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  Home Made Ground Cover
Eagle
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Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Joined: May 22, 2002
KitMaker: 4,082 posts
Armorama: 1,993 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 06:20 AM UTC
Robert Beebe shows us an easy and very cheap way to create our own forest litter. Excellent step-by-step article with the pics to match.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
rbeebe99
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Texas, United States
Joined: August 13, 2004
KitMaker: 540 posts
Armorama: 388 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 06:38 AM UTC
James,It's not that complicated, it takes less than 30 minutes, minus drying time and it is free, you pretty much have an unlimited supply of miniature leaves.

Here are two pics of a small base I did using the leaves mixed with a few hudson and allen forest litter leaves.





Robert
Halfyank
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Colorado, United States
Joined: February 01, 2003
KitMaker: 5,221 posts
Armorama: 1,245 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 07:21 AM UTC
Robert I love your idea, anything that is free is okay by me. I have to say though that the only way I can do this is to plan it someday when the wife and daughters aren't around. I get all kinds of geek, nerd, loser, freak, weirdo, etc, as it is without being caught mixing leaves in a blender, straining with a stocking, and baking in the oven. I can just imagine the comments I get. Next time all the females are gone I'll give it a try though.

Here is a thought. Have you thought of using a coffee grinder? I know chefs use them for chopping up herbs, it might do just as good a job. You'd probably want to use one picked up at a garage sale, and not the one you use for grinding your coffee.

Simon
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Kobenhavn, Denmark
Joined: January 16, 2005
KitMaker: 878 posts
Armorama: 697 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 08:26 AM UTC
Hi!
I love the idea. I'll probably use it some day. I agree with Rodger: I can imagine my daughter in a few years time telling her friends what her dad is doing.

Simon
slodder
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 22, 2002
KitMaker: 11,718 posts
Armorama: 7,138 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 08:33 AM UTC
I like the idea. It's another example of FOC (free of charge) inqinuity.

I love sharing the ideas. For someone who is financially able to buy ground cover this may not fit. But for those who are on a tight budget - this will be great. Which ever side of the money fence you fall on you'll now have a solution.

Very nicely done everyone.

Thanks Robert and Danny
keenan
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Indiana, United States
Joined: October 16, 2002
KitMaker: 5,272 posts
Armorama: 2,844 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 08:48 AM UTC
I received a hand crank herb grinder for Christmas last year. (I have no room for a "real" garden so I go herbs and habenaros on top of my central air unit in pots) Anyway, I have been waiting to try out the grinder on several different types of dried leaves to use them as ground cover. I will give Bob's blender method a whirl (I slay me) too.
As I see it there are way too many people buying things anymore they could make themselves. I just finished making a towing timber to slam onto the Jadgpanther I am making out of bass wood, styrene, and wire. It looks cool and more than anything else, I made it...

Thanks for the article.

Shaun
jackhammer81
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Nebraska, United States
Joined: August 12, 2003
KitMaker: 2,394 posts
Armorama: 1,695 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 09:13 AM UTC
Robert, excellent article!!! I have been messing around with ground scatter and I love your technique. Thanks for sharing it. Kevin
generalrazo
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: May 26, 2005
KitMaker: 312 posts
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Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 03:17 PM UTC
Brilliant!...making leaves from, well , leaves!

Great idea...thanks for sharing.

Eddie
Silantra
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Putrajaya, Malaysia
Joined: March 04, 2004
KitMaker: 2,511 posts
Armorama: 913 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 03:32 PM UTC
Thanks for sharing another homemade techniques. It's a brilliant idea!

but do we need to pour water inside the blender before we switch it on? i think there's a missing statement in this sentence = "Next fill the blender about half full and cover tightly. " 2nd lines para 3

anyway, i will try this when i have the opportunity.
Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: July 28, 2004
KitMaker: 10,889 posts
Armorama: 3,245 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 06:29 PM UTC
Hi Robert,

Great tip. Thanks for sharing.

Like Silantra I also picked up on the:


Quoted Text

After you have collected the leaves take a batch and place them into the blender about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Next fill the blender about half full and cover tightly



What do we fill the blender with? Other than leaves... Judging from the pictures it looks like water...

Rudi
Sherminator
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Jönköping, Sweden
Joined: September 22, 2002
KitMaker: 158 posts
Armorama: 121 posts
Posted: Friday, June 10, 2005 - 04:50 AM UTC
Free is best!

A question didn't the leaves fade after a time?
rbeebe99
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Texas, United States
Joined: August 13, 2004
KitMaker: 540 posts
Armorama: 388 posts
Posted: Friday, June 10, 2005 - 10:32 AM UTC
I am glad that you all like the technique, it is very easy and free. Yes it is water that you add, sorry I didn't put that in the article, you always overlook the obvious. As far as fading I haven't noticed any, but then I also seal the entire groundwork with flat lacquer to tone down the glossy glue mix. I guess it is possible that it would fade over time, but I think that it would take awhile. Now let's see some of you try it and please post pictures.

Rodger, the coffee grinder sounds like a good idea, I already have the cheap blender so if you try it please let us know how it works.

regards,
Robert
slodder
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 22, 2002
KitMaker: 11,718 posts
Armorama: 7,138 posts
Posted: Friday, June 10, 2005 - 10:44 AM UTC
To add to the fading question- anything natural - leaves, herbs, etc if not sealed - will fade.

A good seal will stop that.
ekke
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Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Joined: June 08, 2004
KitMaker: 285 posts
Armorama: 229 posts
Posted: Friday, June 10, 2005 - 10:38 PM UTC
That's a great idea and the result is quite nice, but I just wondered why you wouldn't use dried leaves (which usually fall down the trees in fall ) and grind / cut them or rub them between your fingers (if they are dry already they will fall into small pieces very easily).

I use this method and the leaves look qute similar, but you won't have to mess around with wet leave-mud and your oven.
The difference is, that you'll probably get smaller particles (I use this method for 1/72nd dios).

Best wishes,

ekke
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