"Cheap bushes / tufts?" Topic

I'm getting ready to base 300 NVA and 101st Airborne for my Ia Drang game. Basing each 1/72 scale figure on 3/4" washers. I'd like to add the occasional tuft or bush to the washers, but can't justify Silflor prices. Looking for a grass / buffalo grass / scrub brush look. Any ideas for cheap but nice-looking plants would be most welcome.

Not sure whether these are the Silflor items you want to avoid or whether they are a suitable alternative.

auction

With a limited budget, I would use string which is coarse and about 4 or 5 mm thick. Found at most building supply outlets, cut in lengths of two meters, soak the string in water.

Hang or drape to dry the lengths so the string will "relax".
Cut the long pieces into manageable lengths of three inches or less.

I use a mix of sand and white glue for my base texture, but which ever you use, apply the "grass" first. A spot of glue, fix your section of grass and clip an appropriate length.

Let dry overnight.

Texture your base around the tufts of grass.
The bond should allow you to trim, bend and paint your grass to taste.

Cheers,
Robert

Ps. If the string has been coated, then add dish soap to the water.

Make static grass tufts yourself:

YouTube link

I got something called a potting cover in the local craft shop. You could cut a great many tufts out of one of these. It was only available in a single green color though.

You can make your own fairly cheaply.

First, get a piece of card and use a hot melt glue gun to melt small dots of glue on it. Push some terrain bits into it and let harden. Peel it away and save to glue to your bases.

The terrain bits are things like chunks cut from aquarium plants, straw cut from brooms, pieces of frayed hemp rope, and so on. You can prime, paint/dry brush, and seal these bits before you peel it off the card (or store in on the card).

You can use gel type superglue on a piece of wax paper,sprinkle or push your material onto it and let it dry.you can peel the tuft straight of the paper and then glue to your base.I've done this several times with good effect.

I think what timurilank is talking about is sisal cord or rope. You can find it in most hardware stores, sometimes they will cut it by the foot. Otherwise you will have a lifetime supply if you buy the roll of cord at the stuffmart of your choice.

I have used leftover bits from Boy Scout trips andafter splaying them a bit dab some glue on the base, stick in one end and then cut to the height that looks good to me. with 300 you could pre cut a bunch and then stick them as you wish.

What makes tufts special is not that it has its own invisible patch of base but that it has a central point from which all the leaves radiate evenly in a circular plant like structure. The best of them have two colors too, an inner and outer.

I think they are harder to reproduce than I've seen explained above.

If you are doing the Ia Drang, better do 1st Cavalry Division, not 101st Airborne.

I guess you mean LZ Xray and LZ Albany.

Tom

I've seen real moss tufts used, after they had been left to dry. They looked great and they are free.

Garryowen -- I assure you that was a typo!

Thanks, everybody, those are some great ideas and resources.

I sell some grass tuft varieties on my website (click my name to go to the website). We sell a number of "Battlefields" tuft grass, scatters, and static grasses too :)

Cheap 1" paintbrushes from the Dollar Store. Their bristles are made of the same stuff you pay $$$$ for in a hobby store. Easier to work with too – just cut off the length and amount you need – the rest stay on the handle until you are ready for more.

Second what Number4 stated.