Planting HO trees in foamboard layout

[kasskaboose]

You also can use an unfolded paperclip to create the hole for trees. Plenty of options available!

Your trees look quite close to the track.  Am I missing something?  I keep all trees and phone poles 2-3" away from the track.

[Remeyer53]

I have found that the easiest solution is to use a small section of aluminum tubing that fits over the nub on the bottom of the tree. Sometimes I have to file the diameter of nub down to fit snuggly in the tubing.

On my layout I have foam board on top of plywood. If the foam is thin than I drill down into the plywood about an 1/8 inch and make the tubing long enough to stick through the foam and into the plywood. If the foam is thicker then a one inch piece of aluminum in the foam is usually plenty long enough.

[SeeYou190]

That looks like a good process the plant the trees securely.

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I have about 100 HEKI small pine trees to plant on my layout segment. I will something like this.

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-Kevin

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[BroadwayLion]

Ach... Just poke a hole with a Bodkin and stick the tree in it.

 

ROAR

[mbinsewi]

Looks good Dave.  Since my foam base is 2" thick, I left the trunks longer, and used a sharpened wood dowel (pencil works as well), poked a hole, used tacky glue, and planted.

Mike.

[xdford]

Thanks Dave,  I am contemplating another foam based exhibition layout so this is quite timely!

In a similar vein, for a previous exhibition layout with a removable back drop I had steel pins attached to the backdrop board, sitting in plastic cotton reel spools glued into the foam base. The backdrop "hid" a staging yard but made removal very easy for transporting between shows. 

With one club show layout, it was a bit disarming for other exhibitors seeing a layout half picked up (4x5 ft) with one arm and I feel that the lightweight way is the way to go for many!

Cheers from Australia

Trevor

[dstarr]

The layout always needs more trees.  I brought a bag of trees home some time ago and finally got around to planting them.  My layout is foam board, the trees came with doody little molded plastic bases. 

I discarded the molded plastic bases, and drilled the trunks to accept 1 inch finishing brads. 

I held the trunks in a C clamp, and held the C clamp in my drill press vice.

Here is a small existing grove of trees on the layout.

Same grove with more trees.