Windmill Hill. A busy little layout in a compact little case.

[Phoenix]

Thanks Bob and Martin,

I made the armature out of 2 thicknesses of wire. Thicker for the trunk and thin for the more whispey branches. Then I wrapped the trunk with tissue paper and glue (Wrenton Roger's great tip  ).

When spray painted the paint formed little balls on the fine wire, but I left them on as I think it will be more for the leaves to stick to.



The trunk branches into 2, as most pictures of willows seem to show that, and thanks Martin for the pictures of your willows. Like yours, I think the branches need to be more separated on this new one.

Off to the shops now, so when I get back the armature will have dried, and I will add foliage.

All best wishes
Kevin

 

[Phoenix]

  Hi All 

Well yesterday after getting back from "shopping"        I wasn't ready to get modelling, so this morning I have been finishing the weeping willow.

I turned the armature upside down and added foliage to the underside, turning it into a green hairy version of something that might be found crawling up Bealman's wall (check George's last post  )



Then the tentacles were bent downwards to a rough shape of how the tree should look.
All the pictures of weeping willow trees had quite bright green leaves, so as my layout is in Summer, I went with a brighter foliage, and used the finest I had to try to make the weeping branches less chunky.



This seemed to work ok, although after being trimmed down, the proportions made them look thicker than I would have liked. However I am reasonably pleased with the result. The shape looks better, and like the trees in Martin's picture, I have let the branches trail closer to the ground, and spaced them more openly, which looks more natural, so after tidying up I will set the deckchairs further forward.



All best wishes
Kevin

 

[dannyboy]

I must admit, that does look suspiciously like a Weeping Willow. 

[port perran]

That looks super Kevin, just like a weeping willow in fact.
Martin

[daffy]

Great creation Kevin.

[Phoenix]

Hi All,

Bob was right .... weeping willows aren't easy, but I think the new one is an improvement   

Continuing to faff about with things that are niggling (there's not much on the layout that is original now I am learning from all you guys how to do things better  ) The latest thing I attacked was this little hut, and its ENORMOUS outside light.



I have a theory that all the little improvements that may not be noticeable individually, when added together better the layout when viewed as a whole, especially on a layout this small.

Taking inspiration from technical genius Caz, and a topic she wrote about tiny lights on carriages and locos, I bought some of this fibre optic stuff which arrived this morning.



It is 1mm diameter, and came in a 7m pack. I used less than an inch of it for the light, and about 6" playing around, so if anyone needs some I have loads spare     

I also used a 3mm LED. and some heat shrink tube ....



I made the hut, and drilled a 1mm hole where the light will go ....



Next I had to think of something for the light. I had some spare level crossing gates, so in a "light bulb moment" I thought one of the lights from these would be ok. I VERY carefully drilled a 1mm hole through it. After breaking one first go  , on the second one I first used a 0.5mm drill, then 0.75mm and finally a 1mm drill, and that gave me a hole the fibre optic snuggley fitted into.



Then the lamp was cut off the gate and painted black ...



The lamp with about half inch or so fibre optic was then pushed through the hole on the hut wall from the front, and glued with a very tiny bit of Arraldite (the instructions on the fibre optic said superglue dissolves it)

The LED, which I bought pre-wired with a resistor, was then fitted with a little "hood" of heat shrink, and fitted inside the hut, with the LED butting up against the end of the fibre optic. A knot in the leads stops them from pulling through the hole  in the hut base.

The light is on here, and there is a bit of light leakage, which was stopped with a blob of blu-tac.



The wires, blu-tac etc were then painted black so nothing would show through the window and door, and the roof was glued on. Here's how it looks ....



Compared to the first version, which I used one of the rectangular block type LEDs with the block bit painted.



And here are the two side by side, showing both lights on. When I bed the new one in I may dab a little bit of yellow paint on to "warm up" the light.... not sure yet 



Well that's been my day, taking it slowly with lots of coffee breaks while paint and glue dry properly, and a few walk away breaks so I don't mess up  No more modelling today, tomorrow it's out with the old and in with the new 

Thanks to Caz for her inspiration, and hope you find this useful if anyone is going to try adding little lights on your buildings 

All best wishes
Kevin

 

 
 

[AlexanderJesse]

 
great idea, superb execution and perfect description how to do it...
 

The hut looks very nice now

[Phoenix]

 

  Aaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh !!   What's happening...... where's my Windmill ? 



All best wishes
Kevin

 

[port perran]

It’s vanishled.
It was a Tardis all the time.

[dannyboy]

Have the two ladies got owt to do with it? Maybe preparatory to setting up a car washing business?    I must admit though, 'Car Wash Hill' does not have the same ring to it. 

[weave]

Shame, I used to be a Big Fan as well 

Sorry, blame the apples. I always do.

Cheers weave 

Que pasa Gringo?

[Mito]

Structural damage due to flatulance?

[Newportnobby]

I blame that Jonathan Creek. He's watched a lot of Star Trek and now knows how to 'cloak' things

[tutenkhamunsleeping]

That’s what you get when you build over Thunderbird 3’s silo

[daffy]

Looks like the governor on the gearing of the sails failed to engage at critical speed in the recent gales, giving said sails the properties of a propeller. This allowed the windmill to fulfil it’s innermost dream and take flight.

Suggest search for it begins at Camberwick Green.