Anyone have any success in making their own? Otherwise, good sources of where to buy them pre-made?
I understand that based on region, the availability of material available in nature to make them may vary. I have come across hminky's way of making them from large and small wood dowels.
Thank you for any help.
I just use small branches that come off area trees that have relatively smooth bark.
Len
Willow twigs have smooth, tight-grained bark, and are pretty straight.
Les
Thank you Les.
Which kind of trees, for example, Len?
Kadee, the coupler people, also make a line of vintage log cars, including disconnect trucks, and logs to go with them. The logs are hollow and made of plastic, and you add the ends (which are also included). These represent logs of fairly large size, as would be seen in the west; three of them fill a car.
The way to get them to look good is with paint. I was pleased with the results that came from using brown craft paint on the bark with a wash of black or darker brown to simulate the shadows in the cracks in the bark. Some light applications of a dark paint to the ends to simulate the darker heart of the tree helped, too.
This is a commercial image from Kadee that shows some of these logs painted up. Not to brag, but I think mine came out just a tad better!
http://www.trainsetsonly.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/Master/M380/lg380-110_750x300.jpg
How they come (in this case, with a log car kit):
http://d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net/images/2/5/kadee-cars-102-ho-42-skeleton-log-car-w-logs-kit-29d5ead54d85871bcf4af9de5a3d7a76.jpg
On a log car, in this case a pair of disconnect trucks; this will give you an idea of the size of these logs.
http://www.pawstrains.com/images/101.jpg
It might be argued that the selection of logs is limited (only three of them, actually!), but if you turn some around and some over, and vary the painting, you can disguise a lot of that.
Another source that I've used has been Christmas trees, the cut kind. Rather than throw the whole thing away, I trimmed the branches and got some good looking logs that way. These are smaller than the very large logs represented by the Kadee product, and you don't get too many off a tree, but you can get a decent number, even if you're picky enough to get only the straight pieces (a lot of those branches have curves). And of course they are real wood and they smell like a pine tree! I do recommend getting a proper set of pruning shears for this job; those branches aren't that easy to cut with scissors or a hobby saw!
Thank you J3a. One question about the Xmas tree; sap/pitch any issue?
Quote from: jbrock27 on September 20, 2016, 07:21:37 PM
Thank you Les.
Which kind of trees, for example, Len?
To tell the truth, I'm not sure. I'm not really a tree person, I just find branches that look right when I go for walks around the neighborhood.
Len
Quote from: Len on September 21, 2016, 06:41:25 AM
To tell the truth, I'm not sure. I'm not really a tree person, I just find branches that look right when I go for walks around the neighborhood.
Len
You mean you would like us to believe you can't tell the difference between say a pine or fir tree and an oak tree ??? That's not something one needs to be a "tree person", whatever that is, to be capable a doing. ::)
Quote from: jbrock27 on September 20, 2016, 09:46:22 PM
Thank you J3a. One question about the Xmas tree; sap/pitch any issue?
I never had any problems with sap to speak of, though sometimes the shears get sticky as you trim the branches.
Sticky sap turned out to be more of a problem for one of my cats when he decided he wanted to rub a very large and living pine across the street!
I'll mention I let them sit on my porch for much of the winter after I cut them, so they do dry out pretty good by the time I bring them inside. (Actually, I've been known to leave the tree up too long anyway, and it has a head start on drying out. Problem with that is your wife complains about the needles that fall off when you take the tree out!)
I would imagine some time at low heat in an oven might speed things up, but that might bring up other issues.
Do it for a couple of years, and you'll have plenty of logs in HO.
Some of these small branches have very small branches on them. You can cut those off, and the resulting stub represents where a branch would have been cut off on a trunk. Kadee's plastic logs have that detail as well.
I haven't had the contacts, but if you have friends in garden railroading, they can make use of the trunk for log loads in G scale. Again, a couple of years, and at least one friend will have plenty of logs, especially if you get a fairly large tree. It's been my experience you'll have more sap issues with those larger pieces than the small branches, but of course, I can't guarantee anything.
Now, some really smaller stuff can be good for pulpwood. . .going to have to start picking that up, too.
I used the Rivarossi log cars on my layout. Each car came with 9 logs that seem to be made from the same twisty/bendy type plastic that Woodland Scenic tree armatures are made from. I painted and weathered them for use around the mill, but I will use natural materials for scenic logs in the hills and forests.
(http://images49.fotki.com/v629/photos/9/3572619/13872902/photo3-vi.jpg)
Sid
Quote from: jbrock27 on September 21, 2016, 06:57:33 AM
You mean you would like us to believe you can't tell the difference between say a pine or fir tree and an oak tree ??? That's not something one needs to be a "tree person", whatever that is, to be capable a doing. ::)
Yes, I can tell standing oak from a maple, and a pine from a not pine. But tell which of a dozen other types of trees around here a branch on the ground came from? Not me.
Len
Quote from: jbrock27 on September 21, 2016, 06:57:33 AM
You mean you would like us to believe you can't tell the difference between say a pine or fir tree and an oak tree ??? That's not something one needs to be a "tree person", whatever that is, to be capable a doing. ::)
We have 3 kinds of oaks, 2 types of pines where I live and none really have a real world log look to their small branches.
Though we do have Redbuds which give great looking logs that look like the plastic ones WounderBear shows.
I suggest that you just wonder the streets or yards of friends and see what looks good. :-\
I pull or dig up all kinds of tree out of the garden. I think most of them would work for logs. Another one is crape myrtle.
I use older Lilac branch's, , nice bark texture, cut off's used for stump's
Ken C
GWN
Gentlemen, thank you all for your responses. I would have acknowledged your input earlier, however, for some reason I do not quite understand, I have not been able to receive Notifications for the last month or so...
With regard to what can be found in nature, I appreciate the responses that include naming specific species as either looking or not looking like miniature logs. The reason is I just don't have the time to wander around without any direction on what would work, in the hope that I come across something that does. Where to buy manufactured ones, would also be tremendously helpful.
J3a , you are right on target; I am looking for the purpose of filing a Pulpwood car.
Just remembered this old thread:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,13101.0.html
Unless you're a member and pay money, this is of somewhat limited usefulness (i.e., you can't blow up pictures), but it might give some more ideas:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,2685233
Other people are interested in pulpwood, too.
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23088
Another variation--I like the idea of placing a boring movie on the video machine to help pass the time while you cut all that wood:
http://www.carolinasouthern.org/Brauch%20Backshop.htm
Don't know if I would recommend this--I would worry about my fingers--but this guy has a way to speed things up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek-B2sdJquU
One more:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/246573.aspx
This is why my Search here of "Pulpwood" did not show anything; the Topic was under "Woodpulp", LOL :D
My car has a different structure, it's an AHM one, but these ideas are terrific!
Thank you again J3a!
Mine look like this:
(http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/logs/image/01900_drybursh_gray_on_white2.jpg)
Mike Siggins following my method:
(http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/logs/image/mike_siggins.jpg)
How to at:
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/logs/ (http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/logs/)
Thank you if you visit
Harold
Thank you. I had mentioned coming across yours in my opening.
Quote from: jbrock27 on September 24, 2016, 02:03:43 PM
Thank you. I had mentioned coming across yours in my opening.
But not everyone who reads this forum knows where to find my logs article.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Thanks for mentioning me.
Harold
Quote from: hminky on September 24, 2016, 03:57:28 PM
Thanks for mentioning me.
Harold
You're welcome. I believe in giving credit where credit is due :)
Quote from: J3a-614 on September 23, 2016, 08:14:42 PM
Just remembered this old thread:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,13101.0.html
Unless you're a member and pay money, this is of somewhat limited usefulness (i.e., you can't blow up pictures), but it might give some more ideas:
I'm not a payed member and can enlarge the pictures. Just view image and then use the Control + to make it larger or open in a photo program.