or trio) or figgy or tank or plane or ship takes on a life of its own, wanting something extra to make it "just right", even if it's darn near perfect already.

Anyway, those who say your "persistence makes up for lack of ability" must be blind or envious. I know creativity when I see it. You have the gift, man. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

Great work. Here's to even greater work ahead.

Wowzers, what a TREE!!!!

I dont do military scale dioramas, but 1:10 scale for model horses, or just my own scale for my animal sculptures. I have been wanting to do a nice tree for a while, and just happened upon this one while browsing. Nice work!!

well i have been reading this post so many times before and also printed and checked it at home.
I dont know why i didnt post before ...maybe i was looking , just thinkin how carried away u can be with modelling doing a 3 scene dio for 11 years !!!!!!!!

What to say the text is so detailed and well describing and Jeff is so honest in telling all flaws and mistakes that happened to him . The result is superb and so its that tree. What else can i say ....

Costas

Breathtaking.

UPDATE FROM SEALHEAD 12/8/04

I thought the tree was a bit skimpy. So, I am back at it. Here's a new tip. When you want to add additional copper wire to get a bushier armature, get a length twice as long as you want to add and join it to the existing "branch" at the middle of the new wire.

Then after a few twists, you can double back the bottom half of the new wire to make even more branches and twigs. Half the work and twice the twigs.

Sealhead