does anyone have any ideas how to replicate bamboo in 1:35 scale? I refuse to buy the metal stuff.
--daredevil

I use the bamboo that grows in my yard...the young sprouts. Joints aren'tt scale/close in distance, but, other than that it looks like it cause it is it. Perhaps alittle faux painted joints on the shoots if you prefer.

could send you a bundle of clippings if you like.

kglack

Once I used bamboo skewers (like those you use for a kebab) and with a Dremel tool shaped them and smoothed them out. I basically made some incisions in several places on the skewer and then thinned out the space between those the incisions. I also drilled out the ends to simulate hollow insides. If what I wrote doesn't make sense, PM me and I will send you a couple of sketches.

Something else that would work well for scale bamboo is the straw that is used to make up whisk brooms... The individual pieces are right around 1/32" to 1/16" diameter and should be fine; Just cut them to a desired length.

(++) (++) (++) (++) (++) x 10

Daredevil,

I don't know whether this reply might be too late but I just got myself registered on this forum. I haven't done any modelling since my rebellous youth completing my last tank some 25 years ago. I just finished my first dio recently after being inspired by the guys on this forum, that and the little woman working late has also afforded me a lot of free time. Anyway here goes.

My dio was a Japanese garden utiling the samurai from Tamiya's 47 ronin. I'll try to post some pictures after I figure out how do so with my what's left of my computer illiterate brain. Have you ever heard of the tree called Casuarina or Australian Pine. Its a large tree with pine needle leaves found usually planted near beaches (it is anyway in my country). You may have to surf some botanical webpages to get photos of the tree.

1. If you observe the smaller branches you will notice that the internodes (places on the branch where leaves or other branches emerge) are quite close enough to simulate bamboo's section-like trunk or culms.
2. Get a suitable scaled branch and paint it with wood varnish to strengthen it and then paint it over with bamboo color which is usually light green or greenish yellow (acrylic or oil ). After the paint dries you might want to paint the trunk with a semi-gloss, clear varnish. The semi-gloss gives the trunk the smooth appearance. I believe you guys use Future floor wax. Well I haven't been able to find it here along with many goodies like Woodland Scenic products that you guys have over there.
3. I have serveral webpages on bamboo if you need to get a feel of the color. Next comes the tedious part which is inserting the leaves.
4. Bamboo is essentially a grass, albeit the world's largest and also fastest growing. If you play golf or own a garden or can get access to grass, look for Bermuda grass. Bermuda spreads by runners and usually has fine leaves approximating the 3 leaf groupings of real bamboo.
5. Find suitable sized runners (definitely smaller than you main trunk of Casuarina "bamboo") with leaves, cut and varnish with clear wood varnish to give it some rigidity (sounds like some sex aid).
6. Make small holes using a pin or small nail on your trunk at the internodes and insert the Bermuda grass runner at 45-60 degrees angle to the trunk. It helps if you sharpen slightly the runner's end that goes into the trunk making it a better fit.
7. The leaf color on the runner fades a bit but if you place sufficient "branches" the effect more than makes up for the color as the focus of the viewer is deflected.
8. Place as many branches or runners per trunk as you find necessary or until you get tired and bored of making them. One word though place the runner towards the top half or top one third of the trunk as bamboo branching usually occurs toward the top.
9. Lastly don't angle all the branches in one plane or at one side but rather spread it around the trunk to give it a whorl like effect.

Hope that wasn't too tedious but it actually isn't too hard as you can manage a few bamboo trunks in an hour. Good luck.