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O'Connor Apple Orchard

Links to Document Sections:
The Beginnings of O'Connor Orchard
Construction of the Apple Orchard
Initial Scenery Discussions and Decisions
Construction of Rock Faces
Fitting and Installation of Rock Faces
Ground Cover
Miscellaneous Items Used in the Apple Orchard
Deer Fence
Completion of the Apple Orchard
Acknowledgements

Construction of the Apple Orchard

The area that would eventually become O'Connor Orchard was rather hilly and had no level surfaces. Joe A. and Dan F. set to work one evening to create the basic form of the terrain. This was done mostly with cross cut saws and various other tools. Once the basic shape was completed the area was cleaned up and the real planning was begun. 

 

Initial Construction

Joe A. making one of the initial cuts to form the orchard with a crosscut saw.

Orchard_Dan_-_1.png

Dan F. cutting the base of the orchard using a crosscut saw.

Orchard_-_Joe_-1.png

Joe A. doing some rough sculpting of the foam and a hand knife.

Orchard_Joe_-_3.png

Joe A. reviewing his work that he had completes using a hand scraping tool.

Initial state oil O'Connor Orchard after the first sculpting efforts.


The following items were added to the scene to get a perspective of how it would look:

  • Rock face
  • Farm tractor
  • Retaining wall
  • Old apple trees

Initial Scenery Discussions and Decisions

After the work to rough in the general form of the apple orchard the Scenery and Structures Committee had numerous discussions on the following topics:

  • Where to place the rock face(s), what color and size?
    • The vertical areas are where the rock faces are to be installed and dark gray for the color.
  • Where to install the apple trees and what size?
    • The older and largest trees would be installed on the upper level and smaller trees on the lower level.
  • What type of road within the orchard, is it dirt or grass?
    • Grass road 
  • Will there be a deer fence or not?
    • Yes, there will be a deer fence installed around the permiter of the orchard.
  • Will there be people picking the apples?
    • Yes, there will be people picking apples
  • Will there be any farm equipment in use?
    • Yes, there will be tractors and carts used.
  • Any many, many more decisions were made.

Construction of Rock Faces

The rock faces were made by our rock expert Larry R. who is an absolute wizard when it comes to creating rocks and making them look realistic. 

The rocks start with a rock mold which are filled with plaster and after they have hardened they need to be painted. Larry paints each rock with a combination of action of India Ink which has been diluted with isopropyl alcohol. After the application of the ink, Larry applies various colors to the rock face. One of the key ingredients that Larry uses is rust. He has an ice thold cast iron pan that sits outside and every now and then he harvests the rust from the pan. 

Once the process of painting the rocks has been competed there installation phase begins. 

Fitting and Installation of Rock Faces

Fitting the Rock Faces

One the rock faces have been trimmed of excess plaster and colored the next step in the process in fitting the rock faces together.
This process is very is similar to working a jigsaw puzzle. Each rock face needs to fir within it selected area and also fit neatly with any neighboring rock faces. 

The process begins with placing the rocks face on the sculpted foam surface. The back of each rock face is not smooth and this needs to be accounted for in the installation process. If the back of the rock face has any protrusions then the foam that the rock face will be installed on will need to be modified to account for for this. The rack face must also be recessed into the foam so when the final details are applied the rock face appears as if it is naturally exposed and not simply glued on. 

Notice in the image on the left the depth of the colors, shadows, etc of a finished rock face. As you can see the rock face is slanted below the level of the terrain above. Some modification of the terrain, rock face, or both will be required to achieve the best fit.
F134A7B2-10A7-4010-AB55-A67CF65E1BFB.JPG

Rock faces that are placed in position for test fitting.

Installation of the Rock Faces

One tall of the rock faces have been placed in the scene where they will eventually reside the process of installing them can begin. 

Each individual rock face is glued against the rock face using a hot-glue applicator. The glue will set in a very shot amount of time which allows for multiple rocks to be installed quickly. 

Once the rock faces have been installed there will be gaps between the rock faces that need to be filled. You can easily see the gaps between the rock faces because the underlying foam color shows in the image to the left.

There are various options available to deal with any gaps, the first choice is usually spackling compound, this is easy to apply, and will take coloring allowing the filler to colored to best match the rock faces. Some of the other options range from installing grass, shrubs, ivy, etc. depending on where the gap is located and the desired end state.
78BB-4B35-A8E0-00ED52FDFF8C.JPG

Rock faces that are placed in positioning some spackling compound added to the bottom.

48C6A77F-4FB3-4C67-B32A-B89D04D29561.JPG

This image shows the spackling compound after it has been washed with India Ink.

Ground Cover

Selection of Ground Cover

The selection off what ground cover is used depends on numerous factors, such as:

  • Overall scene
    • Ground cover color
    • Ground cover height
    • Size of the area to have ground cover applied
    • Desired texture of ground cover
    • More...
    In the apple orchard scene a combination of fine turf, course turf , and a weeds were used.

    Installation of Ground Cover

    Important Preinstallation Information

    The most important step to remember is to always protect the surrounding area around where you are going to be working.

    Please ensure that you follow these steps:

    1. Notify the membership of your intention to perform the work, this should include at a minimum date, time, area, duration and type of work.
    2. Be aware of your surroundings, ensure that you know where any signal masts are. If they are vulnerable, then carefully remove them and lay them down on the layout.
    3. If you are working near a backdrop, then use some clear plastic wrap (located on the scenery cart) which will cling to the backdrop because of the static charge. It is always a good idea to cover an area that is larger than the area where you will be working. 
    4. If you are working near any structures then make sure that they are covered.
    5. If there is another level below where you are working then ensure that it is covered as well to prevent any drips or other contamination.
    6. If you have any questions, contact any member of the Layout Committee for assistance.
    The installation of the ground cover followed an established method used across the layout. 

    The steps are:
    • Install fine turf.
    • Install course turf.
    • Install static grass.
    • Install weeds or other grass mat.
    Please Note: The process for each of the aforementioned stapes are beyond the scope of this page and will be detailed in a future project page.
    Fine_and_Course_Turf.png

    In the lower part of this image you will see the results of a mixture of fine and course turf.

    Static_Grass.png

    In the lower part of this image you will see the results of applying static grass.

    In this image you will see the application of weeds, this comes on a mat.

    Miscellaneous Items Used in the Apple Orchard

    Retaining Wall

    The lower portion off the apple orchard has a simulated concrete retaining wall. The wall used on the layout is made of vinyl and is called a flexible concrete cribbing sheet. This material can be bent almost in half and had a self adhesive backing.
    Retaining_Wall.png

    Bushes, Shrubs, and Trees 

    There were many variations of bushes and shrubs used in the apple orchard. These were used along the top edge of the rock face, in the cracks between the rock faces, and along the base off the retaining wall. 

    There were trees of various sizes and colors used in the apple orchard, mostly along the top of the scene and along the bottom next to the track. 
    Misc_Bushes_and_Trees.png

    Farm Equipment

    The apple orchard has both tractors and trailers which are used to transport picked apples from the orchard to the O'Connor Cold Apple Storage facility. All of these were weathered using various washes and grunge. 
    Tractor_and_Cart.png

    Apples

    The orchard has apple trees and obviously has apples . 
    Apples.png

    Apple Crates

    The apple crates used on the layout are available from Etsy. These crates are laser cut and you can get them preassembled or in a kit form. The preassembled version is more expensive. 
    Apple_Crates.png

    Photos before and after the weathering of the apple crates. These are laser cut and are available as preassembled or a kit from Etsy, the vendor is Naaron88Miniatures located in Szeged, Hungary.

    Harvesting Ladders

    These ladders are scratch built by Nick C., however you can purchase HO scale ladders and add the side stabilizers. 
    Ladders.png

    Scratch built ladders.

    Orchard_Ladders.png

    Orchard with apple picking ladders in place.

    Figures

    The figures shown in the first graphic were purchased as part of a Bosch apple orchard set. It took me quite a while to locate these as they are no longer in production.
    Apple_Picking.jpeg

    Figures harvesting apples in the orchard

    Bosch_Orchardf.png

    Bosch 6620 Ho Scale Orchard with 10 Apple Trees and Many Accessories Kit

    Figures

    Bob_ross.jpeg

    Bob Ross was seen painting a canvas of the orchard recently.

    Waldo_2.jpeg

    Waldo was recently seen wander around the orchard.

    Deer Fence

    Materials Used to Create the and Weather/Age the Deer Fence Which Surrounds the Apple Orchard

    Materials Used to Create The Deer Fence

    The materials used to create the deer fence are straight forward. 
    • Chicken Wire.
      • The chicken wire needs to be to HO scale.
    • Wooden Pegs for the Fence Posts.
      • The wooden pages need to be 11 - 12 feet in length. The visible portion of the fence posts need to be 10 feet high in HO scale.
    Weather/Aging the Deer Fence

    Important Notes:
    • This process is done at your own risk.
    • The process to weather/age the deer fence involves the use of Muriatic Acid. This is highly corrosive and dangrous and only people with experience handling this should use it.
    • You must use appropriate safety equipment when doing this. 
    • You must do this in a well ventilated area, outside is best.
    Required Materials:
    • Muriatic Acid.
    • Water jug cut in half x2.
    • Safety Glasses.
    • Disposible set of  tongs.
    • Hydrogen Peroxide.
    • Chemical resistant Nitrile Gloves.
    • Spool of galvanized chicken wire.
    Process:
    1. Put on the chemical resistant Nitrile Gloves.
    2. Add an appropriate amount of Muriatic Acid to one of the water jugs.
    3. Submerge the galvanized chicken wire in the Muriatic Acid using a disposable set of tongs.
      1. The acid will react with the chicken wire and it will bubble and churn.
    4. After a period of 5 to 7 minutes remove the chicken wire from the Muriatic Acid using the disposable set of tongs.
    5. Place the chicken wire in the second water jug and then add the Hydrogen Peroxide.
    6. Let then chicken wire soak until the chicken wire has achieved the desired color
    7. Rinse the chicken wire off with water
    8. Place the chicken wire in a place where it can dry fully.
    9. Carefully pour the Muriatic Acid back into the original container and secure the cap.
    10. Dispose of the Hydrogen Peroxide and the chemical resistant Nitrile Gloves properly.

    Process to Create The Deer Fence

    Chicken_Wire.png

    Spool of chicken wire before the galvanization is removed.

    IMG_1504_2.jpeg

    Galvanized chicken wire in container before Muriatic Acid has been added.

    IMG_1502.jpeg

    Chicken wire in the Muriatic Acid bath, note the churning produced by the reaction of the galvanization with the acid. Also note, the use of the chemical resistant Nitrile Gloves.

    IMG_1503.jpeg

    Pouring the used Muriatic Acid back into the original container. Note the use of the chemical resistant Nitrile Gloves.

    Weathered_Fence.png

    The chicken wire after soaking in Hydrogen Peroxide and rinsed with water.


    Note the use of the chemical resistant Nitrile Gloves. Also note the color of the chicken wire.


    Installation of the Deer fence

    You will need to calculate the total length of the deer fence that you are installing. Deer fence posts are usually installed ten feet apart. Using the total length of fencing calculate the number of fence posts that you will need.

    Once you have the number of fence posts required, you will need to stain each post to make it appear weathered. I randomly stain the fence posts with a slight variation in color to better represent the varied colors found in a apple orchard. 

    The posts need to be 11 - 12 scale feet in length, when installed only the top 10 feet of the post should be visible, the remainder will be used to insert into the base of your layout. 

    Once you have all the fence posts installed then you can start the process of securing the weather chicken wire to the fence posts. I used Gorilla Glue with Zip Kicker to fully harden the glue in a couple of seconds. 

    Important - If you are installing the fence on a steep grade, ensure that you install its the same it it would be in a prototypical orchard. 

    Repeat the process of securing the fence to the fence posts until you have completed the installation. 

    For added realism, you can add ivy and other climbing weeds on the fence if desired. 
    Installed_Fence.jpeg

    The image above shows a portion of the completed deer fence after installation.

    Completion of the Apple Orchard

    The completion of O'Connors Apple Orchard took about one year and many, many hours of work and discussion. The original concept for the topography of the orchard was Joe A's. idea. Both he and Dan F. sculpted the terrain with skill and passion. It must also be noted that Joe A. provided a great deal of mentorship and knowledge sharing with the less experienced members who also have a passion for scenery. 

    The oldest trees in the orchard were created by Paul S., who did this by winding strands of wire together. The results are phonominal and they clearly represent old and very weathered apple trees. The smaller tres were provided by Larry R. and they represent the younger generation of apple trees and the future of the orchard.

    The ground cover, bushes, shrubs and trees were installed by Claude F., and they added a significant amount of realism to the orchard. 

    The deer fence was created by Claude F. with the generous assistance of Joe A. whose vision of what the orchard could become was an inspiration. 

    Acknowledgements

    The Scenery and Structure Committee wants to express our thanks and appreciation to the members who donated so much time to work on O'Connors Apple Orchard. Their suggestions for features, improvements, and other feedback was instrumental to the outcome of the project. Without their assistance the completion of O'Connor's Apple Orchard would not have been possible. 

    Special Thanks to the following members for their contribution of time and effort listed in alphabetical order of their last name:

     

    • Joe A.
    • Ted B.
    • Stuart B.
    • Nick C.
    • Dan F.
    • Jim F.
    • Claude F.
    • Larry M.
    • Matt P.
    • Larry R.