Fences

I decided I needed a quick project.  I had acquired a new tool sometime, the Chopper from NWSL.

This little device device made cutting small pieces of wood a snap.  Along with my Dremel it made this task much easier.
I had tried to make some fences before, but they were not strong enough.  I decided to use 1/4 inch mdf for the bases, and drill holes for the fence posts.  I used small sticks of wood I bought in a pack from Michael's to make the posts, and flat sticks for the fence rails.

This picture is of one of the bases I cut, plus the fence rail sticks.  The bases were cut on a table saw.  Then I used my Dremel to bevel the edges of the bases, and a drill to make holes.

I used the Dremel to also round off the bottoms of the posts so they would fit in the holes.  I could have used  round posts, but I wanted the maximum surface area to glue the rails to the poles.

I used epoxy to glue the rails to the fence posts, and left them to dry.

I then sprayed the assembled fence brown.

After that I drybrushed them with a light gray.

I then glued Woodland Scenics Coarse Ballast to the base, and painted it green.

That was drybrushed with a light tan and some small foliage clumps added.

I made 20 sections, each 4 inches long for 80 inches of fence.

Here it is with a Prussian battalion lined up behind it.

Reasonably successful, and a nice little project.

Catching up

Ok, so maybe I haven't been very good about blogging.  I tend to think I shouldn't write unless I finish something, but then I don't write forever.

Actually, I have finished some things.  I based up another unit of 24 Prussian infantry for the Seven Years War.  I am almost done with 2 Prussian guns, same period.  I am doing a unit of cuirassier, which I started as a unit of 8.  I hate painting horses.  When I started looking at them, they looked too anemic.  I am going to do 4 more and make the cav units 12 figures.  That will look a bit more solid.  I am planning on playing Black Powder, so it doesn't matter what the size is, but it should look right.

I cleaned up and primed 24 Austrian infantry and 2 guns with gunners.  I also bought about $250 more figures from Front Rank.  That should keep me occupied for awhile.

I have been trying to concentrate on Seven Years War, but one does need a silly project to do.  I found some really retro looking little plastic spaceships at the local World Market, and bought some.  I am going to do a game based on Blue Max.  It will be hex based, and involve simultaneous movement.  I am sure it will be most entertaining (and realistic) science fiction game ever designed.  At least until my brother the astrophysicist plays it and lets me know how it goofy it all is.

I am headed to my friend Larry's house the end of May.  He lives in South Dakota, and does a gaming weekend every year that we call Larrycon.  My brother and another old gaming buddy will be there, so I will take the spaceship game and make them play at midnight when they are stupid tired from gaming all day.  Hey, we are all in our 50s and 60s and can't game for 3 days straight like we used to.

For those wives of young gamers who think this is just a fad that they will outgrow, don't count on it.  I am 59 and have been wargaming since I was 17.  I did stop for about 3 years, but got back into it last year.

I will start typing this drivel on a regular basis, and see if my hit count goes.  It could happen!