Trench system options

[Ace of Spades]

Paul usually keeps us updated with remarks on which layer of paint is going, how many different types of flock he will use, what the set up is going to be like and then... and then.... we we've almost given up, he comes up with the pictures!
And everytime they proved to absolutely worth the waiting and anticipating!

Cheers,
Rob

[paulr]

Thanks Rob, I think  

The Postie called today, unfortunately only with a letter about an insurance claim My wife backed out our driveway into a car parked across the road No one hurt

I did go on a little shopping trip...



Tamiya spray paint from the local Stationery/Model shop, this was what I sprayed the desert base clothes with to provide some texture a long time ago

A 250ml test pot of paint that should match the desert base cloth, rough sand paper and 1 litre of not so well known brand 'pollyfilla' from the local hardware 'mega' store

I'm planning to rough up the walls of the trenches and paint as wood; fresh browns or weathered greys, or ...  suggestions welcome

[Ace of Spades]

Hi Paul 

Perhaps better hand over the polyfiller and the spraypaint to the owner of the other car? Might be cheaper...?
Anyway; good luck with your project! Do you think it will be possible to slightly sand the fiberboard to get a woodgrain? I never tried but if it works it sounds like a good idea!
Personally I would go with some weathered greyish colours; I think it looks better and blends in better with the surroundings. Also I think fresh cut wood will age quickly under the hot sun...

Looking forward to see the pictures of the finished project!

Cheers,
Rob

[fsn]

It's a bit like Wargaming "Ready Steady Cook".

I give you some filler, spray paint and rough sand paper ... what can you do with these ingredients?



Next week a herbivorous dinosaur, some lichen and some putty ...

[WeeWars]

It's a bit of a posh trench, this one. But I like the idea of troops taking sheets of corrugated iron from old trench to new trench across the desert. The lines here are vertical so you'd have to decide whether horizontal corrugated iron sheet is acceptable in your 10mm desert world.

Rob, Using a file to rough up the uprights is definitely a possibility. To add 'grain'/texture to the flat areas I prefer small amounts of non-textured acrylic paste applied with a cocktail stick. Unless you are looking for a wispy texture that sanding the flat of the fibreboard would create.

www.michaelscott.name/1809/blog2015/1809blogpost215.htm

Cheers, Michael

[d_Guy]

Paul usually keeps us updated with remarks on which layer of paint...

That's what I'm talking about!  I love that kind of detail - I live in  wargaming vacuum - no live human contact - this is excellent stuff!

[d_Guy]

Next week a herbivorous dinosaur, some lichen and some putty ...

Well my entry would be a weaponized wooly mammoth, orange I think!

Paulr - really enjoy reading about your progress!

[Ace of Spades]

I was also thinking about some currogated sheet iron to do some parts of the trenches but I beter stay cool and wait untill I have them in my hands and tested some options before getting carried away!

Cheers,
Rob

[paulr]

Thanks for the feedback guys

Ace & WeeWars - Greys it is then, can claim it is weathered wood or corrugated iron

Ace - fortunately the excess we have to pay is only $300, about GBP150

WeeWars - I read that post on texturing with interest, not sure how well it will work on the small strips on the trenches, will see when I get them. The file for the verticals is a very good idea. Weathered wooden verticals and horizontal corrugated iron might be the way to go

FSN - we don't have that programme here and I try and avoid cooking shows anyway

d_Guy - glad you are enjoying it, I find documenting my progress motivating and there seem to be a few views of my threads so either I'm doing something right or frustrating a lot of people There are some very nice blue mammoths in a thread on here somewhere, can't remember which one   

[WeeWars]

I made a start on texturing. I found it a good idea to start with some polystyrene packaging to fill some of the space before plastering on the filler. The important thing with the embankment is that it forms a flat surface between the crenelations as this is the ground level of the trenches. Otherwise, they'd be rising embankments. I've undercoated with a dark brown ready for a sandy colour. Round the other side, I've used paste to add texture to the trench wall.

[paulr]

Looking good

I will probably be limiting the contrast with mine to help it blend in with my desert base cloth, which is under the results of my shopping trip above.

I'd be interested in seeing how the paste has worked on the other side

I found it a good idea to start with some polystyrene packaging to fill some of the space before plastering on the filler.

Brilliant, now why didn't I think of that while pondering what to use to reduce the amount of filler.

[Sandinista]

I was thinking, perhaps you could place them at the back of a 15cm or deeper base and build up to the height to mitigate the standing above the table effect

Cheers
Ian

[paulr]

I was thinking, perhaps you could place them at the back of a 15cm or deeper base and build up to the height to mitigate the standing above the table effect

An interesting thought, it would certainly reduce the slope and help mitigate the standing above the table effect.

It might reduce the flexibility, particularly if you want two trench lines fairly close together

[Sandinista]

It might reduce the flexibility, particularly if you want two trench lines fairly close together

What is half range of rifles in your rules? Make the distance in front that so if two are adjacent then are still in range

Cheers
Ian

[Ace of Spades]

I will probably use these as they are with the front filled in but without any extra embankment/slope  to mitigate the effect. I need some flexible trenches that we can use for our 1914 games where trenches are not fixed in posisions for months or years but are dug where needed and hardly ever were in use for more than a few days. The fact that all the earth that comes out gets thrown up in front and rear and doesn't have time to be compacted by time and weather or 'spread' under the influence of shells means that the relative steep slope/high banks are throughout acceptable for me (true, the first trenches were hardly reinforced with wood).
Looking forward to get my hands on them!

Cheers,
Rob