Finally - making some trees

So today is the day. Finally. Thanks the expert guidance of John McKinsie of the McKinsie Brothers Tree Company (producer of the "machine" ) I made my first trees for the N scale layout. I need plenty of practice but am getting the idea. The McKinsies also have a very good DVD that walks you through the steps.

So the blip is of the machine with a "wound" up row of six trees. I had already clipped the wire but set it back for the photo. I started with 3/4 " plain manila rope and the steel wire. The rope was cut into 2" strips, then unwound until I had smaller pieces like the one in the front. Reverse twisting it loosens the fibers. Then I run a comb through them to separate each. You put a finger full into the machine between the two wire. Keep going until you get the right height. Then start turning the crank. This rotates the wire eventually making a bottle brush of manila piecess (branches).

I cut them into six trees and stuck them in the board in the extra blip. Once I make sixty of these, I can trim the raw shapes into fir tree shape - think tall skinny .hristmas trees. Then paint and flock with fine ground foam.

First however, I want to trim these and stick them on the layout to check scale - height, width, etc to make sure they look "right". Then the paint and flock.

Could not get the extra to work so will post tomorrow.