Acting, as usual, without a real plan, i started gluing matchsticks together in 6" lengths. When they got to three rails high it felt about right. Needless to say, I didn't actually check this until I was done.
One of the new figures was this officer of the Washington Artillery who had had his base removed.
Turns out it was right for a 1/72nd figure without a base or whose base was sunk in a diorama but with a base glued to a larger group base, the fences look a little short. One option would be to base the fence pieces but then its harder to put the sections together and the troops can't get close. One section had been made with all short sticks and I had enough left over to raise this to 4 rails which looks too many but the height is right for the bases. I'm out of the longer type of match stick but I think I can get away with just jacking up the other pieces so that the bottom rail is off the ground.
What a difference 2 bases make. The Union officer behind the fence is mounted on a wooden base.
So that's two feet of fencing done and four to go, or is that forty? In the end it was easy enough but every bit as tedious as I remember. There is a lot to be said for only playing in 1 scale, not to mention the benefits of fighting in deserts.
I never built a model rail fence in my life that did not look either too tall or too short.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing all these Airfix ACW guys at work. I had so many wonderful games with them in the late 1970's, before giving mine to a friend.
-Steve
Steven, lucky for us there weren't a lot of regs on fence height.
DeleteLots of nostalgia in the Airfix as well but suprising how well the sets hold up.
The fences look OK with 3 or 4 rails - if 3 is correct then I guess stick them on round-ended bases to build them up.
ReplyDeleteThe Roy Rogers clip reminds me that there was great excitement when I was in hospital in Liverpool, having my appendix out when I was seven, because Roy Rogers was going to visit the hospital, with Trigger (Trigger, reputedly, had his own room in the Adelphi Hotel). In fact Trigger was not allowed in the hospital (which makes sense), and Roy visited in his civilian clothes - so this rather uninteresting middle-aged man in a suit walked past and said "hi".
This was an early, useful lesson that most things in life are not as great as you hoped...
3 to 5 seems common but of course if I scaled up the match sticks they would be huge logs instead of the split rails and saplings one usually sees. Luckily they should be anything but uniform.
DeleteRoy Rogers out of costume? He must have been working under cover.
I think the rails look great-it is on my "to do" list. need to start playing catch up with my own collection now! Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt, it feels good to be started on some terrain to go with the figures.
DeleteI think either way looks fine. Some of them might've have rails knocked down or taken for firewood anyway, eh?
ReplyDeleteNot to mention hasty fieldworks and rifle pits. More things to build!
DeleteConstant activity Ross - you put the rest of us to shame!
ReplyDeleteNever mind the modelling - this is possibly your finest post title yet!
ReplyDelete