Scratch Building Realistic Utility Poles | Boomer Diorama ~ Vlog # 186

[@coolruehle]

These look more like S scale or O scale poles. They seem really too big for HO. That transformer is a tall as an HO scale figure. They ARE incredible!!

[@boomerdiorama]

Check out the standards of pole sizes. These poles are only 50' feet. The transformers on the model are only 2' feet high, not as high as a human "scale figure." Maybe you are indoctrinated with mainstream commercial model poles from Walther's which I find to be too small compared to the real world, just like the trees they sell as well. Have you looked around lately at modern utility poles for commercial application? They range from 30' to 70' feet high and the transformers for commercial district can be huge. People said the same thing about the trees on River Road as well ("they are too big") and were wrong about it. They are actually smaller than the prototypes I modeled them from. Maybe get out more and check for yourself with a tape measure and camera . . . lol. Cheers.😁

[@kostasgeorgiou8114]

@@boomerdiorama exactly. When you look them from down the street height , everything looks smaller. It 's a matter of perspective and sometimes we have to build them smaller so they don't look gigantic, close to the real ones nevertheless.

[@RonStanek]

​@boomerdioramas Yah, a real size 50 foot pole would be almost 7 inches tall in HO scale. Some industrial transformers are about the size of a 55 gallon drum, about 4 real feet high, which is alittle bigger than a half an inch. These utilitie poles look to be scalewise on the order of about 70 to 80 feet tall. The average butter knife is about an HO scale size of 80 feet. How do they measure up besides a locomotive? The average GP9 is about alittle longer than 56 feet, about 7 &3/4's inches in ho scale. Wichita lineman would have fun on those!

[@coolruehle]

@@boomerdiorama @9:14 in the video is what LOOKS LIKE a transformer that is as tall as your thumbnail is wide. My thumbnail is 3/4" wide. In HO scale that's 65" tall. The largest three phase pole-mount transformer is 167 kVA, and has dimensions of 50" tall and 32" diameter. Single phase are smaller.

[@mhojunction]

@@boomerdiorama Pole height means the standard height of a power pole, which shall be presumed to be 37.5 feet from ground level and usually 6' feet underground for a total of between 40' and 45' total length. (this is way back when I use to design utility pole layouts). That being said, you have a keen eye for details and your work is an inspiration.

[@josephseverino674]

Poles are models too, very well said, great video tips of how too scratch build of actual poles i make my own poles as well of wood and metal.Utility poles are beautiful in there own way they make the scenery look interesting adding complexity.5👍👍👍👍👍 master craftsman.

[@boomerdiorama]

Wood and metal model poles sounds awesome! I bet they look great. Thanks for sharing.😁

[@marka87]

I like the way you’ve made the insulators

[@boomerdiorama]

Yeah. They were work. I think next time I might use Tichy Train Group insulators. ;-)

[@marka87]

@ well yes it would be a lot less effort 😉

[@robertlussenburg1770]

That will light up the neighbourhood! Cheers

[@boomerdiorama]

😁

[@douglasalan5783]

All of your scratch built projects are amazing, but these poles are mind-blowing in their detail and intricacy. Bravo!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you very much!

[@FarlandHowe]

I am fascinated with you power poles. I’ve done a series of British Telegraph poles for my railway, but I love your Canadian power pole models. They really speak to me. Rob

[@boomerdiorama]

It's funny when you study and model them. You don't realize how different each one is.

[@FarlandHowe]

@@boomerdiorama Very true

[@bobhastings6464]

Hey Boomer Just caught your video this morning, was away for the weekend. Great work ! I love the whole scratch building aspect to make something unique. Anyways as always great work Cheers from Ontario Bob 👍

[@boomerdiorama]

Scratch building may seem intimidating at first but once you begin it turns out to be a lot of fun even if things are not perfect.

[@bobhastings6464]

Yeah I’ve always enjoyed it, Cheers for the videos

[@khanqueso]

I really appreciate these utility poles; you sure didn't pick the easy ones to model. As someone who works in the power industry I always pay attention to distribution and transmission structures on layouts, and these are top notch. Regarding some scaling comments here, nothing on these structures is beyond what I've seen on the job. Industry and internal company standards change over time, and sometimes things don't adhere to either set of standards for one reason or another. I'm planning a layout right now, and I'll definitely be rewatching this video when the time comes to put in power infrastructure.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.😁

[@johnschutt9187]

Man I really like watching you model. Thank you.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you John. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@dan8402]

I know you mentioned about things not being perfectly even. I think once it is done, that breaking of pattern actually make your mind fill in and makes it more realistic to the viewer.

[@boomerdiorama]

The imagination and the power of suggestion is a remarkable thing for sure.😁

[@thecnwmondovilinepaulscota7304]

Fantastic utility poles. I love the idea of "vertical scenery" such as poles, trees, towers, etc. And if I take anything from your videos (and I take a lot), it's that EVERYTHING on the layout is a model, and if I think about it long and creatively enough, I can always make something a little better, a little more fun, and a little more realistic. And Dusty looks like she's adjusting to being moved to section 3 okay. Cheers! - Paul

[@boomerdiorama]

I enjoy the details. This is why the model railroad is awesome. You can change up the subject matter when you want while still contributing to the collective whole.😁

[@josephcosta5161]

Ohhh I got you... Answer to my question last week . You made them yourself.. great job I'm definitely going to do this . The other ones you buy look unrealistic... 👍 Great job... Thanks Boomer , fla. N. Y. Joe

[@boomerdiorama]

I find the commercial ones to be too small and out of scale for the most part.

[@johnpandolfino8663]

Stunning realism ....great build tips too....👌👏🤙👍💪💰🔥😎🦫🇺🇸🤓

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks 👍

[@luvindemtrains]

Your step by step tutorials are second to none and the results are not bad either, lol.

[@boomerdiorama]

Funny how some think these poles are too tall (just like my trees). They are only 50' scale feet with 2' foot transformers . . . small by the prototype standard I modeled them. Cheers.

[@luvindemtrains]

@@boomerdiorama I'm in O Scale and the average O scale modeler doesn't have large enough trees IMHO.

[@georgewood463]

Yet another great video. 22 minutes of info that seems to fly by in less than 5. Thank you.

[@boomerdiorama]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@scottbaker5975]

An easy way to keep parts from melting if you use too "hot" of a plastic weld or are getting too much solvent on the parts is to use a small paint brush to apply the solvent rather than the large brush that comes attached to the bottle cap. Love your videos BTW, Evergreen needs to consider giving you a sponsorship 🙂

[@boomerdiorama]

Lol . . . Thanks for the tips. Cheers.

[@stl1321]

The transitions between scenes are starting to look seamless. Thanks for sharing Boomer.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for mentioning the transitions. Transitions take a lot of thought and planning. I am hoping to achieve that very thing. Very challenging for sure.

[@BruceShepard-l8y]

Amazing modeling as usual.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@wilzdart]

Well, I guess I will spend another hour practicing poles pieces and to be honest to keep the juices flowing you need to do things so you dont get bored doing the same stuff. Maybe the poles are not from a person's area but a quick picture and now just use the pieces you have shown. I have already made one from Glover Road still have to paint it. Don't know how others do their scenery but I like to say set a scene up like a Diorama that way I can detail it to the max and then move on. Thanks so much for your Vlogs !!

[@boomerdiorama]

Sounds awesome. Keep having fun with it.😁

[@andrewpalm2103]

Another master class in scratchbuilding, Boomer. I hope Dusty adjusts to his new spot. He does seem unphased. Thanks and cheers from Wisconsin!

[@boomerdiorama]

I hope so too! P.S. Dusty is a female . . . ;-)

[@andrewpalm2103]

@@boomerdiorama Dusty's gender is noted!

[@aevans1683]

Great tutorial. Makes me want to build utility poles. I enjoy your videos.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you. I appreciate the support. Cheers!

[@phillipgrey]

Astounding! Every time I watch your videos, I'm gobsmacked at the amount things that you do I've never thought of. It's a good thing I live 30mins from the OVR store in Ontario. I've know them for years before they expanded. They've got lots of Evergreen products too. Now I'm inspired. BTW, following the tree tutorial you made, with the 105mm of rainfall that we had, my evergreen trees still retain their static grass application when I test them on my outdoor diorama. They are that durable!

[@boomerdiorama]

They are indeed durable. I feel sorry for your wallet living so close to OVR . . . lol. Cheers.

[@phillipgrey]

@@boomerdiorama I've learned to curtail spending habits, but you're correct...:) Cheers!

[@albertofranchi6408]

GREAT SUPER REALISTIC WORK👍🏻

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you!😁

[@keithdenner9441]

Incredible work!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you. They really make the scene.😁

[@francoisborie2964]

Well, an other amazing vidéo ! Great job! Never seen something like that before, on any tutorial . Your chanel is a gold mine.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you for sharing and supporting the channel! Cheers ~ Boomer.😁

[@rwissbaum9849]

MacMaster-Carr sells a line of fantastic - but pricey - small hole punches with sizes from 1/16" to 1" and from 2 mm to 20 mm. I use a 3/32" (#42) punch to punch center holes in my coupler shims.

[@boomerdiorama]

Yes . . . thank you. I think Lee Valley does as well. I stay out of those places because of the deficit on my wallet . . . lol.

[@billbarnes8192]

Each transformer has a 4x4 mounting lug one just below the top and one just up from the bottom in line to mount transformers to the pole individually. A.guy wire is often installed on the off side of the pole to keep the pole from leaning over due to being top heavy. Most poles either have a brand or medallion about five feet above ground level. This tells you when and where the pole was manufactured it’s class 1,2,or 3 and how tall it is.Poles are planted 10 percent plus two feet of over all heights in other words on a thirty foot pole a😂hole 3 ft.(ten percent) plus 2 ft. 5 feet total is dug.

[@boomerdiorama]

I plan to add the guy wires and some other details as well. Thanks fore sharing your knowledge. 👍

[@loug2414]

Masterful!!!!!!!

[@boomerdiorama]

It's cool! Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@johngarven2125]

Fabulous video thank you and very timely as the factory scene Im currently working needs a pole with 3 cans.

[@boomerdiorama]

I find the cans to be quite varied in size. These ones are 2' tall in HO Scale. Some are 3-4' for big industrial areas.

[@donaldkormos5529]

Thanks for the video ... poles look great !!

[@boomerdiorama]

Glad you like them!

[@klausfluegelschwanz6759]

Nice masts! That mast on the Tug is going to be so much fun later.

[@boomerdiorama]

Can't wait! . . . Yes the mast on the tug will be cool. I start again on the tug this fall. ;-)

[@donhanley1213]

I see that you have given Dusty his eviction notice. Fortunately he found a new place in phase 3. Great tutorial on construction of utility poles. Unfortunately to many don't think of details like utility poles and other items as models and just ignore them.

[@boomerdiorama]

Dusty is female (she). ;-) I find the poles really make the scene pop in my experience. Cheers.

[@donhanley1213]

Well in regards to Dusty I had a 50/50 chance. I picked the wrong 50.

[@ralphrenzetti22]

It was me Boomer, I’ve had it happen with strip as well as sheet. I glue the end on first and slowly try to glue a pre-curved piece in place on a curve and it breaks as soon as the glue (Tamiya extra thin glue) touches the stressed plastic it breaks. I’ll have to try Plastruct glue, but it’s hard to find out here in the east.

[@boomerdiorama]

Tamiya solvent is good but not recommended for bending small profile plastic because it is too hot! Try Plastruct.

[@tomoconnell4235]

Thank you Boomer. While I don’t plans on a utility pole like this the tips taught are great. It was super that you went over doing the brackets. I have melted quite a few in the learning process for my gutter drains on a warehouse build

[@boomerdiorama]

Glad to help. Cheers.

[@memberofamreg676]

Top 👍

[@boomerdiorama]

✌

[@mariahojnacki9174]

Very nice-looking detail to add to the layout. We'll done. What is the background music in this video? Very relaxing.

[@boomerdiorama]

Shadoma. Thank you!

[@eeclass20]

A detail taken for granted, even more useful for those of us not in the US. I would find it useful if you could do a phone pole or two as well. The problem I have is how utility poles relate to buildings(connections etc) as I cant just pop outside with the camera! I can see that micro punch set being useful for many things, making class light blanking plates come to mind.

[@boomerdiorama]

I have older telephone poles on the layout as well.

[@toddnab8309]

I think it looks real , but the other thing is it's your railroad never mind the other people what they say.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you and good advice about "what they say." Cheers ~ Boomer.😁

[@FrameOfColorF]

Nicely done, thank you! I read in disclaimer that you paid for all the products material in video, maybe you can consider one day to buy a 3D Print.

[@boomerdiorama]

I have no need right now for 3D print. I like scratch built "Tactile" models.😁

[@Johnny_Guitar]

Are you located in the Fraser Valley here in Surrey/Langley? 'Cause I'm in Guildford and just realized you're using our names like River Road, Glover Road etc., cool beans if ya are bro! Luvv the diorama builds!

[@boomerdiorama]

I'm in Fort Langley. I hear the old "Central Hobbies" is coming to Langley as well in Port Kells. ;-)

[@colossalbigfoot256]

Very nice! Was anticipating this vid cause I need a pole like this for some additional character on a dio im building. You can’t buy anything like this.. I’d rather build anyway. Will have to get a leather punch set, cheaper alternative to those hobby specific ones and better than my homemade ones from aluminum tube. I’d like to see your take on transmission towers and a cellular tower. Great tutorial Boomer!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you. Glad to hear it was inspirational. Cheers!

[@bertusduiverman4743]

Terrific. I take it you'll add wires later?

[@boomerdiorama]

Yes. I already added wires (cables) to the lower section to test out a new method. I will probably post them later.

[@kostasgeorgiou8114]

For everyone wondering about the glues: The strips break when you use liquid glue based on MEK i.e. Tamiya xtra thin, Mr Color with the blue-yellow label etc. If you use let's say Humbrol, the strips remain intact and there 's plenty of time to work with them.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for sharing!😁

[@coutov8]

Perfeito 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you.

[@jerrysmith1929]

I'm guessing when I model in N scale copper wire and glass beads may be the way to go.

[@boomerdiorama]

Yes indeed!

[@TheGomes412]

What # are your smaller angles there in the background? They look like they'd be good for building facias and metal trim in HO scale, around 4" to 6" I would guess?

[@boomerdiorama]

The ones I am cutting are # 293. You can go smaller with # 292-291.

[@TheGomes412]

@@boomerdiorama What # are you using for your angled brackets on your poles?

[@RonStanek]

PoleLand 🇵🇱 😊 Cheers! 🍻 Which one is "Phoenix" pole?

[@boomerdiorama]

Lol. These poles are little more industrial than the earlier ones I built. They are also a little larger at 50' feet instead of 40' feet.

[@PostmoderneModelWorks]

I do leatherwork. The stuff they sell at dept stores are junk. I have nice tools, but they aren’t cheap. My Sinabroks punches start at $100+ each.

[@boomerdiorama]

Oh yeah. Good leather work tools are awesome.

[@nicholasking1266]

How do you stop Dusty from not getting over involved? My cats would be knocking things off and over left right and centre

[@boomerdiorama]

She was raised on 'Glover Road' layout as a kitten and seemed to acquire respect for miniatures. Cats are smarter than you think. On the other hand, sometimes they just don't care . . . lol. ;-)

[@MyFingerLakesRailwayLayout]

Boomer 101 👨‍🎓: 1. Make extra pieces, choose the best. 2. Cut proud, trim later. 3. Just eyeball it. 👍🏻

[@boomerdiorama]

You got it Bill . . . then measure it and see how far you are out . . . lol.

[@sylwitcha5325]

Love your dioramas, i came across you a short time ago and have been binge watching, especially the way you make trees! Theyre amazing! Ive a question tho....once you flock the tree i dont understand why you airbrush it all brown. Doesnt that cover all the green flocking? I cant tell in the videos.

[@boomerdiorama]

The first flocking becomes (simulates) the finer (darker) branches. Then I flock the green foliage over these finer branches. The idea is to experience the methodology and how the tree comes into form where you can alter the flocking to your own desire and effect.😁

[@sylwitcha5325]

Thanks!

[@RonStanek]

Boomer's Electric Company = B.E.C.⚡️ Why do I find myself saying Fantastic, just Fantastic when you cement that transformer on?

[@boomerdiorama]

Lol . . . I like that.😁