Trench Sections in 1:32 scale

[Andy Belsey]

Not much, but I've made some progress on my mining section. If you look back to page 2 of this thread (end of Aug 18) you'll see I am making an amonal charge, stored in Flimsies (petrol cans). Rather than making all of them, I'm making just those that show. And I'm only cladding the sides and tops that show too.

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The top row will be clad on the edges that show. I use aluminium foil tape to clad them. The handles are made of pie tin and spouts from styrene rod.
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I'll add the top, front row with individual cans.
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(Life is a little more settled thankfully. My brother in law had been in ICU in an induced coma for 2.5 weeks over Christmas until this Tuesday. He had severe pneumonia, but they kept him alive and we prayed lots and lots. I hear today that the nurse has been telling his off for trying to get out of bed!! (He's still in ICU and conected to lots of leads etc.) He's a tough Kiwi!)
Andy

[JR]

That's a grand idea Andy, I got fed up with doing stone sets and then covering them. Very convincing with the uniform size.
John.

[MikeNZ]

Not much, but I've made some progress on my mining section. If you look back to page 2 of this thread (end of Aug 18) you'll see I am making an amonal charge, stored in Flimsies (petrol cans). Rather than making all of them, I'm making just those that show. And I'm only cladding the sides and tops that show too.

(Life is a little more settled thankfully. My brother in law had been in ICU in an induced coma for 2.5 weeks over Christmas until this Tuesday. He had severe pneumonia, but they kept him alive and we prayed lots and lots. I hear today that the nurse has been telling his off for trying to get out of bed!! (He's still in ICU and conected to lots of leads etc.) He's a tough Kiwi!)
Andy

These are looking awesome Andy & excited to see your progress.

Neat to hear about your BIL too sounds like he's on road to recovery.
Tell him "Kia Kaha!"
-Mike

[Guest]

Hi Andy, just caught up with your thread, modelling at it's very best and everything completed to the highest standard:thumb2:. Good to hear your brother in law is on the mend.

DIRK

[Andy Belsey]

THis lunchtime's progress on the Amonal charge Flimsies. I used Aluminium foil tape, which comes with an adhesive side. I put one piece over the block of cans stuck together and burnished it on with my finger nail. I trimmed round the edge and removed the unwanted bits. I then put my finger nail between the joints and finally pierced the corners with a spatula where I've rounded the edges of the cans. This way I've not had to clad then individually and waste time and energy.

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The front row of the top stack was made as individual cans which were clad with the Ali tape which had been cut to size.
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Top front row stuck in place.
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This is how they will sit on the model so you can see why I put little effort into sides which are hardly seen. I still have to add handles and spouts, I have some made but have mass-production methods for that too. (Look on page two of this thread.)
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This is how far I've got with the two halves of the section.
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[MikeNZ]

THis lunchtime's progress on the Amonal charge Flimsies. I used Aluminium foil tape, which comes with an adhesive side. I put one piece over the block of cans stuck together and burnished it on with my finger nail. I trimmed round the edge and removed the unwanted bits. I then put my finger nail between the joints and finally pierced the corners with a spatula where I've rounded the edges of the cans. This way I've not had to clad then individually and waste time and energy.

[ATTACH]326119[/ATTACH]
The front row of the top stack was made as individual cans which were clad with the Ali tape which had been cut to size.
[ATTACH]326120[/ATTACH][ATTACH]326121[/ATTACH]
Top front row stuck in place.
[ATTACH]326122[/ATTACH]
This is how they will sit on the model so you can see why I put little effort into sides which are hardly seen. I still have to add handles and spouts, I have some made but have mass-production methods for that too. (Look on page two of this thread.)
[ATTACH]326123[/ATTACH]
This is how far I've got with the two halves of the section.
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Neat looking setup here Andy with both scenes.
Tunnelling was another area important to ANZACs because of all the miners we supplied to the Western Front. Are you planning to have a full complement of ammonal charges?
Perhaps leaving a few loose, may help give feel for all your work here.
As it's difficult to get sense of depth & detail you've meticulously replicated here.
Top scene looks very claustrophobic- spot on!
-Mike

[Tim Marlow]

Top line work as always, love the clay kicker especially....

[Andy Belsey]

Neat looking setup here Andy with both scenes.
Tunnelling was another area important to ANZACs because of all the miners we supplied to the Western Front. Are you planning to have a full complement of ammonal charges?
Perhaps leaving a few loose, may help give feel for all your work here.
As it's difficult to get sense of depth & detail you've meticulously replicated here.
Top scene looks very claustrophobic- spot on!
-Mike

The whole thing is very claustrophobic, which gives me challenges to squeeze it all in. The amonal charge should really all be round the corner, with sandbags filling the corner space. When the charge went off the bags would then be pushed up against the wall, rather than down the tunnel. I've brought my charge forward to give it scale, but have not put too much effort into the cans as you don't see much of them. I'll have the guys laying sandbags to 'tamp' the tunnel. This makes the explosion go up rather than back down the tunnel.
I'll have one figure in this scene and 3 in the top one.
(BinL has been transferred to HDU from ICU and all the staff are amazed at the speed of his recovery, praise God!)
Andy

[Neil Merryweather]

This is looking excellent, Andy!
Good news too about your Brother in law.
N

[Andy Belsey]

I finally got round to finishing off the Flimsies yesterday.

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You can just about see the handles and spouts going back. I'll paint them differing colours to break them up a bit.

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[MikeNZ]

I finally got round to finishing off the Flimsies yesterday.

You can just about see the handles and spouts going back. I'll paint them differing colours to break them up a bit.

That works mate!
Could you bring them forward to edge of woodwork so you can see more of the wonderful detail & effort you've put into all these.
Would they have had any markings on mate?
-Mike?

[Andy Belsey]

That works mate!
Could you bring them forward to edge of woodwork so you can see more of the wonderful detail & effort you've put into all these.
Would they have had any markings on mate?
-Mike?

I'm planning to put a row of sandbags on the space in front of them. They should be further back and the whole 'corner space' filled with sandbags to force the explosion up rather than up the tunnel. I've been making a sandbag wall to tamp (block) the passage. I'll post photos when I have them. I've not spent much time with the detail, as I expected the view to be limited.
Some of the flimsies had brand names embossed on them but most didn't.
Thanks for looking and commenting Mike.
Andy

[Guest]

All very interesting, I can see why the French trench was considered poorly made, no fire step!

[Andy Belsey]

All very interesting, I can see why the French trench was considered poorly made, no fire step!

Welcome Morlock/Michael,
They did build firesteps, but as a general rule they didn't put much effort into building strong revetment (the wall coverings). This was not the fault of the ordinary 'Poilu' but a decision from on high. The High Command wanted to recapture the land that the Germans had seized in 1914. Their thought was that, if the troops got too 'comfortable', they would loose their offensive spirit to get back the land. I've tried to show 'typical' French preference for gabions and lack of effort. The model ended up deeper than I'd intended, as they were often shallow too. The back wall (parados) is just rough chicken wire and there is no boards on the floor. The sump (drain) is pretty basic too.
Andy

[Jason Crausby]

Hi Andy,
just caught up with this now having been involved in a house renovation myself for the past 2 and a half years... Lots of progress since I last looked in and all of it excellent!
Jason.