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Here is a way to make beautiful split-rail fences for American Civil War
or American Revolutionary War games. These will fit in nicely with other
Fire and Fury style terrain.
Split-rail fences are the type used in America from colonial times through
the Civil War. They are made from splitting logs into rails and laying them
in a zig-zag pattern on top on each other. I make them from wooden matches
of the Ohio Blue Type type. I use the smaller kitchen type for 15mm and have
used the larger type for 25mm.
- Cut a base from basswood, balsa or card stock. I usually make them in 3/4"
by 5" strips for 15mm and also 3/4" x 2.5" for smaller sections to allow some
flexibility. You may want to apply a coat of green or brown paint now to
make flocking easier later.
- Cut the heads off the matches. Be carefull when disposing these. I keep
a jar of water around and toss them in it and then dispose of the mess later.
- Set the sticks in a zig-zag pattern and use small pieces on the ends to
make it even.
- While assembling you may find it helpful to tack the pieces together
with white or tacky glue. I find it easier to paint thinned glue on the joints with
an old brush afterwards.
- Once the paint is dry give the whole fence a good coat of flat black paint.
Follow this up with one or two drybrushings with varrious grey paints. The
rough surface of the matchsticks will provide an excellent scale effect.
- Paint and/or decorate the base. Use flocking/ground cover that matches your
figures. I find a nice touch is to put some small pebles and Woodland Scenics
foliage clusters in the crooks of the zig-zags.
- Finish with a coat or two of dullcoat laquer or your favorite dull covering.
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