So... I have been Googleing and Ebaying looking for O scale trees. Junk is all I have found, so I thought maybe you guys would know of some word of mouth folks that make hand crafted trees. There are a few places on my On30 Steam Era layout plan where I want to really focus on detail. Specifically, oak and pine. Any suggestions?
Steve
Life is tough, but it's tougher if your'e stupid.
Steve,
There are a few manufacturers of O scale trees in Germany, but their prices are just forbidding. You will have to make your own trees, which is not as difficult as you might think, but requires a lot of patience.
I have also sent you a PM!
Is Simple. You go out in back yard (ours is 3 sq mi) find some plants that sort of look like trees, bring them in and plant them on your layout and put some Woodland Scenics green netting material on them.
Done! Is Tree.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
There are several companies that make O-scale trees. I have seen several varieties at my local Hobby Lobby and in a hobby shop in Tucson, Arizona.
For a good mail order source, get a copy of the Scenic Express catalog. You can browse their selections at www.scenicexpress.com
Fouled Anchor So... I have been Googleing and Ebaying looking for O scale trees. Junk is all I have found, so I thought maybe you guys would know of some word of mouth folks that make hand crafted trees. There are a few places on my On30 Steam Era layout plan where I want to really focus on detail. Specifically, oak and pine. Any suggestions? Steve
For pine trees, don't stick to looking in O scale. A large HO tree is a small O scale tree, at least with pines. Busch and Heki make nice ones. If you're looking for super-detailed foreground trees, look at the advertisers in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette. We narrow-minded folks can be a bit fanatic about trees, if cost is no object.
EDIT: Had a chance to look up specific recs here. Take a look at http://www.coastmans.com
They go up to 13" if you look under "Trunks" but have shroter trees in kits or RTR.
Popular with the roll-your-own crowd are the McKenzie Brothers: http://www.mckenziebrotherstimberco.com/
They have rigs to twist trunks, plus kits, rtr, etc.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Try these:
https://sites.google.com/site/petitepinesnorthern/contact-us
http://longshadowsmodeltrees.com/
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
These guys are good too.
http://www.canyoncreekscenics.com/
The only problem with buying trees is........ that they will get very expensive in a hurry for good ones, especially in the larger sizes.
Furnace filter trees are easy to make and can be as big as the stick you use for the trunk. There some videos on Youtube on it.
Here is a trio of unfinished big furnace filter trees...
Your Mileage may vary,
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Guy:
Those trees look pretty good!
On a recent thread I expressed my view that scale size trees were not necessarily ideal in all settings, but if I'm going to have some I hope they will look as good as yours. Clearly they work in your setting.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Making realisic trees is harder than one might think and takes lots of practice and, especialy with evergreen trees, different looks that can all look realistic. O scale can be even more demanding as to the detail expected. I only have a source of good background trees, though they make larger I don't know about those.
rrebell Making realisic trees is harder than one might think and takes lots of practice and, especialy with evergreen trees, different looks that can all look realistic. O scale can be even more demanding as to the detail expected.
Making realisic trees is harder than one might think and takes lots of practice and, especialy with evergreen trees, different looks that can all look realistic. O scale can be even more demanding as to the detail expected.
Very true. However, when considering buying good looking trees, high detail costs $$$$. When compared to the less detailed trees you can buy (which still cost $$$), the furnace filters come out pretty good. To make some of the furnace filters into foreground trees took me quite a while but for passable trees they can be pretty quick.
HON3 - Definitely go for some bigger trees. They aren't thart difficult to make and the effect is pretty cool.
I second the furnace filter trees for the pines...a little difficult for the deciduous. I take a dowel, the diameter depending on the size of the tree. Taper it with a knife, file or sandpaper. I like to roll it on a coarse file or rasp to denote bark. I drill a small hole in the bottom & insert & glue a wire to help in "planting". The rest you can pick up on youtube. I usually find that after sprinkling the ground foam they are too full & need some trimming to have that see thru look. Save the clippings to use as shrubs.
I've made pine trees by taking a length of picture hanging wire folding it in a half, chucking it in my drill and hooking the opposit end a a small hook on my work bench. I use the dril to twist it just slightly. Then I take bailing twine, cut it onto short lengths and unravel the individual fibers at each end. I then slide the fibers I to the twisted wire. Next I rechuck the wire in the drill and twist it up some more. After that I trim the tree I to the proper conical shape and spray paint it green with some cheap Wal Mart spray paint. To finish off, I spray the tree with diluted Matte Medium and add some Woodland Scenics turf. I've made some that are nearly 10 inches talk and are on my dad' so-gauge layout.
Here's the Result:
i have also made white birch tree by taking twigs, spray painting them white, adding black spots with a micro brush and glueing on bits of lichen.
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com
Mr. Lehman, thanks, exactly what I was looking for... goin browsin.
Regards
Wow guys, thanks for the plethora of info. I am only thinking of high detail/quality in a few focal points so I don't mind spending the cash. Not sure why I did not find many of the by Googling.
Thanks all
Another thing to look at is Scenic Express Super Sage (different from Super Trees). There are a few of these on the Boothbay Railway Village HO layout, as large trees they had to be shortened a bit for HO. They look very good, but I do not have any good photos.
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/SuperSage/departments/1011/
You may want to browse Senic Express a bit; they have a large selection of O scale scenery supplies and details.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch