Farm Field

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B

BMK

Member
N-Scale
I need some help on how to model a farm field. I tried using school glue, letting it setup and then sprinkle fine green turf but it did not look right. I tried mixing fine green turf with Flex past but it did not mix. Additional comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Brian K
 
Try experimenting with fun fur, or for plowed fields split a piece of corrigated cardboard and paint it an earth color.
Wargame websites may be where to look.
 


Another hobby I dabble in is miniatures wargaming - specifically, 1:285 scale armored vehicles. A side part of this is making scenery hexes, which can be arranged and re-arranged to give many different configurations of a battlefield.

One of the types of terrain I've modeled is what is referred to a "Row Crop Hex". While I've done this with GHQ's Terrain Maker system, the techniques would apply to any kind of scenic modeling. The procedure goes something like this...

1. Using styrofoam as a base and a fairly dull #2 pencil as an engraver, draw a series of parallel lines 1/4" to 1/8" apart, pressing into the styrofoam as furrows.

2. Paint the entire area with the brown you're using as your earth color. Let dry.

3. Make up a thin wash using a dark brown paint, and wash the entire area; the dark brown wash will settle in the low places, adding depth. Let dry.

This is the time-consuming part...

4. Lay a bead of Elmer's White Glue in the a furrow; then use your choice of color and size (fine, medium, coarse, whatever) of ground turf, place bits of the ground cover in the glue line in the furrow. I find a dental pick is a wonderful tool to get the bits of foam exactly where you want them.

5. Move an inch or so to another furrow, and repeat Step 4. Theoretically, it possible to do the next row -- but I've never had too much success with that.

6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until you "can't take it no more" ;) then stop and let all the glue dry.

7. Repeat Steps 4-6 until the field is fully sown.

8. Give the field one final wash with a "white glue wash" -- basically a 50-50 mix of white glue and water, with a drop or two of liquid dishwashing detergent (to help break down surface tension). Once again, let dry.

It IS time-consuming -- but the final results are worth the effort!

Here is a link to my website's page on making Row Crop Hexes:

My website's page on making Row Crop Hexes

Hope you find this helpful!

Regards,
Tom Stockton

p.s. I don't have any model railroading stuff on my website yet... sorry! :o
 
bcp,

No argument from me, but... my only experience is from our family garden when I was a kid. We had a one-wheel, one-plow garden plow. Dad would hire a guy to come in and run his tiller through the garden, then we would "plow" the rows to plant the seeds in. After that, we'd take a hoe and cover the seeds - but we'd planted in the furrow.

I will offer ONE argument, though - for our scale fields, it seems like it was easier to run the line of white glue and place the foam "plants" in the low places.

Thanks for setting me straight on this. I never fail to be amazed by finding out how many things I "know" that I actually DON'T know! ;)

Regards,
Tom Stockton
 
tomstockton said:
1. Using styrofoam as a base and a fairly dull #2 pencil as an engraver, draw a series of parallel lines 1/4" to 1/8" apart, pressing into the styrofoam as furrows.
Click to expand...

16" is a common plow furrow size so that would be 3 furrows every 4 feet. As to planting on the ridges, if you plow then usually you use a disc to further break up the soil and that greatly reduces the ridges so you plant on a more level surface.

For planted row crop fields corn is often 38" and soybeans are 30".

Now for modeling the plowed area here is a thought that I have not tried. What about a piece of coarse thread or fine string dipped in diluted white glue and then in an earth colored turf? Then you would place the whole thing in your field. A pipe cleaner might work the same way.
 
I think that may be worth a try. The only thing you can do is get a piece of scratch material and try it :) If you like it that's all that matters!!! I would say though that it's worth a try for sure.

Edit: I wouldn't use any material that was really thin though and I would try to get some base green paint on it first. Maybe use a very fine gauge piece of copper wire painted in a dark green, then dipped? Or a piece of green twine may look good too. Or, if you know how to braid take some thread and braid a few pieces together, dark green stuff. I have found, like many others here, that model railroading is about innovation and creativity (which I lack in a terrible way lol). You have to experiment to find your own way of doing things so go for it!! Don't forget to take pics of how it turns out if you can so we can learn from your success (or failure ;) )
 
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Upon further review... :o

The directions I posted are for 1:285 scale -- which is even smaller than "Z" scale. My directions work wonderfully... for something substantially smaller than HO scale!

(Where's the emoticon for Homer Simpson slapping his forehead and exclaiming "D'oh!"?)

Some of the techniques might be applicable... but if you're planting "soybeans" and round up to 1" - 90" scale, that's still every fourth row one inch apart, or 3 rows per 1". I guess the size of the "plants" themselves would vary by how far into their growing process they were.

Still an interesting thread to me, since I plan to model the Midwest, which will involve more than one farm field!

Regards,
Tom
 
I did not read every post but i bought what looks like rows of dirt that was plowed and ready to plant. Plowed field Walthers Part # 483-230, p. 153 Walthers 2012 N&Z Scale Reference
N scale, $12.25, currently in stock at Walthers
 
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I have heard of using cardboard for plowed fields. How is the best way to separate the cardboard?

Ted
 
Didn't take too much water sprayed on one side to separate the pieces. Thanks for the info. Now to plant some corn. Suppose I will have to water it to make it grow? Hmmmmm....

Ted
 
it worked great. Painted it black, then sprinkled on WS Dirt Turf. Thanks for everyones input.

Ted
 
Ask and ye shall receive. The first couple of pics are of the farm yard and the plowed field. While I had the camera out, thought I would show off some of the other parts of my layout. The one picture that shows a large access hole, is where I am working on a lake, park setting. Will have gazebo, kids play equipment, and lots of fisherman and a boat. Should have all the rest of the parts today. Figures, trees, cattails, etc. Excited about showing it off.

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