Chuffnell Regis

[NHY 581]

Nice bush. 

[Graham T]

[Graham T]

Having had my @rse well and truly kicked today by a toxic combination of pressing work deadlines and Austrian bureaucracy, I decided to call it a day and spend half an hour in the far more pleasant world of Chuffnell Regis (and its nice bushes *ahem*).  I didn't have quite enough material prepared to get the full run of the hedge completed tonight - don't look behind the barn!  Also, the pieces I have added this evening will need checking over with a less tired eye, perhaps the odd wayward strand trimming off, a touch more scatter in places.  And some postiche along the base of the hedge - plus nettles once I've done some experimenting with how to make them!

 

 

 

I think I might even put a train in the next picture you know, just for a change 🙂

 

 

[Kevin Johnson]

Graham nice pictures of the hedgerow.👍

[Graham T]

Just a touch of postiche-ry this evening.  There comes a point when you just can't keep on writing papers and need to do something else instead.  A little added around the right hand end of ze barn, and some around the pond.  Hopefully I'll have time to do some more tomorrow.  The trick will be knowing when enough is enough, I suspect.  I'll do some reeds, nettles, and the occasional wild flower as well as I go along, that should help to keep things balanced without going totally over the top (as if!)

 

 

 

Oh, and there's a train too!!!

 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Graham T

[Graham T]

And a bit of experimentation with photo cropping...

 

[Kevin Johnson]

Graham great shots of the barn, it looks like it's been there ages.👍

[NHY 581]

The whole build is excellent but the colouring you've achieved on that barn is stunning, Graham. A real top job thereon. 

 

Much cribbing being done this end. 

 

Rob

 

 

[Gedward]

Ditto wot he said. 

 

[Graham T]

48 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

The whole build is excellent but the colouring you've achieved on that barn is stunning, Graham. A real top job thereon. 

 

Much cribbing being done this end. 

 

Rob

 

 

 

Thanks very much Rob - too kind by far!

 

Is Much Cribbing a new layout that you haven't told us about?

 

[Graham T]

I've added some more postiche weeds in various places, and just a touch of coloured flock as wild flowers.  I've also tried to make nettles using 12mm grass, without much success to be honest.  I tried using some chopped up parts of an MBR bush instead, which is perhaps a little better but much too tall.  The reeds are marginally less cr@p, and are bristles from a retired paint brush.

 

I might put some more weeds, and perhaps a small bush or two, around the pond, and also some weed floating on the surface around the edges.

 

I'm a bit disappointed with what I did today really, it just doesn't seem to click for some reason...

 

 

[Rowsley17D]

I know what you mean, Graham. Is the edge of the pond a little too well defined? Perhaps some floating weed varying in density around the edge would look better?

[Graham T]

I think you’re right Jonathan, I’ll give it a try.

 

[Andy Keane]

41 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I think you’re right Jonathan, I’ll give it a try.

 

Maybe a little sludge colour paint lapping around the edges? The photo on this site may help:

https://www.pondexperts.ca/pond-weed-plant-identification-guide/

 

[Sasquatch]

Great to see that you're encouraging wildlife on Chuffnell Regis. The bats and barn owls will be moving in pretty quick and you'll be overrun with frog, newts and snakes before you know it!

Lovely modeling Graham!

 

Regards Shaun.

[MrWolf]

Just so really well composed and created, I have to keep coming back to look at it!

[Graham T]

10 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Maybe a little sludge colour paint lapping around the edges? The photo on this site may help:

https://www.pondexperts.ca/pond-weed-plant-identification-guide/

 

 

That's a useful link Andy, thanks.  I might try a layer of clear varnish tinted with some green-brown acrylic paint.

 

[Graham T]

So, having had a reasonably successful experiment putting a layer of varnish tinted with olive green paint onto a scrap piece of clear styrene, I took the plunge into Chuffnell Regis' pond this morning.  This has of course revealed that I have a slightly sloping pond!  Ideal for water skiing I suppose.  I'll see how this dries out, and perhaps add a second coat later, maybe with a slightly different tint added to it.

 

You might notice that I've also painted the reeds, again with olive green.  I think they look a bit better now?

 

[BWsTrains]

Looks PDG to me!

[Graham T]

VMT  🙂

 

[Andy Keane]

47 minutes ago, Graham T said:

So, having had a reasonably successful experiment putting a layer of varnish tinted with olive green paint onto a scrap piece of clear styrene, I took the plunge into Chuffnell Regis' pond this morning.  This has of course revealed that I have a slightly sloping pond!  Ideal for water skiing I suppose.  I'll see how this dries out, and perhaps add a second coat later, maybe with a slightly different tint added to it.

 

You might notice that I've also painted the reeds, again with olive green.  I think they look a bit better now?

 

That really is very impressive - the only problem I see is that those of who are not gifted artists are pretty much marooned on the shores of rather unrealistic landscapes! I tend to end up creating "engineered" models because I am one, whereas yours are much more realistic!

[Graham T]

15 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

That really is very impressive - the only problem I see is that those of who are not gifted artists are pretty much marooned on the shores of rather unrealistic landscapes! I tend to end up creating "engineered" models because I am one, whereas yours are much more realistic!

 

Well, that's very kind of you to say Andy, but I think one of the joys of this hobby is that it has so many different skills that are required.  And I doubt if many - or any - of us, have all of those!  I'm very much not an engineer.  When I was in the RN my particular field was split into menders and benders - I was one of the latter (stop sniggering at the back!)

 

For example, my wiring and track-laying are both pretty awful, which is the main reason why Chuffnell R will (eventually) have to bow out gracefully and make way for Mk II.  But I've learnt an awful lot in the couple of years that I've been building this layout, and I hope that I can apply those lessons to the next one.  First one is probably to plan, plan, and then plan some more!  Impatience has led to many errors on CR Mk I.  Then a lot of care in building baseboards, and the same for laying track and wiring - smooth running and no more spaghetti farms is the goal!  We'll see how those plans survive contact with the real world in due course, I suspect.

 

[Graham T]

The hedge behind the barn is now finished, and I popped some ferns under the oak tree, along with a few more horsehair bushes.

 

 

 

 

[Graham T]

I put a few more horsehair bushes along the track through the field as well, but I'm not convinced that they work.  Here's a view with them, and one  without - what do you think?  Opinions very welcome, thanks!

 

 

[Graham T]

My green fingers have got tired, so I fixed the fascia to the front of the layout for something different to do.  It's just thick black card from the stationers, and of course, this being Chuffnell R, there are few foul-ups here and there (other four letter words beginning with f are available).

 

Next time I'll use MDF or something like that for this, and make the fascia before the scenery I think, rather than the other way around.  I should be able to avoid any gaps then!