After buying 12 rubber Atlas hay bales on Ebay for $30 !! And being outbid for a set of 6 for $35?!... I got smart. I stumbled on a quick easy way to make hay bales for landscaped tracks. Supplies: Sponge, Styrofoam. or wood. 3/8" Sisal (perfect hay color) rope, old brown latex paint, white glue.
I used styrofoam cause thats what i had on hand.
Cut it to scale size for your bales. Paint it an earthy tone with latex paint. Enamel will melt styro. (you knew that) Let it dry. Take several inches of the rope and with utility scissors start at the end of the rope cutting it in the smallest bits you can. Cut as much as you need. Take your painted styro, (sponge, or wood) stick a nail in the bottom as a handle and brush liberally with white glue. Then holding the nail (of course) dip the styro in the container of sisal cuttings coating it well. Let them dry. When they are dry trim them and voila hay bales!! And they look real not rubber. My 50' of sisal rope should make plenty. Mistakes i made........ 1- Cut the styro smaller than you think you need it will look larger when coated. 2- Cut the rope in as small bits as possible for more realism. 3- Don't be cheap with the glue, the rope will stick better and easier.
After they dry i'm going to try hairspray to stabilize them. Should work. Good luck and "make hay not war." mj

PS: don't spray them with hair spray. They don't need it and it makes them gooey!! mj

Where's the "This thread is useless without pics!" guys??

Sounds like a trick project :thumbsup:

'doba

Where's the "This thread is useless without pics!" guys??

Sounds like a trick project :thumbsup:

'doba

LOL 'Doba!

Scott (SlotV) must be snoozin' at the switch....snicker.

Agreed though, I'm looking forward to seeing CL's new haybales that dont look like the rubber twinkies of yore. :thumbsup:

How come you havent made some out of LEGO? ;)

Where's the "This thread is useless without pics!" guys??

Sounds like a trick project :thumbsup:

'doba
I was suprised too! My description was so consise they're probably making some now instead of bustin' chops. LOL I made 45 of them HO scale with about one foot of rope a little styro and a touch of paint and glue. Probably cost $1.00... puls labor. I laid them out and secured them with straight pins. I'm so happy. Pix next week. mj

Thanks for that - I was outbid on some hay bales down here in Aus and was thinking about casting some. Your method sounds easier :)

Looking forward to the pics, tho' .. :)

Cheers

Richard

Weird Jack/Rocket Science makes reproduction Atlas hay bales at $1.00 per stack, for those who'd rather buy than glue sisal bits.
http://weirdjack.com/bh.htm
Not having any originals on hand, I can't say how close they are as repros. The color is more of a realistic weathered tan straw color than the originals' bright yellow. The material is a nice soft silicone with a hollow center to absorb those impacts gently.

-- D

http://planetofspeed.net/images/worthless-without-pics.gif

:p

After buying 12 rubber Atlas hay bales on Ebay for $30 !! And being outbid for a set of 6 for $35?!...

Try Weird Jack

http://www.weirdjack.com/bh.htm

He sells reproductions of teh Atlas and he has a cool stip of Hay Bales I have on my track

Roger Corrie