Ww1 horror of the trenches

[Deleted member 3568]

Hi all well some of you may know my son bought me some first ww model kits for my birthday then casually dropped into the conversation he would like them in a dio for his school (he's head of history) first problem, I'm ashamed to say I know next to nothing about ww1, second problem the models he bought are from different periods of said war so can't be used together, second problem solved I will do 3 or 4 vignettes showing the start to end of war.


After a bit of research I've made a start on the trench (this is for school 12 to 14 yr olds ) I want to depict how horrific it was but need advice on how far to go I intend to have a shell exploding in the trench so would it be OK to show limbs blown off.


Anyway here's my start, I realise I have to do the step up ledge and started to excavate the dugouts I realise I need to add the corrugated tin above the dugouts, also I need to find a way of making loads of 1/72 scale sandbags.

 

[Dustbin]

Ken the chap on the following site used DAS pronto for making his sandbags http://www.diorama1914.com/Pagina definitiva/articulos/lafuriacontralamaquina.htm 


HTH   Paul

 

[Pikeman]

Hi Ken


nice project you got roped into there,I feel that showing the limbs blown off is fine as this just predicts how things were in the war and shouldn't be hidden .


but that's just my opinion.


 nice start already will be following 

 

[dubster72]

Corrugated cardboard, painted up makes good corrugated tin, although it might be difficult finding some that looks right in Braille scale. Perhaps those dividers found in boxes of chocolates might suffice? I'm thinking of After Eights... Mmm After Eights minty yumminess


The sandbags are pretty easy. Using DAS clay or Miliput, roll out a length & chop into small pieces. Pinch each end & add some cloth texture by gently pressing them with a scrap of old net curtain or anything with a square pattern.

 

[rickoshea52]

If you want wriggly tin sheets try the Will's range found in any decent model railway shop. The clear sheet is best as it is quite thin, when painted it looks very good. Alternatively, use Modelscene's wriggly tin, which is quite thick, and use these as a press to form the sheets from tin foil food containers from Chinese take aways. The beauty of this method is that by using a pin to prick at the ends of the sheet then painting them you can get that effect of rusted sheet or bullet holes.This would suit 1/72 scale.

 

[Gern]

I think it was Graham (Fenlander) or Ron (Spanner570) who suggested making a sort of mould for corrugated tin by gluing down a load of cocktail sticks onto a board, then using foil laid on top and scored with another cocktail stick to create the grooves. There should be some pictures or maybe a video showing it somewhere on here .....

 

[spanner570]

Dave, 'twas indeed Graham, but it only works on 1/35 or bigger, it's too wide and looks awful in 1/72.


For 1/72 I use the back of my modelling knife, and using a steel rule, gently scribe parallel lines on the foil @ a scale 3" - very small I know.


I did it this way on my 1/72 'Jake's' dio. building and any others requiring 1.72 tin roofs and walls.

 

[Ian M]

I wonder if it would work by dragging a comb over the foil... On a soft surface.
Might be a quick way to get loads of paralle lines.....

 

[Deleted member 3568]

Thanks for all the info, greatly Appreciated. 

 

[spanner570]

I wonder if it would work by dragging a comb over the foil... On a soft surface.
Might be a quick way to get loads of paralle lines.....

Unfortunately, there is no quick way that I can think of to form your own 1/72 corrugated tin sheeting. I wish there was......


Because the real sheeting profile is so small (about 3" actual) - it has to be scribed, bend by bend using a narrow, blunted something. Hence my use of the back of a scalpel blade. Even this can tear into the foil if not used with the utmost of soft touches....OOh Matron!   

 

[Deleted member 3568]

Hi all well i spoke to Mike and he said do what you like, he's shown them pics of the trenches that he thinks are far worse than anything I could portray so here is the next installment.

I pinched the idea of the explosion from Ian W


Obviously his was far better but in my defence I've only just started, there's no colour or smoke I've not attached bits of ladder or other debris (or body parts) 


I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far.

 

[Pikeman]

Hi all well i spoke to Mike and he said do what you like, he's shown them pics of the trenches that he thinks are far worse than anything I could portray so here is the next installment.














I pinched the idea of the explosion from Ian W


Obviously his was far better but in my defence I've only just started, there's no colour or smoke I've not attached bits of ladder or other debris (or body parts) 


I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far.

How is the explosion done looks great so far 

 

[Deleted member 3568]

I pinched it, I did alter his a bit as I thought it a bit too even, he used a bottle and made it in 2 halves then glued them together i used a table salt packet which I sprayed with wd40 (don't tell swmbo, it's in the bin now) I then wrapped clingfilm round the top to make a very rough cone shape, then starting from the bottom with a hot glue gun I ran ribbons of glue from  the Base of the explosion upwards over the cling film varying the hight till I was all the way round and joined where I started, waited for it to cool then pulled the cling film out and pulled it off the salt packet (thanks to the wd40) hope that makes sense. 

 

[0ne48thtel]

Great idea for an educational tool Ken Ishall be watching this.

 

[Deleted member 4203]

This is looking fantastic so far Ken, I'm really looking forward to seeing how this comes along. I'd just go for it and give as much of an accurate portrayal as you can 

 

[papa 695]

Nice start Ken 

 

[Deleted member 3568]

H,i all need to cool it down a bit, I think the explosion is still too hot and still have to add debris and stuff but pleased with progress so far. I'm actually quite enjoying this even though it was sort of forced on me and is not my normal genre, maybe I should do more stuff like this.

 

 

[Polux]

Simply brillant......

 

[Pikeman]

Looks amazing I really like this effect great job 

 

[Deleted member 3568]

Hi all here is the next bit, I remodeled it a little bit, I stuck the smashed up ladder and other bits of debris, then I kept looking at it and thinking what is wrong with it? Then it dawned on me they were broken but unmarked, no scorching or burning, so I've fixed that but it still seems wrong, any suggestions.