Blending leaves

[wazzou]

I took some pictures of my process tonight.  I'll try to post them by the end of the weekend.  Busy dad, you know.

[Alaska Railroader]

My take on this topic, probably shouldn't have waited until midnight but here goes.

Please forgive me for using these particular trees to show. These are the runts, leftovers from cherry picking a long time ago, and are about 5 years old. They've traveled to train shows and been through 2 moves so shabby is in. I know I have some good ones packed away somewhere but can't find them at the moment.

The first picture is flocked with baked shrub leaves (200* for about 1/2 hour, kills bugs n stuff) looks as natural as any N scale tree can be, if only it was better shaped.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nzanxqQqPcs/VjMO27PCjyI/AAAAAAAADtM/5bL9ew_Zs-U/s512-Ic42/20151029_225357.jpg

Next is using fall leaves, even the pretty red and bright orange ones. See how ugly it is. Tree leaves are mostly good just for ground cover as mentioned. When you pick up a leaf from the ground and it's a pretty red turn it over and see the boring color. That is the color you will end up with.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PvlwL-HV_7Y/VjMPKiIa8EI/AAAAAAAADtY/4EXW5nPoFjc/s512-Ic42/20151029_225630.jpg

Lastly is one tree flocked with Woodland Scenics, and then another stuck in the cardboard with it. I recommend WS over nature, except for scenes for photos perhaps, just because of all the time and work it consumes. Boiling Super Trees armatures, hanging them to dry, and coating them alone takes time but it beats plastic or metal IMHO.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5u4n44y46D8/VjMPgNAMB5I/AAAAAAAADtg/njj3691RLKA/s700-Ic42/1-2-3-tree.jpg

Here is a Z diorama using real leaf trees, used this dio for shows.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C0B49TsT9js/VjMU9X4ZprI/AAAAAAAAawk/bQGn3eTOba0/s800-Ic42/031.jpg

[wazzou]

So...here is the method I use, and again, I'm using this as ground cover and not for leaves on trees. 

These are the leaves I tend to use the most.  I don't even know what they are but I usually start to find them on the ground about the color I like in mid to late September.



This shows just how few I put in the blender rather than try to cram as many in as I can.



After I have blended them and put them in the coffee grinder.



This is generally the limit to how fine I grind them in the coffee grinder.

>

Done and added to the shaker with the rest of the results. 



You'll notice I like to leave the leaf veins and stems as they make great forest floor material.  They look like branches and such.
All in all, it takes about 2 minutes for every little batch.

[Lemosteam]

Bet one of these cheap dehydrators would come in handy- can you say Salvation Army? or Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-37A-American-Dehydrator-400-watt/dp/B00CS5ZI6G/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1446830088&sr=1-4&keywords=dehydrator

[chicken45]

I've seen people use a box fan, too. You can dehydrate food by putting said food betwixt two filters and bungee them to a box fan.

[Alaska Railroader]

I read that you should really bake the bugs and bacteria out of them anyway. Everyone has an oven and cookie sheet.

[Chris333]

I tried all over again. I couldn't get dry leaves to blend, they just wouldn't. So I added 70% alcohol to it and it instantly blended. They dried out in a day and then I put it through a strainer to get the big stuff out.

[jpec]

Check the Freecycle groups in your area on Yahoo for a coffee grinder...after a while the novelty of grinding your own coffee wears off for some...that's where I got mine.

Jeff

[Alaska Railroader]

A little late but I finally found the picture of my favorite tree made from real leaves.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CwB60e7VNUg/VkVhUGZ8TzI/AAAAAAAADxo/vnMK0NbwGbc/s512-Ic42/IMG_5382a.jpg

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I tried all over again. I couldn't get dry leaves to blend, they just wouldn't. So I added 70% alcohol to it and it instantly blended. They dried out in a day and then I put it through a strainer to get the big stuff out.

Turned out OK, right?

[sirenwerks]

Where's Ed, he's a master at yard refuse use for forest floors.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm just watching, because I've always been lame and bought my stuff (or was given it, thanks again @Ian MacMillan).

I'm going to need a new batch soon though.

[Chris333]

Yep. my last batch worked.

[tom mann]

@Chris333 meme: 

Top line: Solders together custom etched locomotive in one night. 
<photo of chris>
Bottom line: Spends 3 months blending leaves.

 

[Lemosteam]

@Chris333 meme: 

Top line: Solders together custom etched locomotive in one night. 
<photo of chris>
Bottom line: Spends 3 months blending leaves.

 

Now that's just wrong.