Terrain Tuesday - Stone Walls

 Stone walls 

I have a few meters of stone walls to complete for my table, some will be fixed to bases with the buildings others will be more adaptable pieces. 

These are the adaptable pieces, I have based them on mdf, then added flock and some flowers and some bushes from rubberized horse hair. Lots more to come, I will possibly also make some taller ones to portray some ten foot 20mm walls for Normandy. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday Aircraft Flight Stands

 Terrain Tuesday Flight Stands

This week I decided while building the Dassault Mirage III model that I would make another two flight stands for jets, one for Arid and desert games and one more for more green looking european games.

They are mounted on some MDF octagon shaped 10mm deep pieces that I picked up once in a paint shop clearance about 8 years ago. I left with about ten pieces and then had a Hotz mat made to match them for my WW1 Canvas Eagles 1/72 scale aircraft games and I also use them for ww2 larger aircraft like bombers, and DC3-JU52 para landings. Happy with them, although I may add some more bushes to the arid one I thik.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

matt

Terrain Tuesday - more tabletop scatter

 Tabletop scatter

Some more 20mm additions completed for ww2 and modern town and ville scatter. Enjoying these pieces in between painting projects. Again mostly HO train bits, the cross is from a rosary sized set on a base and  large saint Anthony was from a brocante, he was missing his head so now has a essex late roman head. 

Tree Renovation Part 9.....Palms

 

 Palm Trees

As they say, a change of scenery is as good as a holiday! 

I have decided to complete some palm trees from the collection, similar basing to my other trees, lots of work, undercoat base coat, ink wash, highlight, I made the root systems for these from green stuff, before I decided to make a resin mould in the two different tree trunk sizes to speed things up for the next 40 odd trees. really happy with the results.

I will use these in the middle east for my modern games and pacific island WW2 games, I am also setting some aside for my 20mm Middle eastern city fight games for gardens and such and making traffic islands with trees etc. 

I say Pierre, I think we have taken a wrong turn......

Tabletop Scatter part 1

 

 Village scatter terrain Part 1

As I move through my renovation projects I have decided to start adding and renovating my village and town accessories, a majority is HO scale model railway pieces which I find particularly good  for 20mm terrain. 

Tree Renovation part 8, ......oh the pine

 

 Ohh the Pine

more pines completed, after this lot I have about 20 to complete and the pines are done, then complete some palms,  then the huge 100 odd european tree collection. 

Tree renovation part 7 ......a sweet palm

 

Palms 

When I ventured upstairs earlier in the week I also found my Palm trees, suitable either for the desert or Pacific beach landing scenarios.  I purchased in bulk around 80 odd palm trees in three different sizes again from China. So possibly by the end of next weekend they will also be another 80 odd completed trees. Repainting the trunks and foliage, washing then highlighting, plus I will make a master and cast a root base for the three different sizes, so I do not need to green stuff each one individually. I now want some date Palms and will possibly order some in a week or two after I complete my european tree project.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Tree Renovation part 6 ....your dead!

 

Dead Trees

Another mix of part renovation and new paint jobs, the large dead trees are metal from the eighties at least and used to be on a square base for a cemetery pulp game, so I pulled them off and added them to the round large 50mm base as per the larger tree renovation. I also added additional root systems from green stuff, then a new coat of paint, inks, drybrush and rebased to match the other renovated trees. 

The smaller stumps I purchased a long time ago and while digging for spears last week in the spares box I found them and added them to the pile of to be painted terrain box of trees. Notice they have faces so I suspect they are pre 80s metal from one of the fantasy ranges, anyway they will still grace the table without much comment unless someone is looking closely!

these look dead....

Tree Renovation part Five a pine in the .....

Pines part two

I have come to the realisation I have a lot of pine trees......

More Pines.....

Completed some more Pine trees but come to the realisation after I was about half way through my pine restoration I was missing some of my larger 28mm trees, so up to the third floor storage room for a visit. Low and behold another thirty odd Pine Trees, with a number requiring a bit of a dusting of new flock. plus new bases and more stumps to be made.....so quite a lot to be done. No rest for the wicked as they say.

Tree Renovation part four shruberies

 

Shrubberies

More garden trees this time,  again purchases from China, really like the little topiary bushes, I must have thirty odd of them to either base or put in gardens, more coming as I have completed cutting another 60 odd bases and prepared them for basing today.

Tree Renovation Part 3 ....Pines

 

 Pine trees part 1

Still working on trees, really happy with the results, the painting of the bark and stumps, adding a few stones and bits to the bases has been a little therapeutic.

 I am now pressing on through the production line of rebasing the commercial tree lots to unify everything.  Lots more Pines coming after I cut some more bases!

I say Pierre, fine pines 

Tree Renovation part two....shrubbery

 

 Garden shrubs

Next up are small garden shrubs I purchased from eBay China, about 3cm high they are perfect to fill back yards, town gardens and the side of a road, great for 28mm, 20mm and lower. I am so impressed with these I am going to buy two more packs at least. The bases were cut from MDF using my 2cm holesaw. I glued down the stump base then added my normal sand mix, and painted the stump a khaki brown, base earth brush, drybrushed the rocks added flock. 

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt

Tree Renovation part one ....a little fruity

 

Tree Renovation

 Well last week I commenced renovation of my current collection of 160 trees, plus the manufacture of 180 new trees 20mm and 28mm. Lets just say it is taking longer then expected as I cutting new bases, making forest bases and small rough ground sections, plus painting trunks on old plastics trees, reflocking some and new ground work on all of them, plus washing bark and highlighting bits, adding moss and twigs etc. 

I have decided to manufacture specific 20mm and 28mm as previously I had one size fits all method. I want larger more scale trees for 28mm naturally so they fit better with skirmish games. I also removed all of the trees I had glued on large wood type bases and then manufactured with MDF woodland bases that the trees slot into so they are removable which suits ww2 and large impetus bases better when moving through woods. Still more work to be done on these as I want to complete the trees before I go back to make the larger bases.

First trees completed and renovated were formally orange trees that I had based for arid conditions, these are commercial trees from woodland scenics range. The oranges were repainted as apple trees, new bases, painted the trunks, added rocks and then flocked with 3mm flock. Most of these will go in a walled orchard that I am making and some will be able to be dropped into backyards and gardens as required.

I am really happy with the results and plan to purchase another 20 odd as Normandy and Maine are full of apple trees....

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday Church

 A completed resin Hovels piece I believe, I already have one of these, and received another in a job lot of 20mm buildings I purchased online. So it joined the terrain to do pile about three weeks ago. I decided to pick it up and paint it on the weekend. A easy and simple paint job. Quite happy with the result, I will de able to use this for both 20mm and 28nm games.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt

Pegasus Bridge build part 1

 

Building Pegasus Bridge

The most famous bridge and coup de main of DDay is pegasus bridge on the orne river canal. I have already commenced the tiles for the bridge and I am hoping to really produce a lovely table to be able to replay this famous event on the tabletop at French Wargame Holidays. I also plan to build the village and road bridge over the river this will play on a 5 x 12 ft table. 

For the bridge I am using the Raventhorpe Sentry 20mm Pegasus bridge made from resin. I plan to add a few changes to this plus make some improvements and additions to the piece . 

My plan is to remove the solid handrails and replace them with wire ones, drill out the girders and above the control shed,  file out the lifting beam arms, replace the cross beam, add plastic ladders and continue the light rail entry and exits off the bridge ramps.

drilling and filing out the girders, a bit of work and a mask and a vacuum cleaner nearby 

I hope to have this completed by next week.

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday Artillery Redoubt Fortification

Terrain Tuesday

This terrain Tuesday I am working on another two pieces, one is from my Napoleonic project drawer, the other is from my WW2 20mm project drawer. 

The first piece is a 28mm Horse and Musket to ACW fortified redoubt, I originally made five of these for my Borodino demonstration game  in 2012. I only used four of them for the game as I decided to make the Raevsky redoubt as its own stand alone piece. This piece has been half finished in the terrain drawer for 8 years, about time it departed, as you can see flock is still drying!

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday- Steam Traction!

 

Terrain Tuesdays!

 Each week until March, I have decided to spend some time on some terrain each tuesday, I will try to complete a piece or at least add some detail to a piece of terrain for my table, sometimes really useful or just a filler, results of today's efforts! 

Steam traction engines have always fascinated me, in my childhood I would often visit the neighbours saw mill that has a steam traction engine the dove the great saws that cut down the Australian hardwoods from the forests of New England Tablelands. Later in my teens when I joined the engineers we had as our regiments mascot a Frog and a steam traction engine (2/3 Feild Engineer regiment) and I volunteered to work on the beast. 

So with that in mind I picked up a Steam Engine pencil sharpener around 6 years ago, these are often found in Australian tourist gift shops, particulary in country areas and have been around for 30 odd years. 

First job remove the sharpener and the wheel assembly, add decent axles, then undercoat.

Next I scratch built the flywheel, and the housing 

Then a quick fit before I attach the linkages, then paint job green and red plus Brass work for the bling!

getting close, still some highlighting and bits to do

Mounted, I did F?U and forgot to add the rubber band belt......oh well nothing a bit of superglue will not fix.

Now I am not certain if it will drive a saw mill or a chaff cutter, both were widely used in Maine and Normandy during the war.

The Chaff cutter may be more suitable for Normandy/Maine

Second item I have been working on is a ww2 destroyed resin building, a refurbishment and completion of a part painted piece that has been in my collection for ten years or more. It suffered a little in the move so I decided to do a few repairs and touch ups, a bit more to do then complete.

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday 28mm medieval building

Terrain Tuesday

Following my own advice today I spent time on terrain pieces, first upon completed a medieval building that has been in my to do box for at least four years, all it needed was highlights on the roof, and the timber completed. 

The building is a 28mm Plastic from Tabletop Workshop, great little pieces, easy to assemble and they have interior details also. I only added texture to the walls with silicone no more gaps brushed on, then wiped off the timber columbine pieces. painted with artists acrylics.

This building will join my collection for my Saint-Suzanne chateau build.

cheers

Matt

Coloured WW2 and Modern smoke markers tutorial

 

 Making WW2 Smoke markers

Terrain Tuesday

Since lock down began here in France I have been concentrating predominantly on my medieval and ancients collection painting over 600 28mm miniatures. This coming week I am shifting my focus back to ww2.

I was recently on John Bonds blog looking at his lovely ww2 terrain. So I have also decided to make from now on "Tuesdays Terrain day", making terrain or tabletop scatter a priority each week to get through the tonnes of small projects I have in my head for ww2 and modern bits, predominantly though for ww2. Most of these pieces will take several days and possibly weeks, but spending a dedicated day on them will help me get through the list.  

For year and years of ww2 and modern gaming I have just used cotton wool or lounge stuffing that is white for smoke markers, and while watching Band of Brothers...again, I watched the scene at the ferry crossing and thought....I do not use coloured smoke in my games...I have just used white smoke markers, but as we know they were mostly coloured for  ww2 and moderns warfare.

Anyone who served in the military will know they are not particularly good for your health, but neither is getting shot!  The smoke delivery could be via a grenade, mortar or artillery round, or a smoke generator either vehicle or a pump (normally white/grey though) the main colours available were, Red, Blue, Green, Purple, yellow, white, plus pink and  Orange (both post ww2)

So I have put together a simple tutorial.

Step 1 :Lounge stuffing is my choice of product, easy to find and cheap.

Step 2: I selected my colours and made up a wash, with a drop of detergent to break the surface tension of the stuffing and allow colour to penetrate. A few drops of paint 10% to 90% water. Dropped in the pieces that were teased out to shape. 

Step three. Rinse with water, to get rid of any settled pigment otherwise they will shed bits. allow to dry. 

Step 4. I based mine on clear plastic with a hot glue gun. 

Step 5. Put them on the table ! 

Lessons.

Quite happy with the result, but  I think it would be faster to use a spray paint tin in the desired colour or a airbrush, plus the colour will be more vibrant,  I will try again soon on another Tuesday! 

Cheers

Matt

28mm HUGE Castle -Chateaux build Part 1

Huge 28mm Castle/Chateau Epic Build

28mm Castle Project Part 1

Last week at French Wargames Holidays Phillipe and I joined forces for an afternoon of working on the new 28mm Chateau terrain. This terrain board is based on Chateau Sant Suzanne which is a famous medieval hill top defensive Chateau and town. This very early circa 1060AD stone castle dominates the valley and the pass north from Maine into Normandy. Most famous for its siege by William the Conqueror in the 1059s and the 1080s which became the only Chateau in Maine he could not capture.

Saint Suzanne is only 30 min from French Wargames Holidays and is one of our top destinations for visitors, being listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. It really captures the reason why such a castle controls the landscape as far as the eye can see....


I have spent a lot of time planning this piece as I want it to be able to swap out the fortifications over a lot of periods, I have already started filming and will post it on Youtube in stages so you can follow what I am thinking and planning. I really want it to be very versatile options will include:-A Gaulois oppidum, of either the Aulerci Diablintes or Cenomani (Le Mans) the first siege in the 1st century BC (of which only the roman siege camp remains outside the walls and burnt remains on the dig)A Carolingian Fort and watch tower, based on remains that was found during the archaeological digs from the 6th century-9th century.10th century stone Donjon and timber Motte and Bailey walls, the chateau was sieged William the conqueror during his wars with his son and the duke of Anjou. And again during the Plantagenet wars of Stephen and Matilda and then again during Richard the Lion hearts rebellion against his father Henry and finally by Arthur of Brittanys Claim to the crown over John Lackland.15th century Hundred Years War being sieged three times in the period.Wars of Religion sieged by the duke of Mayenne against the Protestants.possibly also used as a big mountain for 20mm WW2 Swiss-Normandy hills (Domfront to Flers ridge) or large mountain 28mm games for French Revolution or Napoleonic Games.
For scale the terrain piece will be 1.50m long x 1.2m wide, and about 50cm high. The board will be broke into the upper Chateau and the lower town, with permanent pieces that lift on and off for ease of storage, plus with additional pieces could have a mountain grass land on top or even perhaps ruins for landscape games.
Some pictures for inspiration

The planning of the layout begins.....




wish me luck


cheers
Matt