steel-wool trees?

[scott]

This may

 

set the seal once and for all on my reputation as an utter turnip-head!

 

but...has anybody ever tried to used (painted) steel-wool for vegetation? I have bags and bags of it from an abandoned guitar project, and I'm wondering if it could be used for a "tree canopy" to cover a large "forest" area of the layout.

[CaptOblivious]

BrushThralls, an excellent website full of tutorials for making figures and terrain for wargames, has a steel wool tree tutorial:

 

http://archive.brushthralls.com/terrain/tree-templates.html

[scott]

Cool--thanks! I even have some brown wire for trunks (somewhere....). 

[marknewton]

Scott, based on my experience with steel wool I would not recommend using on a layout.

 

A friend of mine used steel wool as foliage on his layout, and it caused no end of problems. Loose strands would lie across the rails, causing intermittent short circuits. Other loose strands found their way into loco mechanisms, were they either caused more shorts, or binding when they got wrapped around axles, gears and commutators. And the stuff rusted very quickly, even though it had been painted green. In the end we had to strip almost all of the scenerty off and start again.

 

My advice is don't do it.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[scott]

Yikes--thanks, Mark! Sounds like all of my worst fears about this method came true for your friend.

[to2leo]

Yikes that's worst than kitty litter! 

[underworld]

Scott

 

There is a company that makes a black synthetic fiber that looks much like steel wool. It is designed for making foliage. Can't think of the name but I'll go look and post it here.

 

 

    underworld 

[underworld]

Ha ha!!!! Here it is.......

 

 

 

http://www.micromark.com/BLACK-POLY-FIBER-4-OZ,9033.html

 

huge bag of this stuff for $5.95

 

 

    underworld  

[to2leo]

Wow that's a great and very affordable find!!!! Thanks.

[scott]

Thanks, underworld!

[marknewton]

Yikes--thanks, Mark! Sounds like all of my worst fears about this method came true for your friend.

 

Mate, it was a disaster! But I suppose part of the modelling experience is making mistakes and learning from them. It shows that not all methods and techniques are usable in every modelling context. What works for wargamers may not work for model railroaders, as in this instance.

 

I've used the polyester balls with good results, I don't think you'll be disappointed with them.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.