ECW Sconce build - COMPLETE FEB 2022

[Winston]

Thanks all for the pointers. I’ve previously visited the Queen’s sconce in Newark. It’s true that to go exact scale, you’ll end up with something pretty big on say a, 6 x 4 table. My table is a little bigger at 8ft by 5ft. But still. So I’ll opt for something that’s (very roughly) about 80 per cent of what it’s ‘true’ scale would be on the table.

I think I’ll just chop it out of foam and go from there. I have some odds and ends already and freehanded a design on them for size. They’re too fragmented though, so I’ll get a couple of extra blue insulation foam sheets.

The bottom blue sheet here is 2ft by 2ft. So, yes, it’s a bigger beast on a table than you may first imagine.

Another consideration is making sure artillery pieces and crew can fit in the emplacements. Plus I’ll use coffee stirrers to board the top out, maybe create a little shelter and gun powder store. Plus a little drawbridge access on one side.

I think once the plan is right, it could be a reasonably straightforward but decent-looking build. I have a completely spare Sunday in February so I’ll try and whack it out in one go then.

[caveadsum1471]

I've been thinking about doing this too,although I think it will probably be modular,I've been gathering bits of reference and "ubique's" blog has a nice scratch built sconce and step by step, there is also an inexpensive vac formed plastic as an option but hacking away at poly and sticking stirrers and tile adhesive sounds the way to go to me!
Best Iain

[sukhe_bator]

I went much the same way with a 30mm thick expanded poly base with 2 polygonal bastions to model the front half of a sconce. I mounted storming poles into the sides. On top of that another layer of sit-on Vee shaped 25-30mm high emplacements lined with gabions that formed the ramparts. They could also be used as field defences...

[sukhe_bator]

I used a modular approach to creating a Spanish colonial presidio in 15mm - with artillery bastion (see my Mex Rev in 15mm thread)

[Winston]

Paid another visit to the Queen’s sconce in Newark today and took some photos ahead of the build. Observations included surprise at just how deep and wide the depression in the middle is for gunpowder/storage. (Winston Jr approx 4ft 3ins tall inside it for scale in the pic!  Had me wondering if that was also used as a shelter.

It must’ve been a nightmare drainage-wise. Any thoughts on how they might have dealt with this? Unless that hole has been dug since for some reason and is irrelevant? Seems to me to be big enough to have been part of the work at the time tho.

I also paced it out - it’s 146 of my fairly short-bothered paces diagonally from the extreme point of one corner to the other. Turn that into 0.5cm per pace approx for a 28mm figure and you have a whopping 73cm-wide model.

I’ll scale it down to 60cm I reckon. I can live with that on a 152cm wide table.

[Friends of General Haig]

Great pictures, Chris 👍.

I imagine the ‘hole’ would be to protect powder reserves - not sure.

[sukhe_bator]

The National Heritage listing is most informative
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016150?section=official-listing
The 'powder magazine' is likely to be a later feature. "A T- shaped depression about 9m in width and 2m in depth within the ramparts in the south west corner of the sconce is not thought to represent an original feature and is indicative of subsequent digging for gravel."

[Winston]

The National Heritage listing is most informative
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016150?section=official-listing
The 'powder magazine' is likely to be a later feature. "A T- shaped depression about 9m in width and 2m in depth within the ramparts in the south west corner of the sconce is not thought to represent an original feature and is indicative of subsequent digging for gravel."

Ah thanks - thought it was a bit sus! Cheers for that

[sukhe_bator]

Black powder is hygroscopic and usually kept in leather lined barrels. So for a temp fortification all you'd need is a weatherproof dry store but not one that is too enclosed to add 'oompf' to any accidental explosion. It is no accident that powder mills of the period look like wooden shacks with weak shuttered walls but decent roofs. An isolated surface shed is probably all it had. They may have thought to add a blast bank around it to shelter it somewhat if there was enough internal space.

[Winston]

Made a good start and although I didn’t 100 pc complete today all that’s left to do is paint the wood, add some texture, gravel, grass and dry brush.

I settled on two layers of foam rather than three as when stacked up three just looked so tall compared with everything else on your typical 28mm table given the height of most 28mm terrain (trees/buildings) is not to scale anyway. So it would just have looked stupidly vast.

Used a triangular homemade template to get the corners right and make sure there’s enough space inside for guns and men. Used glue and cocktail sticks to attached the two layers together once the shapes were cut out. Filled the gap with filler. Painted in brown house paint then gave it a dark brown spray as well for mixture.

Then used coffee stirrers and matches for internal boarding. Then cocktail sticks all round the outside for stakes. Some pics of progress here. Next I’ll paint all the wood, add some Vallejo mud effect for texture on most of the edges, add mud and gravel in the middle, then some patches of grass and tufts, dry brush, done. Will make a shelter and bridge later.

[fred]

Thats looking pretty imposing already!

[OSHIROmodels]

Looks good 

[Winston]

Day two and the extra texture is on and drying, and all wood painted. Bry brushing and weathering/muck and grass next

[Codsticker]

Really impressive. It's coming along great.

[Winston]

Calling it done! Will add a bridge and a shelter another time, but content to draw to a close for now, as I need to get back to figures. Very happy with how it turned out. Biggest issue some gaps at the bottom from warping but largely dealt with. Last touch was a base, grass and a last dry brush of the earth.

Biggest cost was the foam, grand total just over £20 I think.

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments, photos, tips and links.