North African Build

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
That is really impressive. A lot of effort has gone into getting it just right. Looks superb. It's not easy to get perfect crackling :tongue-out3:
Palm tree dates look good as well.
Jim

[GerryW]

Hi,
I have begun with scratching the bunch of dates by adding strips of wire infused masking tape to simulate the long single stems that connect the bunch of date stems to the base of the palm frond.

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After spraying a coat of brown primer, I will then spray 3M Super77 spraymount glue...this is strong stuff... onto the bunch stems and dip it into a pot of the spice seeds I found earlier. I microwaved the seeds to kill any insects that may have laid eggs or lived in them... I don't want another episode of The Living Dead happening.:smiling6:

We'll see the progress in the next post but for now it's cat feeding and supplements time.

Cheers,
Richard

And I thought that you'd be sticking each date on individually :smiling5: :upside:

[rtfoe]

Thanks Gents, the roast pork crackling skin is constant after following a recipe and method from YouTube. As for the palm...every species has its own characteristics and fruiting.

Thank goodness I don't have to stick the dates one by one...here's the result...



Now it's just to secure them and paint them the right colours although the ripe ones are nearly these colours.

Cheers,
Richard

[Jim R]

Those date bunches are very good indeed.
Jim

[Si Benson]

Hi Richard,
Was wondering how you would tackle the dates and you’ve not disappointed...excellent result

[scottie3158]

Richard,
This is superb mate and very educational I have picked up some good tips.

[minitnkr]

Outstanding. Always loved dates & figs. PaulE

[GerryW]

They're looking good enough to eat (are they ripe yet?)

[rtfoe]

Those date bunches are very good indeed.
Jim

Thanks Jim...I'm quite surprised myself.

Hi Richard,
Was wondering how you would tackle the dates and you’ve not disappointed...excellent result

Hi Si, was quite apprehensive of the final result coming out but not out of the woods yet...have to cross check with the scale.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Outstanding. Always loved dates & figs. PaulE

Thanks Paul, both are my favorite snacks too especially fig biscuits.

Richard,
This is superb mate and very educational I have picked up some good tips.

Thanks Scottie, glad you could save the tips for your next builds.

They're looking good enough to eat (are they ripe yet?)

Thank you Gerry, these bits are quite hard and can get stuck in your teeth but I'll paint them just about to ripen.

Cheers,
Richard

[Neil Merryweather]

Fantastic job Richard! I KNEW you could do it

[minitnkr]

Fig Newtons rule. PaulE

[rtfoe]

Fantastic job Richard! I KNEW you could do it

Thanks Neil for the confidence, there is always a spot of doubt every time I make something new.

Fig Newtons rule. PaulE

Paul, yes by Nabisco I think....yum yum.

Today I spent an hour painting the dates after soaking the bunch in Future so they hold together. I started with the what's that new word they use for an old technique...ah yes Modulation...spraying a base of dark orange on the upper surfaces of the dates facing front...then deep yellow and in the end Gerry, I had to individually highlight each date with flat yellow mixed with a little white using a paint brush. I had to go over twice for the Vallejo paint highlight to show.



I will dilute some Future and semi-gloss the dates.

Anyone watched the recent All England Badminton Championship men's single finals... it was a scorcher of a match with long rally's of deaf touches, explosive smashes and great defence from the two players. What a distraction from my hobby. :smiling2:

Cheers,
Richard

[Graeme C.]

Your dates are looking very good Richard, the palm tree is a build all on it's own.:thumb2:

[GerryW]

Painstaking work then - I doubt that I'd have the patience! Mind you, the result looks stunningly realistic, so worth the effort :thumb2: