I'd do it

I need to make some trees for my layout anyway, so I'd be happy to join in a contest.

Thanks, Ken!

We have our first contestant!  When we get a few more we can ask Joe F. (nicely) if he will setup the contest rules; or, if he is too busy we can set them up by ourselves.

I say we set the rules

and then see what kind of prize can be drummed up.  And i like the idea of a How Too article being required of the winner.

so, I propose we accept pics of puff ball tree installations as comments on THIS thread for a month - until Thanksgiving Day.  Then Rick assembles a panel of judges from the forum, who select a top 5.  then we start a Poll in another thread with the top 5 listed that runs two weeks more.

rebuttals?

Phillip - I love it; however.....

Phillip,

I love your ideas; however, I'm in a middle of moving to Florida and can't commit to getting that judge panel formed.  Think of me as the "idea man" - I had the idea...... and now I'm hoping someone else will pick up the ball and run with it!

Trees

I would be all for it!  I've been wanting to try my hand at making them for a while now.  And this could be my push to get started.......

I Have Some

I use poly fiber for junipers like those to the right of the UP diesels in this shot:

Some of these get sagebrush or other twigs for trunks.  I don't use poly fiber for large trees much these days.

Nice

Rob, nice trees and I love the backdrop!!!!!!!

Being as I am the one that

Being as I am the one that kind of got this going with my "in defense of puff balls" thread I am all for it.

-Doug

OK, so what are the criteria?

It's been pointed out that the object of puffery is to cover a wide area of relatively distant terrain economically and with minimal effort.  Presumably we (you) can't judge simply on the basis of the best individual tree.

Anyway, not my area.  I model the Pacific coast, where men are men, and the trees are pointy, not puffy.

David

ps now if someone has a cheap and easy method to cover a wide area of relatively distant terrain etc with Douglas Fir and cedar, I'd be interested.

Contest rules?

Well as I said elsewhere i

Well as I said elsewhere i think that most folks that use puffballs are not doing it for a tree or two but for covering a reasonably large ares of a layout. SO I suggest that the rules should require a reasonable area of coverage (say a foot or more).  

Beyond that I think we are looking for "realistic"  And I suggest that folks give a bit of a description about what it is they are trying to model. (Such as this is an attempt to model the New River Gorge).

Other then that I am not sure there needs to be a rules. (other then requireing that an artical (at least a short one) be expected of the winner and perhaps a brief description of how they did it (say a paragraph) should be included in the post.

-Doug M 

ok, so what I'm reading for rules:

1. There needs to be an original photo documenting the work posted as a comment.  Said Photo needs to show the puffballs in question, and describe the prototype geography being modeled. 
2. Contestants may also post pictures of the prototype in their submissions for reference, but will not be awarded any additional points if they do.
3. The puffballs need to form the major scenic element in the photo.
4. The puffballs MAY be mixed with other tree making techniques but must still be the major scenic element.
5. the winner will be determined by some sort of popular vote whose form and construction will be decided later.  I haven't have enough coffee today to work this one further.
6. The Winner SHOULD write s short article for MRH on his/her puffball techniques.  All participants agreet to lay siege to the MRH offices until timely publication occurs.
7. An indeterminate number of bonus points will be given for the first entrant using puffballs to accurately depict Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine forests for the PNW.

What say you puffballers?

Major Element Eh?

Not that this should become a point of contention (or that I necessarily feel compelled to compete), but is the goal to seek merely an effective way to utilize puffball trees, or an effective way to use them as a dominating scenic element?

Modeling an eastern US or Canadian deciduous forest is one obvious place to employ such things, but say you find them useful for other situations like this (Castle Rock, UT):

Photo credit Marty Bernard (click on photo for source).

Obviously the puffballs aren't going to become the major scenic element, but they still might prove mighty useful.  Is this situation therefore disqualified?

Well I think that someone

Well I think that someone forget the bonus points for modeling the New River Gorge.

But I do think that the major element means that you need to have something more then 4 or 5 of them covering an area 4 sq ft.

-Doug M

Did this ever go anywhere?

I think it was awaiting the

I think it was awaiting the blessing of those in charge around here.

I would also suggest that the basic rules as noted in one of the posts is pretty close. 

But I think we need to divide this into two categories.

Category One Best Leading Actor in a Puff ball piece.

This means that the puff balls cover a reasonable areas (say a minimum off one or two sq ft demonstrating that the treatment can be done in a larger area as desired.  Also the Puff balls needs to be the major element used and should cover "most" of the area in question. So that the puff Balls are the Leading Actor in the scene.  This would allow for instance Supper trees in the front row or two, and a few parts in the overall area, but still the puff balls need to cover more area then all the other things combined.

Category Two should be best supporting Actor. This category would include anything that is NOT part of category one.  So in case you use some Puff balls but mostly something else.  This would be things like a scene where the super trees cover most the area but puff balls are used in a supporting role. Or if you have a scene where you cover 5 sq ft with only a hand full of puff balls.  So alas those modeling the South West where there are only 10 trees in a sq mile will be relegated to supporting actor roles.

I would also define a puff ball as a very quick and inexpensive method of making trees to cover large areas of layout typically made from material used to stuff pillows and stuffed animals or a close approximation of same.  Also  these should be able to be made in "trees per minute" not minutes per tree.  

As for the rules I would suggest that we hold all entries until after the holidays. Lets say we open the contest about Jan 7 or so and run it until the end of Jan. Then we can have the first week of Feb to narrow down to the finalist then from Feb 9th (sat) until Feb 16th we vote on the final. Note we could do it faster but i think if we try this before Jan it will get lost with the holidays.

We could set up some sort of vote (I leave this up to Joe, if he wants to do a popular vote or set up a small group to decide). I would suggest that we narrow it down to say three in each category.(assuming more then 4 enter the contest to begin with)   And then ask that the three finalist to post a short post on what they did and how the did it if they have not already. Then the final vote is taken (again I leave the method of vote up to Joe).  

I would suggest that we have TWO threads. One for entrants (where just photos and the name of the person entering are located) then another thread to discuss what is going on. I suggest this, as if we put comments into the thread with the entries it will be hard to scan all the entries.  I would also suggest that we limit the number of photos to a reasonable number and allow folks (suggest even) to include a "prototype" photo of the kind of thing they are trying to model.

For instance the New River Gorge looks different then New England and a lot different then the Pacific Northwest.  The idea of course being the winner goes to who ever does the best example of modeling the New River, er I mean modeling there chosen prototype.  That being said if 14 folks are all modeling the New River then they don't all have to enter an example photo. The idea here is that those that may be less familiar with the area being model should have some sort of a reference.

I would also suggest that folks can enter more then once as long as they have different techniques for example one is New England in the fall and the other is New England in the summer.

I think if this works perhaps we can then have a thread/contest for ideas to replace puff balls in a mass produced cover a large area kind of thing and a final contest that is the ultimate Tree contest (note that I think we have Two folks for that latter contest already with the idea about the hot trees and the Conifers thread).

This is just my ideas, I leave it up to Joe to bless this (or not) Note to Joe, if you want me to I am willing to put together an actual list of rules and send them to you to modify.   With luck the basic idea of the contest will work for future ideas (as noted).

Well that is my suggestion and I am willing to enter the contest or act as a judge or what ever may help this idea, as I am really hoping someone has a good idea or two here as I have a very large area I need to cover in in a lot of trees.

Doug Meyer

Modeling the C&O in  New River Gorge, circa 1943.