Building a Horse Corral in O Scale

Out here in the Ooooooooold West, horses and trains go together just like bacon and beans! Thunder Mesa's Circle D Ranch is home to the happiest horses on Earth, and in this episode I scratch build a brand new corral for them - made to look old with wood construction, staining, and weathering techniques. There's even a working hinge for the ranch gate!
Saddle up, amigos - we ride!
Dave
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Al music courtesy KZbin Audio Library, attribution given where available.
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[@DJE2025]

👍👍Very nice as all of your builds are! Lots of thought and planning out in to each build. I'm fairly new to Thunder Mesa, your videos an layout are awesome, I very much enjoy them. I'm currently going back and watching your past videos. I look forward to the next video. Thanks for sharing Dave.

[@maxcorey8144]

I had watched your log cabin video and learned much from it. My layout will have dozens of log structures. I am a horse person with horses for many years. This is a nice set-up, the barn is a great looking horse barn of the Western style. Corrals and dust and horse poop, my kinda place. Needs dogs.

[@FunWithHOScaleStuff]

Really dressed up the farm. Great explanation of your build.

[@maxcorey8144]

I am a professional machinist so have good calipers. Battery powered but they last a long time before needing a battery replacement and the battery is cheap and sold in many stores. I usually keep a spare or two in the case my calipers comes in. What I want are settings for at least O, HO, S and N scale along with inches and millimeters.

[@lindleyruddick8686]

Worn stub post - once again, details , details, details. :-)

[@richardterek3744]

Put a pair of long horn steer horns on the top of the gate

[@Jay2646]

Maybe you've done this before and I've missed it - but can we get a video at some point on how you design/make the cardstock drawing you start with? A lot of it is probably just looking at references and personal experience, but I feel like there might be a step "missing" where you design/sketch that 2D drawing which informs the look and feel of the structure. I only mention it because I really enjoyed hearing your explanation about the swinging gate. You always produce this beautiful cardstock blueprint that magically makes a great model, but I can never seem to replicate that on my own. I find myself wondering "Why did he put a cross-brace here?" or "How did he know to put that beam there?" etc. I think a quick 30 seconds or so where you go over references and explain why decisions were made as you draw that initial cardstock "blueprint" would be really helpful for us artistically-challenged (in 2D at least) people, I think. :)

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Good points. A lot of it (where I decide to put what), is just experience. I don't always know what other people's frame of reference is so I may take some things for granted. I do look at a LOT of reference materials (google image search is your friend!), but it really helps if you understand how full scale buildings go together.

[@georgebroad2319]

You have a thingummit that's visible about 4:40 or so, which you're using to cut multiple pieces at the same length. What's the whatsit called, where can I get one and how expensive are the little gizmos? I've admired many of your designs and track plans in the magazines and on the net, but I'm new to your channel---and rapidly becoming a complete fan. Also admire your fabulous sense of visual tongue in cheek.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

That is a mini miter box and saw, available from Micro-Mark.

[@marsco25177]

There are only 5 KZbin channels that I instantly watch uploads from the moment they drop. This is one. I even catch my wife peeking over at my screen.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Thank you so much

[@michaelschlobohm8877]

Another great video. But did the gate HAVE to be operable or just a modeling challenge?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Of course it did not HAVE to be operable. It's not like the plastic horses are going to run away. But I do like a challenge!

[@thomasfrench2012]

An "Arkansas Split-Rail Fence?" Is there something that makes it an Arkansas one? When I was in grade school we went to the local Lincoln site and made one just like that. It was actually quite fun to build - a great little team building exercise. Though I am sure if you had miles and miles of it to do, the fun would soon wear off. But it was called a split-rail fence, no mention of Arkansas or Wyoming for that matter. So that makes me wonder, where does Arkansas fit in here?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Just the common name that I was first made aware of. Also called a "worm fence."

[@thomasfrench2012]

@@ThunderMesaStudio Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. I was hoping there was a little more to it. But thanks for clearing it up. Enjoyed the build as always.

[@samshoes1]

You might want to add a manger and a few "road apples"

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

In my experience, cowboys feed horses in a corral by tossing flakes of hay on the ground. Mangers are usually for sheep and pigs. When I come up with a good way to model horse manure, I'll add 'em!

[@randybourque3327]

I have a question, pardon my ignorance you said that you are using 8" x 8" beams so what is the actual dimension of the Balsa or Basswood that you are using and is it something that you cut yourself from a larger square piece or is it purchased, as the size of this particular lumber would be .06666 or 2/3 of an inch. I have no problem making my own beams but if I can buy them it would be easier or quicker. Just curious. I live in Alberta Canada so it seems to be harder to find companies that actually provide O Scale lumber. Last still wondering where you get your figures from. Blessings Pastor Randy Bourque Great Video some of the best I have seen overall.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I buy most of my scale lumber from Northeastern Scale Lumber, also in Canada. An O scale 8x8 should be 11/64 x 11/64".

[@randybourque3327]

@@ThunderMesaStudio Ok thank you for that I appreciate the quick response. I will look for the company here in Canada. Blessings Pastor Randy Bourque

[@randybourque3327]

@@ThunderMesaStudio I have another question if you don't mind, what are the most common board sizes for O Scale. It looks like I need to pay the piper and order from the US as the Canadian Express Line doesn't carry very much so I want to order a bunch of pieces as it is better to have them on hand then have to pay the extorted shipping rates to Canada several times. Again I thank you for taking time to help. Blessing Pastor Randy Bourque

[@ironworksmodels]

How about a sign with the ranch name above the gate?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

There's a sign like that above the main entrance to the ranch. I've never seen one on a horse corral.

[@lesterolson5526]

I didn't see you add the obligatory road apples. If you model horses you must model road apples.