HO Trees

[JPIII]

Not those midgets that are common but the big'uns that are mostly trunk. Specifically, Doug fir, Spruce, & Cedar. Scarfed this site & consequent pic out of MR. These guys know what big'uns look like at least.......the best I've seen commercially as yet......but I'm still lookin'.
Their prices are probably fair but since I will want a couple hundred of em' there is no way I can get around making them meself. I may buy some to copy.....iz'at cheating? ( yeah, I know what unethical means but not how to speel it)

The pic off the site:

 

[flyboy2610]

Those are some nice trees, but I really like the trestle!

 

[trailrider]

IIRC, there have a bunch of articles on how to make these kinds of trees in both MR and RMC. I haven't really looked, but there ought to be an article in one of the scenery books. For really big ones, if you wanted to buy bigger trees, you could try using "O" scale trees.

 

[skillman]

If you want good Doug Fir for a logging railraod or just correct scenery, remember that these trees are 100 to 150 feet high. If you want an O scale logging railroad then these trees are going to be over 24 inches high. Around here (western Washington) there is a variety of moss that make very nice Firs and Cedars.

Steve

 

[JPIII]

I'm building a forest with a rail road in it. They have equal emphasis to me.

Yes, old growth with some re-growth in the mix in the clear cuts & near the right of way. PNW forests are lousy for viewing afar but, as you know, given an open spot in even partial sun, something is gonna grow there.
The lumber mill will be civilized & folks have to live somewhere so a village will be in the mix.

BTW, I have a fine selection of mosses in my yard, roof, garden, wall, dirveway.....well, you get the idea.

 

[skillman]

Just realized that you're here. In Western Washington. I was out in the woods on Thursday and picked up some moss for trees. If you get under some good canopy of evergreens, look for the moss that looks like fir limbs. There are several different variety's. Some get bigger than others and these don't grow everywhere. Some places I don't find any and others are lousy with them.
I make a dye formula with Rit dye and glycerine. I heat it almost to a boil and put the moss into it for maybe 15 minutes. Take the moss for branches out of the solution and lay them out on newspaper to dry. I usually work them flat and lay another layer od newspaper over them and weigh it down to try to keep the moss kind of flat. It has a tendancy to curl up otherwise. Some curl is good. Too much isn't. You'll want to experiment with this to get what you want. I use superglue to attach the limbs to the trunks.
I use straight grain Cedar to make the trunks out of. I split them to about the right size and then just work them to a taper. I usually sand fairly smooth and then put texture onto them with the teeth of a hacksaw blade or a razor saw. Drybrush with a dark greenish gray and leave the grooves the natural color and you'll get a pretty convincing trunk. You can experiment with color to satisfy your taste.

Steve

 

[Larry]

If you go on Ebay & look up ready made Trees you will find some good dealers from China that sells bunches of tree's real cheap. For the tree's you want I would order O scale pines for your HO layout. I think these would be the sizes U want.

 

[Selector]

Any half-inch wood dowel will do. I buy the 2-3 foot lengths and cut them to various lengths. I use a rotary disk sander to get a taper as I turn the armature in my hand. Then, I score the trunk with a coarse file or hacksaw blade. Next, stain/paint a tan colour, followed by overspray of grey for the outer weathered bark.

I slide teased disks of natural fiber furnace filter, the green stuff you used to be able to get at Wally's, and then spray them with the 3M super adhesive, Product 97 or whatever it is. Sprinkle ground foam, and overspray with cheap hairhold spray.

Lower down the trunk, use a fine drill and insert some curved fibers to droop down toward the ground and you get the fir look.

 

[JPIII]

Thanks for the tips. I have a boat load of a light green moss that lays down flat in most of my flower gardens. I'll stop trying to kill it & start harvesting instead. It looks right for Cedar foliage & "close enough" for Doug fir......color is wrong but your tip will help for that.
Long cedar shingles have enough thickness and a good taper. I'll split a few to see what I can get.

Right now I'm building mountains (hills really) but come winter I hope to start on trees. We're up 9 inches on the switch backs with about 5 inches to go. I figure I'm 3 weeks/a month from laying track. If I quit killing moss maybe that will speed things up.


Harvestable trees in the PNW generally are about 80-100 feet tall (approx 11 inches HO scale)& Approx 2 feet in dia at the base. Old growth Douglas Fir was (there ain't much left) are up to 200 feet tall & 6-8 feet wide at the base......Cedar is bigger. The largest I found on line (prior to the posted photo) were 7-8 inches tall. I bought some to see if I could kit bash some height into em'.

BTW, nice trestle.