Birch Tree 18 cm, 1 pc.

A birch 18 cm tall

One finished birch model from Heki, height 18 cm. The tree is not built or painted; it is simply set in place on the scene. Birch is one of the trees that are recognized on a model at first glance: it has a slender light trunk and a thinner, lighter crown than an oak or a chestnut. It therefore brings a different note to a scene than heavy broadleaves and it suits anywhere a landscape is meant to look airy.

How big this tree is

In 1:87 scale a height of 18 cm corresponds to roughly 15.7 meters, in 1:72 scale to about 13 meters and in 1:35 scale to approximately 6.3 meters. This is therefore a tree of middle size, which will not take over a scene but will not disappear in it either. In the small scales it will serve as a fully mature tree; in the large ones more as a younger specimen by a road or a wall.

Where a birch belongs on a scene

• At the edge of a wood, on an embankment and at the foot of a slope, where a birch tends to be the first tree to take hold.
• In abandoned and disturbed places: by a ruin, in an unkept yard, at the edge of a quarry or a sand pit.
• By water, on the bank of a stream and by a marsh, where the light trunk contrasts with a dark surface.
• In a group with other birches of different heights, because a birch rarely stands alone in a landscape.

Setting in place and care

Drill a hole for the trunk in the surface, seat the tree so that it stands without support, and secure the joint with glue. Hide the transition to the trunk with scatter, grass or fallen leaves. The light trunk is sensitive to handling, so touch the tree as little as possible while working and remove dust from it with a soft brush or with compressed air from a distance. The base, the glue, the paints and scenic scatter are not supplied, unless stated otherwise.