[CROGLINVAMPIRE]

Materials List:

Great Stuff (or whatevers on sale) expanding foam
concrete form tubes x2
Saran Wrap (or whatever s on sale)
Talking Tree Face (picked up on clearance after Hallo'een)


OK, be prepared to eventually get this crap on you (expanding foam)

I start with applying my foam to sheets of saran wrap and after a minute or two of curing (just enough time to get a bit of "tooth" or resistance from the foam. Too early and you'll find it flattens right out and gives very little texture, which in some cases is fine, its whatever desired grain or effect you'd like

I split the top of one concrete form so I could give it the broken off top look to my tree


I built an inner ring of foam inside the bottom concrete form in layers so I could attach the two

It can be time consuming, but I never noticed...

I wanted a few broken off branches that fog can roll out from, using scrap PVC

Also using scrap PVC for this arms, in stages of course as thats how this guy is mostly built. Next, foam in your arms and broken branches being careful to leave branches unblocked for fog to escape from

I wanted to give him a broad base to help with stability...good time to add a skeleton...maybe a sign post...its up to you!

So far so good, going to finish him off with more foliage and moss effects this weekend and will post the finished Haunted Tree prop

Have fun!

Croggy~

 

[Hilda]

I LOVE THIS SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing!!

 

[matrixmom]

This is simple, and so scary!

 

[Kelloween]

me too, love it!

 

[hallowicked]

this is incredible

 

[a_granger]

Love your tree Crog, and methods you used are such a great idea...I think I'll be trying this! Thank you for sharing.

 

[EviLEye]

Holy $#*T!, that is way cool. Agree about the part on getting the foam on the cheap, cause I used a few cans last year and it goes quick and adds up.

 

[RCIAG]

I missed something somewhere, why do you put the foam on the plastic wrap?

 

[CROGLINVAMPIRE]

The plastic wrap allows you to form and texture the foam into whatever your looking for. Once it cures, the wrap peels right off and what doesn't can be evaporated with a kiss of the torch

 

[bobzilla]

Wow....that's really great work!
I'm very impressed. So cool

 

[matrixmom]

so you squirt on saran wrap first then while its still sticky put on the tube? Why not straight on the tube in small sections and form /texture there? Just wondering....

The plastic wrap allows you to form and texture the foam into whatever your looking for. Once it cures, the wrap peels right off and what doesn't can be evaporated with a kiss of the torch

 

[pumpkinpie]

This is beyond amazing, thank u so much for sharing

 

[RCIAG]

The plastic wrap allows you to form and texture the foam into whatever your looking for. Once it cures, the wrap peels right off and what doesn't can be evaporated with a kiss of the torch

Oh...got it. But how is it attached to the form?

 

[CROGLINVAMPIRE]

Verticle surfaces tend to suck for holding onto foam, it wants to ball up and roll down into a nice expensive wad on the floor the plastic wrap acts as a skin until it cures

 

[CROGLINVAMPIRE]

Thanks everybody for the kind words, my first how- to! I'm going to waterproof soon and set it up in a nice spooky environment and post pics

 

[matrixmom]

Crog....but we are wondering.....below

Oh...got it. But how is it attached to the form?

 

[cai88]

What an amazing idea! Great work!

 

[weaz]

I don't suppose you have a video of the plastic wrap, form and moving it to the tree?

 

[CROGLINVAMPIRE]

Ah, pick it up by the corners carefully and just slap 'er on there...you may get a little overlap between sections but it cures beautifully regardless. And again this gives you your chance to sculpt what textures your looking for, bark..wood grain...brick...you'd be surprised what you can do

 

[CROGLINVAMPIRE]

But remember, if you want a thicker section to work with, let it cure longer and it'll get pudgier naturally, otherwise you'll end up with a thin set foam if you put it on too early. It's a personal preference thing really, no wrong way to create something , but wait too long and you have a rectangular piece of foam..which has it's uses too I reckon'