Carl,,, very slick indeed ! That will look awesome when completed (looks pretty doggone awesome now).
And,,,, am sure Gunny feels better after the duckbills were removed..... nicely done
OK,, as promised, here is a quick expose' on how I make palm trees.
Grab a stick from your backyard, woods or wherever. An appropriate diameter of course.
I found one easy enough,,,,,, then cut it into length sections. Depending on how tall you want your trees.
I wrap the "trunk" in cheesecloth. Once or twice around is plenty. I attach it with a mix of dilluted white glue.
Leave a little cheesecloth on each end,,, I use this extra as a hanger to allow the trunk to dry. I use those little xacto clips - - clipping the extra cheesecloth and then hanging the trunk from my work desk. Use something to counter balance the clip (kit box, paint bottle, etc.)
Once the trunk dries, add a little more cheesecloth to the base of your tree trunk.,,, to fatten up the base.
Slop on some more white glue mix.....
And let that dry.
Next is the new part for me,,, I used to use Milliput but this time I am using Durham's Water Putty. I just use a little plastic cup to mix,,,, you want it about the consistency of mustard,,, of which it looks a little like mustard. I slop it on with a little dowell. It doesn't have to be a thick coat and you don't have to be real neat with this application. Try to keep it semi-uniform however.
Hang the trunk again to dry. I typically use a day for drying time. I like to make sure these things are totally dry.
You can see how the extra cheesecloth, on the ends, comes in handy.
The cheesecloth also helps bind the water putty,,, especially for this next step.
Now I scribe some horizontal rings into the dried water putty. My scriber is nothing fancy, but it sure works for this type of effort.
The scribing might chip or gouge the putty here and there,,, no worries,, palm trees have that beat up look anyway.
No need to be real precise with the scribed lines either,, enough coverage to give it the palm tree look.
The scribing is monotonous and it takes some time too. Be sure to scribe over a piece of scrap paper or newspaper as it is a little messy too. Typically I do this type of no-brain-needed work when I want some down time. Not having to think works well for me every now and then.
Once you are happy with the scribed trunk, you should seal it. I used Mr. Surfacer. I slopped it on, used the clips to hang and let them dry.
The trunks are now ready for painting and finishing.......
Even though this type of effort is a little boring, it sure does save some cash. A long time ago I bought 2 Squadron palm resin tree trunks and if I remember correctly they were about $10.00 ($5.00 each). I made 7 trunks for pennies....
Now I have to start on making some palm tree leaves........
Hope you liked the pics