Thanks Andrew,
I am headed off to a train show tomorrow. I’ll explain how they are made when I get back…
Those are some very, very nicely crafted logs, Ty… They look great…
Thanks Stan,
Here is a video of my Log Load running… I know I have to get rid of that caboose. I just have not had time to make my own…
Landrel, get rid of the caboose? why, maybe I am missing something, it looks good.
Dennis
I second that notion I like the caboose. But I couldn’t help chuckling at the one gigantic log. That was some serious old growth.
I can see you making a caboose out of a large log!
It would be different for sure!
Devon Sinsley said:
I second that notion I like the caboose. But I couldn’t help chuckling at the one gigantic log. That was some serious old growth.
Like the stuff our parents and grand parents used to routinely take out of the woods? The stuff they harvest now was burned as slash, back then.
I have some blue foam and plan to take a shot at making some logs. Can you tell me what you use for color that doesn’t damage the foam, stain, paint, dye ? There are always so many choices.
Ok Guys,
I told you i would explain how i did this so here goes:
You can buy 2" thick foam if the smaller log is large enough. If not you need to figure out how thick the log you want is and glue foam together. The best thing to use is polyurethane glue( gorilla glue) spread very very thin and then apply a lot of weight until set.
Once dry cut the foam until you have a square. now I take the foam and use my 6" belt sander with a 36 grit belt on it. this gives you the basic rough bark.if you use less grit it may be too smooth.
Once round i cut the ends to the shape I want uneven to make look like a saw cut. Now you need to sand the ends with a fine belt on a 1 Inch belt sander. I finish them off with 320 grit paper.The need to be really smooth. The first log looked really rough on the end and you can’t really get a good set of rings in the end. I then use a small metal brush to make the rings in the end.
Next to make the rough bark .The best thing to use is a variable temperature soldering iron. this allows you to adjust the temp. I have also used a wood burner but it gets too hot. I do like the tips that come with the wood burner and had to drill and tap the end of one of the tips from the variable temp lron to fit the tip i like to it… It needs a very fine point. the sharper the better.
Now you take the hot iron and with a very light touch you make hundreds of striations down the log. You have to be fast and have a very light touch.
later ones got much smoother and look better
using this take practice and it took me a few to figure out what i liked…
It takes practice because it burns deep really fast. Once I have the sides all finished. I move to the ends. this is why the ends need to be really smooth. I take a fine wire brush place it on the end a turn it. It take a little touch or you will gouge it too much. after the rings are in I take the iron and scribe the bark ring in the end…
see the brush in the background
Now is the time to make in cut or chain mark in the log. if you make a cut in the side of the log you need to thing about scribing in the the bark ring there too. also any cuts to the end length wise the wood grain would be length wise also.
I use all acrylics to paint the logs. The whole log is painted with a thinned down black and allowed to dry. I then paint the ends.I first paint the bark line using a Burnt sienna. I then paint the ends using Desert sand with a little burnt sienna mixed at the end. Then i paint the log itself.
I use a Charcoal and black to make a very dark gray. Paint this using a semi dry brush method cross grain to the striations.
once dry I go back and use these colors to do the final dry brush. I mix them as needed to get the color I like. Steel Gray, Barn wood, Burnt sienna, charcoal and black. It mostly the Steel Gray and Barn wood.
Those logs are fantastic.
Thanks Todd
Very realistic looking logs, Landrel. They look great behind the shay. Thanks for sharing your technique.
Have you though of adding some dirt to them clean logs Landrel ?