Paul’s been back in touch, this time he shows us how to make HO scale hay bales.
“Hi Alastair recently some people asked how to make hay bales.
I responded that Woodland Scenics sells them but they are costly. Here is how I make mine.
First get some round wooden toothpicks and secure one of them in a vise as shown.
Get some JUTE twine as shown to wind around the toothpick. Put a layer of glue on the toothpick and wind an initial layer of twine around the toothpick.
Clamp the ends and let dry or use a hairdryer as I did. When dry put another layer of glue on the twine and wind a second layer of twine on top and clamp.
Continue with as many layers as you like.
I feel 3 is sufficient to give me the size hay bale I like. When dry cut to length with a very sharp razor knife. I find 1/2″ is about right.
Paul”
And I’ve had quite a few mails on this now, enjoyed them all:
“Al
Haven’t written before but I want you to know how much your site means to me and my modeling hobby in the basement of my house.
This past weekend I went to the Golden Spike ceremony in Corrine, Utah. As a native Utahn I am proud of our heritage in joining the continent together.
At the same time Union Pacific brought the Big Boy to Ogden along with 844. I don’t know the last time that two engines of that size double headed in the United States, but it was an amazing site.
Attached is a video I made of the visit to Ogden and the trains coming into Echo just at the top of Weber Canyon, which the Big Boy was designed for to pull trains over the Wasatch Mountains.
Just some different perspectives.
Thanks for all you do.
Richard
Carbonville, Utah, USA”
“Hi Al,
I’ve seen a few requests for the track plan for my switching layout.
Instead of drawing it out and I don’t have a CAD program I decided to take a flight over the layout and snap a picture. What I attached is very close to the full 4×8 layout. It shows the full track plan. Gives a good overall view of how things are set up.
Also shows the last small section of Pink Foam board left that hasn’t had scenery added yet. That pink will disappear yet today 🙂
Thanks!
Bill in Virginia”
A big thanks to Paul for showing us how to make HO scale hay bales.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
Thanks to all for sharing their craftsmanship and the wonderful video! The “aerial” view of the layout was simply grand. Cheers! NJ Mark
All are absolutely amazing. Love both the layout and the video.
Bye the way the hay bale how too gave me an idea for square bales. Thanks
Great hay bales, great aerial view of a layout.
What a marvelous video of big US steam in action.
Great idea on making hay bales. I will use your process in the future when im working on my farm scenes. Ty!
Richard,
Thanks for the Golden Spike report. Well done. It reminds me of a memorable round trip I took, Denver to Sterling CO, high balling behind 844 in 1980. Ten photo run-bys and no diesel assist.
Joe
Norwalk CT USA
Wow – thanx to all, but especially to Richard for sharing the video of ALCO Union Pacific “Big Boy” 4014 & 844… a truly awesome sight…
-Bob W (NH, USA)
Wonderful to see vicariously the steam giants. Thank you for sharing!
Paul D (CA USA)
I work in N scale and since most of the hay bales in Ontario are wrapped in white plastic I make my hay bales out of the appropriate size of doweling painted white with the ends left wood colour. They look fine when dotted over a freshly cut field just the way a baler would have left them.
Liked everything I saw in this blog. The aerial view of the switching layout, at first I thought it was the real thing. The pink area gave it away. It reminds me of the time I was flying into Durango Colorado and how the rail yards, round house and out buildings looked like a model layout. Great stuff!!!
Thanks so much.
D.J.Radanovich, Milwaukee.
Hay balers unite !! Good know stuff.
AWESOME PICS/VIDEOS of BIG BOY. THANKS
Paul
Thanks for the easy clever tip for bale making
Richard
The big boy cant do it alone! Incredible. Thanks for the fantastic video
Bill
You did this without a CAD program? Were those manual #8 turnouts? Smooth. You da man!
Big Al
Thanks
Great hay bales, though I am doing n-scale I will simply use less hemp each time I roll it on. Thanks for such a easy way to do it.
Paul, nice hay bale how-to. I think if I needed a lot of HO scale bales, I’d use a wooden skewer for the center instead of a toothpick.
Richard, Great video of the 4014 and 844. I had hoped to make the trip to Sparks Nevada to see them last year, but that’s when gas prices spiked and my wife and I both came down with Covid. My stepson lives in Corrine, so maybe one of these years we’ll get up there.
Bill, Awesome view of your switching layout! It reminds me of one of the first HO layouts I saw in 7th grade in Boy’s Life magazine: it was an aerial view of a finished 4×8 layout that set me to dreaming about building my own.