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Fencing

by Gary James

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<td>Fencing</td>

<td align="left">Chain-link fencing is easy to make and very useful in game terms

- fences provide obstacles, create dead-ends and provide a degree

of fortification around take and hold objectives etc.</td>

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[h3]Materials[/h3]

# Small scale metal mesh. This can be obtained from model shops, but

I use the sort that is sold for car repairs. David's is one make in

England - just check out motor factors and DIY stores for aluminium

mesh in sheets next to the tins of Isopon and other fibre glass

fillers. You could also try mesh from vegetable bags and netting

from a fabric store.

# Balsa wood or plastic girder rods (from model stores) for the

posts. If using Balsa, rough cut strips work best - buy a quarter

inch thick sheet and cut the posts for yourself. This is cheaper

too.

# Card or foam card for the bases

# Flock, sand or gravel for the bases

# Some small, large-headed tacks or nails

# Some ordinary dressmaking pins

# PVA wood glue (the white stuff)

[h3]Method[/h3]

# Cut the foam card into sausage shaped sections for the bases of

the fence

# Decide how high you want your fence to be, add a quarter of an

inch, and cut your fence posts to this height. Fence rear view

# Mark the position of the fence posts on the base, and then push a

dressmaking pin through. Take the pin out and push it back through

from underneath. Put a blob of glue on one end of a fence post and

push it onto the pin until it is a tight fit to the base. You will

have to press against the pin head with something to force it into

the post (using your thumb will hurt!) It doesn't matter if the

posts are not very straight!

# Cover the bases with glue and sand, and when dry paint grey and

drybrush with a lighter grey. Paint the fence posts with Bestial

Brown acrylic paint and when dry drybrush with lighter brown to

bring out the grain. The rougher cut the wood the better.

# Cut the fencing to a length to go around /between your posts and

deep enough to leave a small gap at the bottom of the posts. Tear

the mesh here and there to give a more battered appearence. Spray

black and then streak with silver, rust brown etc to get a more

realistic finish.

# Fix the fence to the posts using the fat headed tacks. If you

can't find any, use ordinary small nails and cut off the excess

length with wire cutters.

# If you have used plastic girder rod instead of balsa then paint

this black and drybrush silver. Fasten the fencing on with twists of

fuse wire.