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Hi there

I just wanted to share with you all my latest project, a modular trench system for use in 40k games.

A friend and I have been talking for some time about construction of a trench games table. He made up a couple of wire foam cutters which I started playing around with.

I cut out a template with MDF which is used on the sides of each section to ensure that the pieces go together and cut the different sections for the bases also in MDF. I wanted the trench system to be a total 6' long and decided on 18" depth.
I decided to have 5 sections 1 24"x18", 2 18"x18" and 2 6" x 18" End sections
I had a rough plan drawn out and started sticking down rough lumps of blue foam on the sides of each section.
I trimmed up the sides using the pre-cut template.

Basic 18' x 18" section (with just random pieces of blue foam stuck down)




24"x18" section with wooden planking in place and craters. Laying the planking is very tedious, so far I estimate it has taken 25-30hrs


Same section with GW Bunker


Basic 18' x 18" section with Gravel PVA'd onto the dirt areas. The best way I found to do this was to brush on a generous layer of PVA glue. Pile on the Gravel/Crushed rock and then soak the whole model with watered down (1:1) PVA glue in a spray bottle. I let this dry over night and Bob's your uncle.


This is one of the 6" x 18" end sections that is almost finished. Sand bags are made out of Air Dry clay and again take ages to complete. I then sprayed with a Black under coat.




And here are a couple of shots of the total WIP. There is a lot of stuff still to do but I will update when I can




To do
Finish off laying planks
Lay Gravel/Crushed rock
Make sand bags
Make barbed wire
stick on battlefield debris
Undercoat
Paint

I reckon this is great Bigdobbo, It'll look awesome.... but you have soooo much painting to do! Great tip for using watered down PVA. Also I wondered whether you had used DAS for the sandbags?

Check out this fellas idea for easy barbed wire, might shorten your epic mission:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/The_simplest_barbed_wire_ever.

Cheers, Imperator

Well, That's, simply put, fething awesome.

Imperator Ultraexercitus wrote:I reckon this is great Bigdobbo, It'll look awesome.... but you have soooo much painting to do! Great tip for using watered down PVA. Also I wondered whether you had used DAS for the sandbags?

Check out this fellas idea for easy barbed wire, might shorten your epic mission:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/The_simplest_barbed_wire_ever.

Cheers, Imperator

Yep I'm using DAS (or some similar brand...I stole it from my wifes craft box). I wish I knew how to make them faster but at the moment it is one bag at a time.....any suggestions?

I have seen that tutorial before for the sandbags. I will have to try it, although I have 10 meters of barbed wire I picked up on ebay last year that looks pretty good

Wow - was not sure looking at the first few pictures, but the whole layout looks pretty amazing. Excellent work.

I made a tool for making sandbags.

It is a roller device. Two discs (40mm across) that are held approx 10mm apart by 6 spacers that each protrude 1-2mm past the edge of the discs.

You roll out a 'sheet' of the DAS (or similar) to the thickness you want. You place the roller at one end and roll it to the other. You will have a strip of 'sandbags' with divots every 2cm or so. Easy to cut apart and separate.

I picked up the technique from an old GM magazine (when Wayne still had big girl hair) who used a multiple version of it to texture a "tavern" wall for fantasy.

chromedog wrote:I made a tool for making sandbags.

It is a roller device. Two discs (40mm across) that are held approx 10mm apart by 6 spacers that each protrude 1-2mm past the edge of the discs.

You roll out a 'sheet' of the DAS (or similar) to the thickness you want. You place the roller at one end and roll it to the other. You will have a strip of 'sandbags' with divots every 2cm or so. Easy to cut apart and separate.

I picked up the technique from an old GM magazine (when Wayne still had big girl hair) who used a multiple version of it to texture a "tavern" wall for fantasy.

Thanks for this tip, it is a great idea. What materials did you use for the tool? do you have a picture you could post?

oh yeah please show us your tool... ***gggg***


no honestly i wanted to do sandbags for so long and my efforts always failed...

Here are some more WIP pictures of the trench system.

I have finished gluing on all the wooden panels and the gravel. I have also been making sand bags but there is still 2/3 to do.






The posts for the barbed wire have also been plugged in

I like it, very cool.

This is awesome bro.

sweet

This is looking very nice indeed! I love trench boards Have you thought of adding any land mines to the board?

looks great!!!!


the trench boards are always fun to play on.

This all looks pretty well made. Now you just need to make some DKoK to be running up and out of the trenches.

Looking amazing!

great stuff , like this idea a lot better than the forgeworld ones, will you be adding the lived in factor and plenty of mud ala ww1?

Commander Cain wrote: Have you thought of adding any land mines to the board?

Yep! I plan on adding a lot of detail including mines, ladders and battlefield detritus but I also want to ensure that the piece can be played on.

With playability in mind I have incorporated a couple of things into the design.
-There are subtle tiers in the embankments which make it easier to place models on the terrain.
-features such as the barbed wire are positioned on the rising/transition between the tiers.
-Most of terrain piece is relatively flat enough to position models on it.
-the gravel helps models grip to the board

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions everyone

I like how it's looking, I've considered such system. I'll be interested to see how it finishes.

looking at your massive board, which i have to add looks absolutley fantastic...

i have one question:
when you play on that board, it is a really wide frontline, how will you do that, is it designed for apocalypse or will you something to not only get close combat situations? well, where is the room for your oponent to start?

did you made a plan/sketches for this big project before, might you be so kind as to show us these when they exist.
i would certainly understand if you don´t want to spoil your big moment when it is done so do as you want^^

chhers vik

I really like how this goes from zero - to the trench height. That was the failing of my trench system, in that it always had to be used with the other 2" thick modular boards. Yours can be laid down on any table, even used as the deployment line in an Apoc game! If I ever do another trench, this is the way to go for sure.

Viktor von Domm wrote:looking at your massive board, which i have to add looks absolutley fantastic...

i have one question:
when you play on that board, it is a really wide frontline, how will you do that, is it designed for apocalypse or will you something to not only get close combat situations? well, where is the room for your oponent to start?

did you made a plan/sketches for this big project before, might you be so kind as to show us these when they exist.
i would certainly understand if you don´t want to spoil your big moment when it is done so do as you want^^

chhers vik

Thanks for your interest in this project Vik. The frontline is 6' and it designed to be used on a 4'x6' board. Most of the trench system is within 12" of the back edge so it is ideal for use in pitched battle deployments. The defensive nature of the terrain piece also makes it useful in Planetstrike games (which my gaming group still play a little of) and of course, as you suggested, it will be great for apocalypse. Really it doesn't matter what type of 40k game we are playing having a varied selection of terrain adds to the fun.

As far as sketches and plans are concerned I do have a few bits and pieces lying around so I will see what I can do to let you see them. Hopefully I will get some more work done on the project over the next few days and be able to update with pictures soon

i've modelled a trench board last year, turned out okay, but not nearly as much as you have.mine takes up about 12' x 12', and I'm makin another row, better made, reaching 4' across in a line. but here's a good place to go if you want a trench board fast, that you can move around or take off the board completely. It wouldn't let me paste pics, but here's the URL:
For the cheap set:
http://www.wargamesworkshop.com/ProductList.aspx?CatID=1&DivID=64&GrpID=216
for the pre-painted, more detailed and varied but more pricey set:
http://www.wargamesworkshop.com/ProductList.aspx?CatID=1&DivID=54&GrpID=173
For all you guys who want a trench board, but can't be a***d

That "Trench Set-BUDGETZ239" is really sweet. Quick and too the point. Might pick up two of them as a starting point...

Are vehicles going to be able to operate on it at all? Or would it just be an infantry board?

Imperial Monkey wrote:Are vehicles going to be able to operate on it at all? Or would it just be an infantry board?

I cant imagine why vehicles couldn't use the board, although we may make certain bits difficult/dangerous terrain. Tanks were originally designed to breech trench works so I think the same would apply here.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here are some updated photos. I have finished the Sandbags and barbed wire and started adding battlefield detritus and little bits of detail.

That should look great when youve finished it!

Looks a bit mad at the moment just because not everythings painted, but that technique with the polystyrene and the wooden slats has worked really well.

Nice work! How about putting some tank traps laying around the board? (not that there is much free space left )

here are a few more

Bigdobbo wrote:

Imperial Monkey wrote:Are vehicles going to be able to operate on it at all? Or would it just be an infantry board?

I cant imagine why vehicles couldn't use the board, although we may make certain bits difficult/dangerous terrain. Tanks were originally designed to breech trench works so I think the same would apply here.

True, however those tanks were the same scale as the soldiers that fought around them, 40k ones are not. It looks really neat though, I love it!