HO scale- I'm extremely close to start scenicing my layout ala SE missouri and while there are some Pines of the long needle variety, mostly I see Elm, Larch, Maple and the like when I go there almost yearly.  I need a way to model some at the front of my layout.  The background bluffs I'm not too concerned about as there are numerous techniques out there (the puff-ball debate continues!).  My fore-ground is an implied small-town scene, and there's gotta be some of these non-pines around the station and water tower (as per my reference photos) and around s

As a damn (proud) Yankee, one of the things that often defines the North East, and especially my home (which is also the area which I'm modeling) are (field) stone walls. Long before some states were, well, states, folks in the North East had cleared their lands, and used the unfortunate primary crop from their fields (stone) to create walls.

These walls were used to mark out the field, and also as property markers.

I recently purchased a laser cut structure from Blair Lines. I have been told that I should seal the wood prior to assembly or painting it to prevent the wood from warping. I plan to airbrush this structure with either Floquil enamel or Poly S paint. Which of the two should I use? Also, what should I seal the wood with? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I spent the evening trying out my skills at making some furnace filter trees.  I've never done anything remotely like this either, so I approached it with some trepidation. I think they turned out okay for a first attempt.  They will certainly find a home on my layout, that's for sure.  I'm pretty confident that they will get better the more I make too.  Goodness knows, modeling British Columbia on even a small layout like mine will more then likely require a couple hundred!