# corrugated grain bins



## Mcbunton (Nov 9, 2020)

I can't believe I am the only one that wants a realistic Midwest railroad, and that has to include grain bins, NOT concrete grain elevators. Besides the farms with bins, modern day ethanol plants have huge grain bins. Why does no one manufacture them in G scale?

As I aside, I have made my living selling grain bins for 50 years now, from the days when 18 foot diameter were big, to todays bins where the biggest is now 2.1 million bushels, and 156 ft diameter.

I found some old post about making some, but wonder if others know where to look and my googling has just been a failure?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## MGates (Mar 16, 2016)

There are a few 1:32 scale Kubota tractor models that include a grain bin. If you are modeling 1:20.3 it will be too small, and depending on what size of bin you want to model, even in 1:32 it may be on the small side. There are a few listings on ebay, you can see them by searching 1:32 Kubota grain bin. I saw a few for scale on other sites like Walmart, but they seem to be about double the ebay average price.

TOMY makes a John Deere branded set of farm toys called "John Deere Big Farm" and there is a grain bin & auger set in 1:16 scale. A little on the big side and a bit out of scale if you model 1:20.3 but it could still work. The set comes with two bins and is a grey/silver plastic.









This could be a candidate for a 3D printing project. I have a 3D printer, and as long as the model would not have to be wider than a 7.75" diameter I'd be able to print a grain bin model for you. I see a 1:87 scale HO grain bin model on Thingiverse, which can be scaled up to whatever scale you model in and then painted. Depending on the size of model it would probably cost about 10-20 dollars in plastic per unit and another 20 or so for shipping.









Another option is to contact someone that does g scale buildings. There is a fellow on Facebook from North Carolina, Daniel Peck, that makes and welds together sheet steel buildings for folks that want them, he may be able to figure you out a quote if you need something durable, moreso than printed plastic.

Best of luck with your search!
-Mike


----------



## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

Mcbunton said:


> I can't believe I am the only one that wants a realistic Midwest railroad, and that has to include grain bins, NOT concrete grain elevators. Besides the farms with bins, modern day ethanol plants have huge grain bins. Why does no one manufacture them in G scale?
> 
> As I aside, I have made my living selling grain bins for 50 years now, from the days when 18 foot diameter were big, to todays bins where the biggest is now 2.1 million bushels, and 156 ft diameter.
> 
> ...


My cousin has grain bins on her farm in eastern Kansas, and I wanted to add one to my farm scene in California. Of course I took no pix or measurements when I was there, so I freelanced a design, Mine is about 20 scale feet in diameter and about 16 feet tall. I did it in Tinkercad, it was pretty simple. If it were to be bigger, I'd probably have to print in in pieces and glue it together.


----------



## Mcbunton (Nov 9, 2020)

I had seen the Tomy bins, but they only scale to about 18ft diameter, which was a big bin in 1965 maybe, we are selling 60 diameter often now and some 90's, I would like to use at least 48 ft. I am using 1:24 for my farm equipment in the layout and the combine with a 30 ft header needs something bigger to look decent.

My biggest problem is wanting the corrugations to look at least somewhat real, I can get the round etc.


----------



## PaulRace (Apr 30, 2020)

A Fiskars paper crimper with lite gauge aluminum (like those disposable aluminum pans or aluminum soda cans) can make a very nice corrugated steel panels. Making Corrugated Metal Panels from Disposable Aluminum Pans


----------



## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

Mcbunton said:


> I had seen the Tomy bins, but they only scale to about 18ft diameter, which was a big bin in 1965 maybe, we are selling 60 diameter often now and some 90's, I would like to use at least 48 ft. I am using 1:24 for my farm equipment in the layout and the combine with a 30 ft header needs something bigger to look decent.
> 
> My biggest problem is wanting the corrugations to look at least somewhat real, I can get the round etc.


If you use a filament printer, the layers look kinda like corrugations (from a distance).


----------

