Horsetail ferns

[gorgosaurus]

Any bright ideas on how to model horsetail ferns? Or thoughts about anything convenient to use?
(I´ve thought aboutl experimenting with pipe cleaners, for example).
They´re to accompany a 1/5 th scale Dinosaur, so we´re not talking tiny, but I´d like to achieve a variety in size if at all possible.

Spike.

 

[kansas kid]

Re: Horsetail ferns Oh ma'gosh, Spike

Hello Spike:

Oh gee, this is a tough one. But at least you're talking about 1/5th scale so
that is in your favor. I would like to tell you that I have a solution, but
unfortunately I do not. But I do want to encourage to do the psycho cybernetics
re this project. Keep thinking about it, and mulling it over in your mind. You
can come up with a solution.

I will admit that the thinking part of how to solve a model building problem
is one of the areas of this wonderful hobby, that I like most. I'm also working
on a large scale figure of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and it is the
one where He (she?) is swimming up from the lagoon bottom toward the
surface. I want to add paper made underwater foliage. I've downloaded pix
of various really good looks plant life, like the picture you included. So now
I'm trying to think of how to fabricate this stuff at the lagoon bottom level.

I see those bristle kind of areas attached to a central upward pointing stem.
And I say there has got to be some thing out there you can use. Yes, it will
be time consuming, and difficult. But you'll have the only game in town. No
one else will be doing that. Your presentation will be unique. And I can that
for a lot. So keep at it. I hope my words are an encouragement to you. I
really like your idea of thinking outside the box. Good luck

The Miami Jayhawk

 

[gorgosaurus]

Thanks, Rick.

I often find that if these puzzles are rattling around the vast emptiness of my sub-consciousness it can simply be a matter of noticing that some daily item fits the bill.

Spike.

 

[kansas kid]

Roger that, Spike, re Horsetail ferns

Hey Spike:

Well, mate you hit the nail right on the head, what I was trying to say. It is
so interesting how a problem with a modeling presentation can be on my
mind and over a period of time, I see something or hear something and
click, it hits me square in the face, the solution. Good luck, Spike and keep
up posted on what you finally come up with that will replicate that kind of
foliage, that you want in your terrain base.

Ricardo

 

[gordy]

Spike, how large are the real things ? And in scale are roughly what size ?

I've never seen them before and they are quite intriguing

There are tube brushes:
http://www.bettymills.com/shop/supe...rush Abrasives/sub_category/Tube Brushes.html

Which could be trimmed and shaped problem is most are cork-screw..

Another variant:
http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=8455161&pfx=

That might get you steered in the right direction

 

[tonydawe]

Spike, get your butt down to your local pet store and check out the plastic aquarium plants that are sold there.

I'm sure with a bit of paint and creativity you can find something close enough to the ferns you want.

 

[Ray]

Spike,
Would the bottle brush method used for making pine trees in small scales work? There are some how toos on the net somewhere though I don't know where, probably something like "how to make scale model pine trees" in google would net something useful.

Ray

 

[gorgosaurus]

Horsetails have been around for hundreds of millions of years and are still common on marshy ground.
So, you´ve probably seen them without knowing, Gordy. >;~] >
Contemporary examples can be anywhere between a few cm´s to 8m. high!

I´m going to need several hundred to fill a 65cm x 45cm base depicting a watery marsh. >:~( >

Tube brushes have something of the right appearance, but will prove too expensive. Pipe-cleaners look a bit coarse, but may prove useful if i can´t find an alternative.

Spike.

 

[callum]

Hi Spike,

Out walking the dog yesterday when your question about the ferns came back to me while the money pit was sniffing the bottom of what I think are pampas grass clumps.

Not sure if any garden centres near you but these were dry and wispy looking similar to the picture you posted and may fit the bill.

Regards callum.

 

[gorgosaurus]

Tony, believe me my face has become well known at local pet-shops and florists.

I´ve boxes full of plastic foliage, but simply haven´t found vinyl vegetation that looks realistic enough for my needs - moulding flash can be difficult to remove, colour looks synthetic and the material won´t allow primer and paint to adhere well.

Come spring I´ll have my eyes open for some natural materials, until then I´ll try some experiments with dipping twigs in glue and then flock or scatter material. I´ve had some good, but expensive, results using "long grass tufts" this way.

Spike.

 

[gordy]

Come spring I´ll have my eyes open for some natural materials

Great idea, there just might be an evergreen frond, a root or a fern that would emulate the look you are after =)

 

[gorgosaurus]

Thanks, Callum - I pop in to pet shops, florists and garden centres when ever I can.

Nothing imitates nature better than nature, so I´ll just keep my eyes peeled for mosses, conifer twigs, shoots that might look right. I live out in the wilds, unfortunately far from garden centres, pet shops and florists but I can find lots of stuff for free.

Spike.

 

[Einion]

Tube brushes have something of the right appearance, but will prove too expensive.

I happened to come across a possible solution just yesterday walking through the makeup department of a local department store, how's that for serendipity?

They make similar single-use brushes to these, I presume for application of mascara during demos. No idea where they get them but if you happen to have a local store that has similar brushes at one of the product stands they might sell you a box or be able to tell you a supplier; as they're disposable I'm sure the unit cost must be just pennies.

Einion

 

[gorgosaurus]

Make up department ... wasn´t helpful last time ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVtvB_PIsnQ&feature=related

Spike.