This might be a silly ? to ask....But how do you make HO scale logs??? Like I know ya use branches and such but what kinds do you use?? Like what kind of a tree do ya look for to get some real time logs???
Thanks
J Trane
I just look around the neighborhood ... what is really needed is a branch that is the right size, has the right bark texture, and is STRAIGHT, at least in long enough sections that you need for your application.
Now this guy knows how to make them, rather than find them ...
AggroJones wrote: I just got some logs that are going in a flat car as a load.
I just got some logs that are going in a flat car as a load.
www.oakhurstrailroad.com
"Oakhurst Railroad" on Facebook
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/logs/
Here's one method.
This is what I gots to make the logs for so they fit in here:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-3159
WCL wrote: Like what kind of a tree do ya look for to get some real time logs???
Like what kind of a tree do ya look for to get some real time logs???
Low bush blue berries work for me. They are very much like mini-trees even down to the growth rings, color and textures.
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
loathar wrote: http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/logs/Here's one method.
Click to enlarge
Typical trees used for logging are:
So you can get some branches from any of these trees and cut them to scale.
I've got a hedge row around my yard, which I trim about once a month. Each harvest nets me enough material to make 9 million cords of N scale pulpwood...
Fortunately, I don't need that much!
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
In the past I have read in these forums that grapevine makes good logs. I do have a wild grapevine here on the creek in front of my house but I really do not want to start cutting it up. I have looked at it in the respect of using it for some logs and I think it would work pretty good. I am going to look at some more when the leaves are good and green and hopfully will find some dead vines that I can use.
Good Luck. Mike
WCL wrote:Yeah I wish we had them kinds here....Its hard to find Low bush blue berry thingers...LOL
Too bad about that. Perhaps Azalea, rhododendron or serviceberry? Don't know if you have any mountains near you but many hardy bushes from higher elevations will do.
The problem with using actual fir, oak, etc for log loads is that the small scale-size twigs that come off those trees don't have a covering that looks anything like a proper scale bark texture. They are usually smooth, or have patterns that ring around them. But it looks much more realistic to have a striated pattern that goes *lengthwise* along the log.
With that in mind, I agree about grapevine, suggested in another response here. Another excellent choice is wisteria bush. Find the brown, stalky, more dry portions of the vine, cut them to length, and then if they are not straight, soak them in water for an hour or two and bend them. Remember that logs in a yard or on a flat car are generally pretty darn straight. When you bend, you can gently "crack" the fibers a little (you'll hear it) to permanently make them stay straight. When you've got logs you like, cut them off square with an Xacto or a razor saw. Remember, these things are cut off with chain saws so they have crisp, fresh-cut ends on them.
Spray them with Dull Cote so they don't keep losing and absorbing moisture, which will make them warp over time.
Here are some examples.
Hi mmagliaro,
You might not get too many responses from previous posters on this thread because the last entry was 11 1/2 years ago and many of them have not posted in a long time. Some people might criticize you for resurrecting an old thread but most of us see nothing wrong at all with returning to a topic, especially in this case where you are showing such excellent work! Your logs look better than most 'natural' logs that I have seen, and your tutorial is very clear.
I have to build numerous log loads and large log piles for the club. I need literally hundreds of logs so unfortunately your method would require a lot of work, time, and a lot of wisterias! I have decided to compromise on the appearance by using 1/8" and 5/32" wood dowels.
I plan to use various colours of stain or paint (not sure which yet - I'll have to do some experimenting) to get the outsides looking like bark. I'll do that before cutting the dowels to length so that the ends of each log will still have their natural colour after being cut. I will add a tiny dot of greenish brown wash to the center of each end to give them a more realistic appearance.
To cut the dowels I plan on wrapping them tightly with saran wrap and then masking tape. That way I can cut them in bundles and with the position of the dowels being tight together, I hope to minimize splintering.
We shall see! Don't hold your breath. The project is way down the list!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
mikesmowers In the past I have read in these forums that grapevine makes good logs. I do have a wild grapevine here on the creek in front of my house but I really do not want to start cutting it up. I have looked at it in the respect of using it for some logs and I think it would work pretty good. I am going to look at some more when the leaves are good and green and hopfully will find some dead vines that I can use. Good Luck. Mike
Just for anybody that needs to know in case the subject comes up again. Around here we always cut back the grape vines on George Washington's birthday, Feb.22. This was just the common date my dad used to remember when to do it. It should be done in late winter. Grape vines are very forgiving.
It would seem to me that for pulp wood loads, or stacks waiting to go on cars, that only the top layer would need to be good, the pieces with ends showing could be as smooth as when found, or purchased (dowels).
davidmurrayIt would seem to me that for pulp wood loads, or stacks waiting to go on cars, that only the top layer would need to be good, the pieces with ends showing could be as smooth as when found, or purchased (dowels).
Hi Dave,
You are right, only the top needs to be superdetailed. However, when I build the log loads and piles, I still plan on staining all of the dowels just so whatever can be seen between the logs doesn't look too bright.
There is another option, and that is to only model full width logs on the top couple of layers of the piles. The lower logs where only the ends are visible could be much shorter and a pieces of foam could be used to form the body of the log piles behind the short logs.
Thanks for revivising this topic. I never considered using actual tree branches. The trick is finding ones that are nearly perfect for straightness. I need to poke around and see how to make them.
One of our members is currently experimenting with Queen Anne's Lace which a common wildflower (weed to some) that grows everywhere in Ontario. The plants will grow to a height of about 4'. The stalks are long and straight and about 8" wide in HO scale. He showed me a load tonight that someone else had made with the same material and it looked quite good. The bark is fine grained and definitely believable. The only minor issue is that the stalks tend to be a bit squarish but that doesn't really stand out when there is a full load.
Having seen the Queen Anne's Lace logs I'm questioning whether or not the dowels that I was planning on using are the best choice. I may just use them as fillers with the natural material on the tops of the piles/loads.