The Siege of Dendermonde - Ron Miles - Page 3 - starting texturing

[black hat miniatures]

Looks like you have the core structure sorted. This is going to look very impressive

Thanks - the ditch side just needs:

Glacis
bridges for the road
The sluice gate structure on the river side

Then I can move onto the buildings in the town...

[black hat miniatures]

Spent some time yesterday working out the Glacis and how it would fit around the ravelins and across the ditch.

Cut most of it, but have run out of 4mm MDF (more on order) to cut the side pieces and one more top.

Next will be the back wall and walkway above the covered way.

Then cutting lots of 2mm slopes as triangles and trying to make them fit!

[carlos marighela]

Loving the look of that!

[fred]

This is going to be huge!

Just done a few mins searching on Dendermonde, and whilst there are some cool maps, I’m struggling to see any period paintings of the town and its defences.

There seems to be a couple of ravelins and some ditch still extant - but they looked to have largely been levelled or built over.

Quite a few prior LAF threads on this topic too (not sure why they don’t show on the related topics)?

[vtsaogames]

Here's my piece of a Vauban fortress. Some day I'll even manage to stage a siege. (forgot who made this. They are out of business, unfortunately)

[black hat miniatures]

This is going to be huge!

Just done a few mins searching on Dendermonde, and whilst there are some cool maps, I’m struggling to see any period paintings of the town and its defences.

There seems to be a couple of ravelins and some ditch still extant - but they looked to have largely been levelled or built over.

Quite a few prior LAF threads on this topic too (not sure why they don’t show on the related topics)?

My version of Dendermonde is based on the one Ron Miles built for his article in Battle magazine - it isn't a recreation of an actual town just the recreation of Ron's work now I can do it rather than dreaming about doing it when I was 14 and the article came out!

Dendermonde was besieged in 1706 and peacefully surrendered to the Allies.

Ron's article is based on a fictitious siege in 1708 after the battle of Oudenarde.

[black hat miniatures]

Here's my piece of a Vauban fortress. Some day I'll even manage to stage a siege. (forgot who made this. They are out of business, unfortunately)

That is the Gladiator Miniatures / Terrain Warehouse Vauban Fort, I think - I did have it at one point but it is for 15mm.

[black hat miniatures]

Fiddled with the covered way and retaining wall for the glacis bank yesterday and now everything fits.  Wood arrived today so I can cut the remaining bases and work out the edge pieces.

Hoping to assemble everything over the weekend and finish the glacis completely...

[black hat miniatures]

As I was on my own today I decided to try and finish off the Glacis so the fortifications are done.

Bit fiddly and I have fingers covered in superglue but it is done.  I still want to cut a couple of end pieces to finish it off - but pretty happy with the build.

I am thinking of covering it with Railway grass paper initially and then adding some flock - that should hide the joins and strengthen it.

Next is cutting the polystyrene supporting the glacis and the painting all the ditch pieces.

[carlos marighela]

Marvelous! The grass paper and flock idea sounds like a good plan.

[fred]

Wow! Great progress.

I’m less sure about the railway grass paper - the following is based on using it a few years ago, so there is a chance it has improved, but given how long it has been around as a product, I doubt it. I’ve found the railway flock paper rather stiff, but also prone to tearing, and it tends to be very mono chrome. I’d perhaps suggest a paper mache layer to give some strength and hide the MDF joins, then sand and flock - as then you can then vary the colours and coverage.

[black hat miniatures]

Wow! Great progress.

I’m less sure about the railway grass paper - the following is based on using it a few years ago, so there is a chance it has improved, but given how long it has been around as a product, I doubt it. I’ve found the railway flock paper rather stiff, but also prone to tearing, and it tends to be very mono chrome. I’d perhaps suggest a paper mache layer to give some strength and hide the MDF joins, then sand and flock - as then you can then vary the colours and coverage.

Thanks I'll bear that in mind and have a look at other possibilities.

[carlos marighela]

Woodland Scenics do a range that's a fair bit better than the papers of yore. If you dress them witha little flock and some tufts, they look fine.  Admittedly I've been using them for lawns, urban parks and the like.

Noch and Heki do ranges of flocked mats that are easy to cut up. These might actually be a better option as you can get larger sizes and overall are a cheaper option. There weren't many 18thC lawn movers save for sheep so a bit of irregularity won't hurt.

[black hat miniatures]

 I have started the long process of texturing and painting the Dendermonde walls.  The tecinique is to coat the structure with a thinned coat of PVA glue and then to apply a single ply of tissue paper to it.
 
 





Then you paint another layer of PVA over the top.  This produces a textured surface that can be sprayed grey and then dry brushed to highlight and bring out the texture.

I use cheap "Saxon" 2-ply tissues from Aldi which are large and easily separate.

The end result when dry is this:




City walls are done and most of the Ravelins.  Next up are 2 Demilunes and then the 3 Bastions.  I need to cut some window and door frames for the city gate before I can texture that and also need to tile the roof.

[Tom Dulski]

 wow that's an interesting way to texture walls