Fencing

[FifteensAway]

My project for yesterday and today to get ready for a game tomorrow was to work on some fencing - stuff that I cleaned literally three years ago yesterday.  Rummaging around for something I could use to build a defensive perimeter for a French and Indian War game, I saw all this unfinished fencing.  So, yesterday I primed all the pieces and then sprayed additional colors.  Not quite happy with that so today I added four more colors by brush to each side of each piece - all 300 hundred of them!  Yes, 300.  At 2" a piece that adds up to 600" or 50 linear actual feet of fencing.  It is split half and half between four bar and three bar fencing but for some odd reason the four bar has only eleven gate pieces and the three bar has fifteen gate pieces, all from Stone Mountain Miniatures in USA in 15 mm.  If that seems excessive perhaps keep in mind that the goal is to use the fencing to create field enclosures so not as much fencing as you might think in the end.  Though certainly a lot.  Here is a shot of the whole before I dove in:



Eventually all of that fencing will be properly based to enclose the aforesaid fields - which will be removable so the enclosing fences can serve multiple purposes.  But for tomorrow's game I will simply stack them probably three high to represent a barricade.  Doubtful I will need all of them but decided to paint them all at the same time to get some uniformity; and kept notes of colors used for future reference - there are those cleaned but not yet worked on five bar fences still to go though not nearly so many.

Sorry, no shots of the finished pieces since I was pushed to get them all moved to where I could seal coat the lot - maybe as part of the game if I can get some shots.

300 x 4 colors x 2 sides each piece = 2400 pieces worked on today.  Sounds impressive but only took about two hours all spread out on my outdoor work station.

Drying time not an issue, 88 F when I started, 99 F when I finished (and around 104 F right now).

[bluewillow]

Great stuff, look forward to seeing them on the table

Cheers
Matt

[Tom Dulski]

 That's an ambitious project, looks like you have a nice big space to work in.

[FifteensAway]

Managed to get a few shots of the game and here are two that illustrate how I used the fencing and one closer shot that shows the finished paint job - not as close as it could be but hopefully gives a good sense of the aged wood look I was going for.



The above photo shows why I needed so much fencing - even triple stacked most of the way around didn't use all of the three bar fencing.  Made a creditable barricade.



This image shows the aged nature of the fencing. 

[Digits]

Is stacking fences like this a real thing or am I missing the point?   

Seems an awful lot of fencing required to do that with?   Don’t get me wrong…I love anything fencing / wall /barrier etc but blimey!?

[FifteensAway]

What I really needed was a 'flimsy' stockade but had nothing ready to hand and only a couple of days to get it done.  So, the fencing is a stand-in for a stockade.  Eventually the fencing will get put on bases as, wait for it, fencing.  With the five bar fencing, once done, I will have something around 60 linear feet - which will get used up faster than expected when creating enclosures.  Hopefully will have enough to create some simple strait (and curved?) runs as well.

And I'm also considering how to create a supply of that flimsy stockade for future use and I'm guessing a lot of natural twigs will be used - though finding twigs that will remain hard enough over time to justify the effort might be a challenge.  The other option is harder wood doweling, take hundreds of pieces to make something to cover what this fencing did, take a bit of effort to make that Dowling look 'natural' and not overly regular.

[Digits]

Use dried twigs then wash them with slightly watered pva to seal them then paint / dry brush to suit….will last years

[FifteensAway]

Digits, thanks for the suggestion - I think a mix of 'found' twigs and bamboo skewers will get me there.

[mikedemana]

Would something like this work? It is an Acheson Creations product, ostensibly 25mm, but smaller in height...
https://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/2016/07/flocked-and-highlighed-acheson-log.html

Let me know, and I might be able to part with it! 

Mike Demana

[FifteensAway]

Mike, thanks for the reply and the offer but that is far too sturdy for what I have in mind.

[gamer Mac]

I am impressed you managed to find the space to lay all that out on a flat surface

[FifteensAway]

Well, wife and I are fortunate enough to have a house with an outdoor awning covering space and I built this work space for my own use - basically 8' long and 2' deep, used some seriously heavy wood, about 2" thick that was 'found' as leftovers from a different project, sturdy enough to survive for decades perhaps.  Unfortunately is is 103+ F outside today with a serious hot wind so not getting used though there is a different project sitting on that bench (Jousting figures needing to be washed and then filed before glueing to bases which are already prepped).

[vodkafan]

Unfortunately is is 103+ F outside today with a serious hot wind

A HOT wind? The UK has never had one of those it sounds lovely