E-Mail:

If you enjoyed visiting this blog, please leave a comment or feel free to contact me by e-mail: timstanks@icloud.com

Search This Blog

Sunday 22 July 2012

Display Cabinet

My Son donated to me his no longer required Ikea glass display cabinet.

Since then I've been trying to decide what to put on display.

I've put together two shelves ( of 4) to see what people think.

A selection of 28mm plastics (Victrix, Perry & Warlord) and a selection of 15mm Eastern Front AFVs.

Not sure what else to put in there.....

WW1 2mm Terrain Pieces (6)

To give you an idea of the finished items, I've set up the play area with two defence lines - incorporating wire and bunkers - and added a couple of shots of a tank supported allied attack going in.

I'm very pleased with these - all I need now is to try them out.

I'll post a battle report when I've had time to do this.

WW1 2mm Terrain Pieces (5)

Well I've finally finished the 2mm stuff ready to try them out.

They fit perfectly into a Really Useful tray which can be stored in the same box as my 2mm Napoleonics.

I found the rules could be fitted onto a single side of A4 which makes them even handier.

I've still got to finish my 60x60mm terrain pieces - rivers and desolated land - but will give what I've finished an outing first.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

WW1 2mm Terrain Pieces (4)

The final mandatory piece of terrain that you need - are bunkers.

I considered making these from Green Stuff but whilst messing around with the scraps of self-adhesive foam left from trench production, I had an idea!

I cut a diamond shape and stuck it to a 40x15mm base.

Then I cut the "blockhouse" (a 6x4mm piece of foam) and stuck that in the middle if the diamond.

Then I cut an access trench to the rear of the blockhouse.

Finally I textured the base with Vallejo course grey pumice.

All that remained was to finish them off as described for the barbed wire.

I'm pleased with the finished result.

I've started work on some additional terrain pieces on 60x60mm mdf squares......more on that next time.

WW1 2mm Terrain Pieces (3)

Here's a couple more shots of the mass production of trench sections.

You'll see that in some sections I've cut an access trench. This can be used to link first and second lines with straight trench sections (as communication trenches) or to allow a Sap to run out onto no-mans land. They also allow bunkers to be joined to trench systems.

In all you're recommended to have 36 sections for the basic game, 18/side so I'd better get a move on.

WW1 2mm Terrain Pieces (2)

How to simulate the bands of wire to the front of the trench lines was a bit of a poser.

I decided to use 40x20mm mdf bases because (1) I'd got enough spare! (2) the aerial pics I've seen of the Western Front tend not to show endless bands but localised sections of wire with gaps covered by MGs allowing access for trench raids etc.

I first considered using wargames barbed wire (like the GW product) but felt this unnecessarily expensive and it would be difficult to get the wire to lie flat.

I finally settled on lengths of florists wire. This material is dirt cheap, easy to cut and bend, and lies flat until the PVA sets.

First step was to texture the mdf bases with PVA and birdcage sand.

Then I cut and bent lengths of wire to a 'W' shape and stuck them down.

Lastly the finished bases were painted etc.

I firstly spray undercoat, followed by a coat of 'Anita's' coffee acrylic. Then I add depth with a wash of Johnsons Klear + brown ink and then when dry, a dry brush of sand. The wire was picked out in grey, followed by flesh wash to simulate rust followed by a dry brush of silver.

When all was dry I spray everything with GW Purity seal and then add a little flock.

Job done!

At this scale it's all about the "impression" of what your looking at. I think these bases give the impression of a single band of coiled barbed wire zig-zagging across the fronts of the trenches - just what I was looking for.

The finished shot gives you a view of a trench line with a bunker protected by wire. See what you think?