Jungle Features

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Plastic Palm Trees

In this second terrain feature article I will be discussing palm trees which in some shape or form generally grace most wargames tables that are set in the desert, parts of the Med and the Pacific. They are readily available in numerous scales and vary in type and quality which is reflected in their respective cost.

Over a year ago we as a group of wargamers decided that we wanted to expand our interest in World War II and play games that encompassed Japans involvement in the conflict, this in turn encouraged us to write a supplement to cover this different style of warfare but that’s another story. Anyway the die was cast, the project involved each of us purchasing figures, vehicles and of course new types of terrain to represent the relevant battlefields. As you can guess a costly endeavour.

In an effort to keep the costs down we searched the internet and spoke to a number of groups who organise various demo games and discovered the joys of plastic aquarium grass which makes superb stylised jungle ( I suspect it will be subject of another future feature ). Anyway back to the palm trees, we eventually found some soft plastic palm trees that came in several different sizes (approx 2”(50mm) to 4”(100mm).

How to make realistic models of palm trees for war games

The above picture shows you the basic design. The tree’s consist of a plastic brown trunk and two to three separate leaf sections which with care can be slid off the trunk. These can then be arranged to create different effects and slid back onto the trunk no gluing is required as they are a push fit. below picture shows the leaf sections removed together with the metal bases that i decided to base the trees on.

After creating the effect required it is easier then to base them, this can be done in several ways, its really up to you. I tend to base them singly using a metal flat blank disc (you could alternatively use a coin/nut and bolt washer or plastic card). I drill the disc with a suitably sized drill bit (just slightly under the trunk diameter) And press fit the trunk through the hole and allow it to protrude through the base. See below picture

I then carefully apply super glue to the base of the tree and onto the metal discwasher (including the trunk sticking out of the other side) and allow it to harden. When this is complete I carefully trim the excess trunk off the underside of the stand with a modelling knife this of course allows the tree to stand correctly. See below picture

I then turn attention to the tree itself and carefully dry brush the trunk with a light tan colour. Having allowed it to dry I then paint the base with an under coat of the appropriate intended base colour, in the below picture example, the tree bases have been painted in a light stone colour as they are intended for use in the desert and on beach area’s. below picture shows the dry brushed tree with under coated base prior to application of basing finish.

You then allow everything to dry then apply the base finish material, which in this case is children’s play sand (used to represent desert and beach area’s), you simply apply a thick coat of the base colour paint and sprinkle the sand over the base whilst the paint is still went, the sand adores to the paint, both of which then dry onto the base. Below picture shows the finished result.

Whilst I tend to base the trees individually on metal bases there are a large number of other options available to you . You can use plastic card, or mould them into a base diorama. The below picture features trees based on a discarded match box model display plastic base

I hope this article has been of use to you and will encourage you to have ago, I’ll now get the obvious business plug in (oops), if you can’t find suitable trees or are discouraged by the price of some trees, we are offering the above featured trees at a very realistic price (excuse the pun).

Purchase the Trees

Jungle Features