Hedges/hedgerows

[Wirelizard]

I started these months ago and this evening finally got tired of them being half-finished and taking up space, so I chased them down with a glue gun and finished the damn things off.

In the top photo, a closeup, with Major Vodcanovitch leading his White riflemen to death, Reds, glory or their next drink. The lower photo shows all four linear feet of hedgerow.

Of course, I got so fired up to finish these things I forgot to take any photos of what they look like naked of lichen and foam foliage. Oops.

Basically, they're six inch tongue depressors to which I hot-glued about 8-10 inches of very soft hobby wire, with "hoops" standing up about waist/chest high on a 28mm figure.  I covered the tongue depressors with a mix of sand and fine gravel, then painted that dark brown, along with the wire. Quick drybrush of paler brown, then it was back to the hot glue gun to stick bits of lichen and foam foliage around the tongue depressors and wire "branches".

You can see a single unit of hedge on the lower right of the top photo; the rest merge together very nicely placed end-to-end.

They're not quite full-on earth-embanked Normandy hedgerows, but for less massive hedges in other countrysides they'll do very nicely.

I'll have to pick up some more lichen - I'm down to a few scraps after this - then will probably do another round and try to remember to take work-in-progress photos this time.

[Wirelizard]

Interesting what gets respectable views but no comments, isn't it?

Anyway, sat down after work this evening to begin another four feet of hedge, and this time managed to remember some work-in-progress photos.

Raw materials - six-inch hardwood tongue depressors, some cheap soft wire I've had around for ages, pliers. Not shown: hot glue gun and hot glue sticks.


The bare bones form of the hedges. Once again, Major Vodcanovitch and a horde of undisciplined White Russians provide scale. Basically, bend the wire up and down to provide "branches" for the hedge. Everywhere the wire touches down, secure it with a blob of hot glue. Everywhere the wire doesn't touch down, consider putting a smear of hot glue anyway, for texture.


Eight hedge bases with a mixed batch of sand and fine hobby gravel/ballast on it. Dilute white glue on the base and up and over the wire, dump mixed sand/gravel on and leave overnight to dry.


Painting tomorrow, probably, then foliage to actually turn them into hedges.

[Lowtardog]

Very nicely done, you must have been bushed by the time you finished those...I`ll get me coat

[Verderer]

Looks nice, and that great tip about the base & support wire.

I prefer the term 'lolly sticks' to tongue depressors, the latter sounds so clinical, plus it brings some unpleasant memories from childhood. Gag reflex anyone?

[Mitch K]

Fantastic start - I shall follow this with great interest. I have plenty of buildings but not a lot of natural terrain features, so this looks like an ideal kickstart for something I need.

Please post more!

[aggro84]

Very nice hedgerows. 

I remember wanting to make some myself and Google Image Searching some a while back.

If memory serves me right those are pretty spot on!

[Marine0846]

You are off to a great start.
For a game a few years ago I made about 40 feet of Normandy hedgerows.
Lots of fun. It was either this or this .
My wife states that I still have not recovered.

[Wirelizard]

Fantastic start - I shall follow this with great interest. I have plenty of buildings but not a lot of natural terrain features, so this looks like an ideal kickstart for something I need.

I'm in much the same boat when it comes to temperate/European scenery, I have suitable buildings but not much other scenery. I have a banker's box overflowing with jungle foliage and scenery, but not much non-jungle greenery.

For a game a few years ago I made about 40 feet of Normandy hedgerows.

Yikes! Short term, this is enough for the game I have planned for the end of March (I think, anyway!), longer term I might do another set of eight pieces (4 linear feet) to add some with stone wall fragments, larger trees in the hedge, that sort of thing. No plans for Normandy, so 40 feet (!) won't be called for, thankfully!

Anyway, had time tonight to basecoat the hedge bases. The basecoat is a random sloppy mix of black, brown and tan paint with a generous amount (about 1 part in 3) of white glue in it. That'll nicely seal up the sand as well as paint it.

Here are all eight pieces, paint still wet:


Drybrush tomorrow, then foliage.

[dijit]

They look great and nice idea with the hoops.
Duncan

[Wirelizard]

Adding foliage to the new hedges. The tray is the lid of one of the bankers boxes I use for storage and transport - useful things. Finished, in-progress and bare bases on the right, lichen and foliage foam around.


Another set of hedges finished. There's a bit of a colour difference between the two sets, although it looks worse in this photo than it does in reality. The older lichen is less vividly green and less uniform in colour; I guess Woodland Scenics has added more dye to their lichen batches since the original stuff was bought years ago...


Anyway, that's another four linear feet of hedge, which should be enough for now!