Among my many plans for my layout, I am planning to build one or two log cabins for the mountainous, forested areas...Do you have a good source for logs HO scale or bigger 8X8' s etc. scaled to HO? You helped me with great sources for conventional HO scale dim lumber 2X8, 2X10 etc but here i want a more rustic log look....thanks in advance.
All my HO scale logs came from walks in the woods and from my back yard.
If you want round logs the cheapest option is probably bamboo skewers. You can also buy small diameter wooden dowels which would be about right for HO scale.
https://www.amazon.ca/VABNEER-Unfinished-Natural-Projects-Building/dp/B07K9HF6KJ/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=wood+dowels&qid=1587880146&sr=8-13
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
all my tree branches whick looked like logs with the bark still on came from the neigbours bushes ..
anything else just isn't going to look real because of the identical sizes , real logs come in various sizes
jjoDo you have a good source for logs HO scale or bigger 8X8' s etc. scaled to HO?
Yes! your back yard, the neighbor's back yard, road side bushes and trees, and the woods.
Mike.
My You Tube
If you have white pine trees nearby, I have used them for wood loads on some vehicles and rolling stock. They probably would work for a log cabin as well
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
I have four "HO-ish" scale log cabins that are resin buildings for wargaming. The American War For Independence, American Civil War, and Frontier Wars are all popular subjects for wargaming, so these would be the correct terrain products to look into for log cabins.
This is a lot easier than building one from logs.
This one is actually made by Battlefront Miniatures as a 15mm scale building from the World War Two Russian Front, but with some additional paint and a shingled roof it would look like a good American Log Cabin.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Many years ago, I was looking for ANYTHING that looked like log's .
I found a naturopath / health store that sold raw herb's and spice's . I picked up a bag of Licorice root, it looked just like log's ! Now mind you, health store's have no idea what a model railroader is, so you may get a few "Question's" and funny look's.
You can avoid all that nonsense by telling them you are trying to quit smoking ( apperently Licorice root is used to curb the craving's while your trying to quit smoking .)
ALSO: Health food store's dont have any idea about "UNIFORMITY". The bag of Licorice root will be all sort's of size's and some will be straght and some will be curved and no more than 1/2 the bag will be the same diamiter.
I used my bag to build a log cabin, and it was quite realistic looking.
The rest of the bag was too bent / skinny for log's , but I cut it up into scale firewood and put the wood onto the tender of my woodburning Shay.
Rust...... It's a good thing !
Good advice, all. Thank you..Makes sense. If you want a natural look like real logs, you don't get perfectly round dowels..Real logs are different sizes, not uniform..So I'll start tooking in woods behing our house. Thanks
wvg_caanything else just isn't going to look real because of the identical sizes , real logs come in various sizes
Hi wvg_ca and jjo,
I agree that, if you are modelling a pulp or lumber operation the logs will be different sizes and not all straight, and they will still have some bark on them. However, jjo wants to build log cabins. The logs used in building cabin walls are usually pretty close to the same size and pretty straight, and the bark has been removed. There might be larger logs used for structural beams in some cases, and the dowels are available in different sizes to accommodate that.
Hi jjo
The war game structure idea is a good one however be carefull as they don't scale them as we do.
for 15mm has been sugested I would sugest that a structure for 20mm figures would be closer to HO scale.
I ran into this problem with a Tori (spelling) arch as HO Japanese structures are not common regardless of ours or theirs both are avalable.
I found the one for 20mm apeared to be the best match to HO scale 25mm err well might get way with it 28mm forget it way to big.
regards John
John Busbyfor 15mm has been sugested I would sugest that a structure for 20mm figures would be closer to HO scale.
The Battlefront building I showed is labeled 15mm/20mm on the box, and is nearly perfect for HO. The thatched roof on it however looks awful.
These Russian Log Houses by Pegasus are labeled as 1/72 scale, but could be useful. Again, thatched roofs. I do not have these so I cannot comment on them.
This one is from Matador Models.
Hi SeeYou190
Yes thatched roofs are a pain to do the number of discusting yellow ones you see on UK layouts is a crime
I can get one I am just about happy with but it is still far away from perfect at least not discusting yellow
The pegasus ones are easy to assemble plastic kits.
Not familiar with Matador but that looks pretty good.
Didn't some of the early cabins have sod roofs so possibley a cover up job with fine turf might work??
Thatch is not something I associate with the US I tend to think of it as a UK or Europe thing.
If you buy the Micro-Trains HOn3 log cars, they come equipped with a nice set of logs. Like the ones behind the Shay here.
The Rivarossi HO log cars also come with logs. There may be others, but buying your rolling stock with this in mind will get you log loads.
I also make logs by cutting and tapering dowel rod. I get some cheap "earth" ground cover, spray the cut dowels with 3M 77, then roll in the brownish ground cover. Here's what they look like, even with the very minimal modeling done to create them, as you could "detail" the logs if you like.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
John Busby Didn't some of the early cabins have sod roofs so possibley a cover up job with fine turf might work?? Thatch is not something I associate with the US I tend to think of it as a UK or Europe thing.
Sod roofs weren't particularly common in the US either. Even going way back into the early modern period, Europe didn't have the lumber resources available, but did have plenty of other things. Sod roofing is Scandinavian in origin. Thatch was common everywhere except what would become the US Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The native peoples used bark shingles, because of the vast timber resources. The only large scale deployment of thatch in European-American history was during the period between arrival from Europe and when you could cut enough wood for shingles. Like single digit years for particular colonies.
Sod houses, not just roofing but entire structures, had some use in the Great Plains. There's no trees, so no lumber. But, most of the settlements weren't all too far from some sort of railhead, meaning that some quantity of lumber was available for large portions of the Midwest. Again, this was only during a limited timeframe. They were generally intended to be short lived until a less maintenance intensive structure could be built.
jjoDo you have a good source for logs HO scale
Found this company on the web: http://www.sierrascalemodels.com/wood.htm