Trench Sections in Progress.

[Andy Belsey]

I had some time over Christmas to work on my section models. My machine gun bunker has two figures made by Kaiser's Army. I've changed the head of the standing NCO for one made by Jon Smith Modellbau which has a helmet. He's now carrying a gasmask and gun. The seated gunner has some binoculars which still need a strap. The drum magazine on his lap has a string of bullets being wound into it. He'll have a helmet nearby. I also detailed up 3 magazine boxes but forgot to take photos.






I'm beginning the paintwork on my mining sections. I'm tying to create the Flander's blue clay but not make it too blue. The clay-kicking tunnel has fresh wood timbers.


The ammonal charge part has older timbers (a little darker as they're older.) The cans have just got the basic of washes on them so far. Everything is still loose.


Progress at last! No bumps, floods or illness!! HAPPY New Year to you all!
Andy

 

[Andy Belsey]

Here are the two figures out of their bunker.

The bunkers would be camouflaged, so I wove a hurdle from Heather twigs.

I've also added a shell shattered tree. A twig with its end attacked with end cutters.

I'm now adding grass made from carpet underlay. I'll add a bit more to the roof of the bunker but not cover it completely.
i will be adding some green wash to it when I've finished laying the tufts.
Sadly, this bit of the bunker can't be seen once it's boxed.

I'm always trying to convince people that grass and weeds didn't stop growing during the Great War.

Andy

 

[Andy Belsey]

My grass has gone green and I've added some bits of wood and broken hurdle as camouflage.


Meanwhile I've changed my gas curtain in my dugout to one described in the engineer's field manuals. (The previous one was copied from another model in IWM.) I'm happier with the new one as it's been bugging me for ages.


I have no idea whether there is anyone viewing this? I'm not fishing for complements, just company. It gets a bit frustrating if there's no reaction whatsoever.
Andy

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Sorry Andy, I missed this. I think it got buried pretty quickly at the weekend.

I like the German figures a lot. I've used Jon Smith accessories a couple of times and they are excellent, though I find the heads very hard to paint - probably just me. The shattered tree is excellent.

 

[Tim Marlow]

As always Andy, top drawer skills and execution on display here. Fantastic work!

 

[outrunner]

Looking good, wish I had your skills.

Andy.

 

[stillp]

I'm watching but lost for words!
Pete

 

[Deleted member 7181]

I'm also watching with interest and admiration Andy. Trouble is, with so many active topics I have trouble keeping up on the reply front.

 

[Steve Jones]

Just popped in to see how you are doing. It's been a very enjoyable catch up. When I saw 1917 the other day all I could think of was your trench models. Like their sets your attention to detail is second to none. Keep up the great work my friend

 

[Andy Belsey]

Thanks for speaking up my friends. Sorry for my insecurity. I was posting and have no idea if anyone has looked at what I've done because of the numbering system. I don't need praise and I can't see that what I do is any different or better than lots of you guys. We are all guilty of looking and not responding to everything.
Andy

 

[scottie3158]

Andy,
I wondered where this had gone, sorry I missed your latest posts. Excellent work all round.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Hi Andy. It's a bit of a pity that the system counts views up to 1K, then does not update until, 2k, 3k etc. As you say, impossible to tell in between. Rest assured, we are watching.

 

[minitnkr]

All seems up to your usual high standards. That MG looks really heavy. I'm assuming the tunnel is under some enemy strongpoint. How deep below is the tunnel? How big (= to LBs of TNT) of an explosion is expected as I'm unfamiliar w/ammonal? PaulE

 

[Andy Belsey]

All seems up to your usual high standards. That MG looks really heavy. I'm assuming the tunnel is under some enemy strongpoint. How deep below is the tunnel? How big (= to LBs of TNT) of an explosion is expected as I'm unfamiliar w/ammonal? PaulE

The MG08/15 was very heavy and only just manageable for one guy to carry. It was the German's answer to the Lewis gun but they would use captured Lewises if they could.
The tunnel models will have labels giving depth etc. eventually. The tunnels could be up to about 30m deep (100ft). Sometimes they would have to dig under layers of unstable sand to the clay below. They could have ammonal charges up to 50 tons. The whole business was scary and terrible. One of the worst parts of siege warfare.
Andy

 

[Andy Belsey]

My daughter is a Podiatrist and uses single use equipment. Some of it has to be discarded because it comes with other equipment. These pliers are one of those things. Never used, but not sterile and have to be thrown away. She threw them my way. They have a sharp face and a flat face. I've glued a piece of half tube to the flat side to fold spines into laser-cut leaves.


The pair of nettle leaves on the end have been bent with my pliers to create the spine. The sheet has also been speckled with a lighter green.

Here's the result.

Flat leaves are unnatural and I think the folds bring a bit more realism.
Andy

 

[Bortig the Viking]

Am following your stuff. All looking good to me.

 

[Peter Gillson]

A neat and clever little tool

peter

 

[scottie3158]

Andy, great idea.

 

[Andy Belsey]

Just back from seeing 1917. I didn’t get my hopes up too much so wasn’t disappointed. I was expecting the historical inaccuracies of our post modern, PC world and tried to ignore them.
You get the confusion of going through trenches. Although some are quite wide or deep they are constructed well. The old battle zone is cleared of all vegetation as usual. Weeds grow very quickly, as any gardener knows.
The continual camera shots are very clever and it’s well worth going to see.

 

[Steven000]

I love all the detail and research you put into these trenches Andy . Haven't yet got time to see the film 1917, but I'm sure you're right about the weeds, I can't keep up with them when spring arrives...

Keep posting
Cheers, Steven