"Fences" Topic

Tactical Painter posted his method of making snake or split rail fences on another thread.
I thought I would add my own method.

Michael's sells bags of pre-cut woodden "matchsticks" that are perfect for this type of fence. I use these when making miles of fence at one time. Much like Tactical Painter, I carve them into irregular shapes. I then use a wire brush, that's about the same size as a toothbrush,
to really roughen them up.

I stack them differently and use the "X" posts to hold them up.

Once they are glued in place, I spray them with a mixture of India ink and Isopropyl Alcohol. This ages and grays the wood. Due to the carving and wire brushing, the ink will settle as different colors in different places.

Finally, I'll drybrush "Barn Wood" and/or "Driftwood" (Folkart paints) over various places on the rails. I mix it up. I'll sometimes use one color. Other times both colors and even a mixture of both paints. Anything to produce different shades of brown/gray.

I also use Lemax fences, which I take apart and reconfigure. I put them back together after carving, wire brushing and drybrushing them.

Here are a few pix to show how they turned out.

[URL=http://s222.photobucket.com/user/nevinsrip/media/1_zpsihlsnmaz.jpg.html]

[/URL]

[URL=http://s222.photobucket.com/user/nevinsrip/media/fen%20bk2_zpspcqjzhr5.jpg.html]

[/URL]

[URL=http://s222.photobucket.com/user/nevinsrip/media/g_zps4tpianag.jpg.html]

[/URL]

[URL=http://s222.photobucket.com/user/nevinsrip/media/5_zpsvljtwwrv.jpg.html]

[/URL]

[URL=http://s222.photobucket.com/user/nevinsrip/media/IMG_2138_zpstenxjseg.jpg.html]

[/URL]

[URL=http://s222.photobucket.com/user/nevinsrip/media/IMG_2147_zpsvofyzljc.jpg.html]

[/URL]

Pretty stuff. All ingredients 5-7000 km away!
Works for 18mm?

I like the wire brush effect. Do you scrape in one direction? Lengthwise?

Matthew

I love how that dead tree is incorporated into the fence row.

Tell me about those tall greenish grasses… It can't be static grass, can it?

Your work is amazing!

Very nice

WOW! That looks real! Astounding work as always 👍

It can't be static grass, can it?

Hi Skip, Yes it is. A mixture of 10 and 12 mm static grasses.

Do you scrape in one direction? Lengthwise?

Hi Matthew, Yes, lengthwise. Unless you want to grind a section down a bit, for effect. Like damage.
It's a touch you can master with one trial piece of wood.
You'll see how heavy or light you can brush very quickly.
Remember though, to use the toothbrush looking wire brush.
The larger size is too heavy on the wood.

They look very good and the wire brush is an excellent tip for aging this and other wood.

Nice, so for your games do you just set up and admire the diorama for a couple hours?

Chris

Spooner No, I do not game. I just enjoy building small terrain pieces that can be incorporated into larger scenes.

For example, these two fence pieces pictured above could be used in a British retreat to Boston type scene. Or an F&I War Indian attack on a settlement. Or a South Carolina Militia unit, ambushing some Loyalists.
I've made a lot of these smaller pieces to fit with the larger, overall scheme of things.