Modeling grain crops

[foxtrackin]

Any suggestions on how to model corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.?

[simon1966]

Good question. I am planning to have some fields, mainly on the backdrop, but by neccessity coming onto the modelled portion of the layout. I have seen some photo etched brass corn stands, but I did not think that they looked all that good, a but too uniform, but maybe OK when painted.

[orsonroy]

I'm modelling central Illinois, so have had to wrap my brain around this problem. Here's what I came up with:

Wheat: this one's easy: tan fake fur, preferably coarse. Works like a charm.

Soybeans: this one's straightforward, but time consuming: Soak apart a cardboard box so you can get at the corrugated bits inside. Glue the corrugated cardboard to the field area (that's your furrows). Once dry, glue real sifted soil to the cardboard. Once THAT's dry, glue smallish chunks of Woodland Scenics dark green clump foliage to the tops of the corrugations. This process will take several days, but you end up with a great-looking field.

Corn: this one's a real PITA to model well. Everyone's got their own favorite method. While I prefer the LOOKS of the Alkem photoetched brass cornrows, there's no way I'd want to be able to afford enough to look convincing in the sizes of my fields (my smallest is about a square foot; the largest is about five square feet). Since I'm modelling June/July, I didn't need very tall corn, so I went with short nap outdoor carpeting from Lowe's. It's the right color green, and doesn't look bad (but doesn't scream "I'm corn!"). Some people have used regular Astro Turf, but I think it looks horrible. Some hearth souls have planted individual blades of dried grass seed heads to represent corn, but that's TOO time consuming for my tastes. Finally, Noch (or Heiki) just announced a cornrow material (and ferns!). All I've seen is a grainy color photo, but it looks promising. Unfortunately, the weak dollar versus the Euro may make this material too pricey to use in bulk.

Hope this helps! I'm sure SOMEBODY out there has other corn ideas!

[hminky]

You can model field grains using my faux fur techniquie



That is an HO Preiser Figure. I sprinkled Woodland scenics yellow grass fine turf on the fur grass to be wheat. Using green on green fur should make soybeans. I have an web article discussing this at:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/fur_grass/

Thank you if you visit
Harold

[jrbarney]

Foxtrakin,
As I noted in an earlier thread on field crops, Musket Miniatures:
http://www.musketminiatures.com/
in their online catalog lists corn shocks, wheat shocks, and a corn field. From the photo of the corn field, their product doesn't appear to be as finely detailed as the Alkem Scale Models product:
http://www.alkemscalemodels.com
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[CPPedler]

I don't know if any of you guys in the U.S. or Canada have heard of Pendon Museum ,here in the U.K. It is a vast project started 51 years ago to recreate the English countryside as it was in the 1930's It measures some 70 x 35 feet built to 4mm scale ( a little bigger than H.O. However they are making wheat fields using plumbers hemp cut into 2" lengths and glued to 4" square Cardboard 'modules' with white glue , when its dried it is teased up,trimmed and sprayed ... very effective. CPPedler.

[Javern]

MR had a article one time on making corn, they used the plastic artificial turf like door mats that are green and can be bought at Wal Mart and such,

[Anonymous]

I saw one corn field at a GATS show several years ago made by using the green twist ties for tying bread bags, etc. They were cut short, twisted into a spiral and set in rows, but I don't remember what the base was. It looked pretty good at the time.

[snowey]

there was an article in MR sometime in the late 80s, about using a door mat to model a corn field. I remember they said that it's easy to cut if you don't need one that big, because of the rubber backing.
The article was reprinted in the Kalmbach book, "Scenery Tips and Techniques"

[egmurphy]

Here's a link to a recent thread on TrainBoard about using straw broom tips to model corn stalks in N scale:
http://www.trainboard.com/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/9/t/005199.html



Regards

Ed

[trainnut57]

Don't know about soybeans and wheat, but for corn I used plastic "asparagus fern". You can get it at craft shops such as Michael's (if you have one), or try any local craft shop or store that sells plastic plants. It takes some work: cutting the right length, you have to "smash" and twist the the leaves with a pair of smooth jawed pliers to get the flat leaf effect, and any other detail you may want to include. I gaurantee your hand will hurt before you complete a row, but the effort will be worth it. I got this tip from an old scenery book "Scenery Tips and Techniques" from Model Railroader Magazine, (Handbook #26) on page 26. This of course ir reccommended for HO scale, I don't recall what scale you mentioned. Good Luck!

[Gettysburg]

Dear Forum,

I model the B&O in West Central Indiana (N-Scale), and have had some success using small patches of corduroy of various wales for soy beans, but have never been truly satisfied with the effect for corn. I guess it doesn't look too bad for early summer. Anyway, a dusting of paint and a little ground foam seem to give a pleasing effect, at least to my eye (I wear bifocals, so beware; that last statement is suspect).

Thanks for all the wonderful tips.

Cordially,

Paul

[Anonymous]

I'm working on trying to build the Popes Creek line from Brandywine down to Popes Creek as part of a branch line of my Baltimore and Potomac RR. The artificial turf door mats come in green for early corn or can be used for tobacco. There is also a lighter color that can be used at the end of the the season such as September when the corn is normally harvested. To simulate sorgum or millet use broom bristles with red ground foam for sorgum and a lighter ground cover for millet. I haven't actually attached this but have been doing little experiments as I clean out my outside storage shed so I can begin building my empire. That way I'll have the bugs worked out when I get started.