Build convincing scenery
From simple materials to scale bamboo.
Bamboo is instantly recognizable—and surprisingly unforgiving in miniature. Careful shaping, repeated joints, and restrained finishing turn ordinary materials into believable tropical vegetation.
I made the first bamboo out of .040" (1.0 mm) styrene rod for the gate, but the bike-generator stand I made from stretched sprue from the bike kit.
After stretching the sprue SLOWLY, to get a consistent-ish thickness, I cut it into short sections, (1/8-3/16th”) then with a soldering iron on low temp setting, I melted the end of each section to get the bamboo section look, then glued the little sections together to make various lengths of completed bamboo poles.
I hang the clothespins over the edge of a bench riser and attach new pieces to the bottom. ex. I prime the bottom, and the new piece, wait a few seconds then hang it to the bottom. Once they are to the length I want, (for me 6 sections) I let them cure for 15 minutes, then " paint" them with more Tamiya extra thin cement. Let them cure overnight before painting.
Painting the bamboo - black Vallejo Primer, (73.602) then dry brush with Olive Drab faded 2 (MMP-021) and finally Desert Yellow ( XF-59).
Bill Huffman IPMS Seattle