Sunday 24 July 2016

Operation Hedgerow

Stile from Warbases
There have been a good number of terrain projects on my 'to do' list for a while now, but one that kept getting pushed back was the ubiquitous hedgerow.  I can't explain why, probably because I could envisage what I wanted, but just couldn't justify purchasing them when scouring pads seemed to work just as effectively for everyone else.
The problem, a little like the coir mat for the 'Fields of Gold', is that whilst effective as a hedge substitute, I was't keen on the look of the humble scourer and wanted something a little different.  Who knows how exactly one's Google Fu is channelled, but some days it just turns up, smiles sweetly and says, "these are the hedges you have been looking for".  This, then, is my search for suitable shrubbery! 
'Jim's Wargames Workbench' had been running a series of terrain building posts, one of which showcased some splendid MDF templates, a quick exchange of ideas led me to 'East Riding Miniatures' where a pack of couple of packs of their medium field boundaries templates are ordered and with outstanding customer service arrive in good order.*
Meanwhile, I had also seen a series of exceptional posts by Pat of 'Wargaming with Silver Whistle' fame where he had used all manner of foliage, tufts and armatures to create some of the most stunning wargaming terrain you could wish for - certainly something to aspire to.   Pat also listed the various products used and so a I followed his lead and made an order to the '4D Model Shop'.**

*Two variants and reversible, giving four variants possible. Dimensions between 220mm and 50mm (approximate).

**Not a company that I had used before, but once again great service and consequently somewhere I will be returning to.

There has also been a great deal of interest of late in cheap model trees from China, coincidentally I had also made an order, purely out of interest really, and had been surprised at how quickly they had arrived, in my case approximately ten days, and how how versatile they were.  Versatile enough to be promptly banished to the 'projects when I have more time' pile and instantly forgotten about.  It wasn't until I stumbled across another inspirational post, this time by Simon Quentin of 'Brummie's Wargaming Blog' that I decided to dig them out and dust them off.
Simon had used some of his cheap plastic trees and incorporated them into Post-Apocalyptic scatter terrain, with one particularly effective idea being a tree growing through an abandoned car.  This was the final piece of inspiration that I needed to begin 'Operation Hedgerow' and the requisite parts were duly assembled.  
Just before commencement, I had one final trawl around the info-web for visual stimulus and it was here that I discovered that there is rarely an original idea left to us hobbyists.  As luck would have it I arrived at the 'Random Platypus Forum' and lo and behold there was the best 'Hedgerow making tutorial' you could ever wish for.  A gentlemen of considerable skill, Levied Troop, had documented his technique for creating just the sort of vegetative border that I was after and interestingly enough it turned out that it was actually him that had designed the original MDF templates that I had picked up at the beginning of this journey!  
So I present my humble efforts made by following the tutorial with very little deviation from the original script.  It really was very straightforward, but needed the benefit of a couple of days of undisturbed hobby time and some good weather to dry out the plaster/PVA mix in good time.  Imitation, certainly in this case, is the sincerest form of flattery and all that remains is for me to thank the aforementioned and esteemed gentlemen whose creativity has all contributed in bring this project to fruition. 


66 comments:

  1. Good stuff Michael, and very well put together. Nice to see scenery being given such love at present by a number of bloggers - must be the hot weather!!

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    1. Thank you Simon, the weather certainly played its part for me, as I was bale to leave things outside to dry.

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  2. Very nice Michael - looks lovely around your new wheat field too

    I'm quite taken by that stone fence you have in the 7th pic from the top.
    You don't recall where you got that by any chance do you?

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    1. Thank you Paul, as for the stone walls the top section and corner piece are from Warlord Games, they do a damaged version as well:
      http://28mmvictorianwarfare.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/dry-stone-walls.html

      The slimmer section heading down to the bottom left corner is from Tiny Worlds Wargaming:
      http://28mmvictorianwarfare.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/crumbling-walls.html

      Happy hunting. ;)

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  3. Excellent work Michael, they look very nice and have a great hedgerow look.

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  4. Great stuff indeed Michael! I will have to look into this further.

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    1. The tutorial was such a revelation, just follow the stages and you can't go wrong.

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  5. Lovely useful pieces!

    Frank
    http://adventuresinlead.blogspot.com.au/

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  6. Simple, light, portable, terrain as I like it! Very inspirational...

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    1. Thank you, just wish I could claim more of the credit for it. ;)

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  7. Nice work M'Lord! :)

    4D Modelshop are a great company. I've been using them for years for terrain supplies. Their shop is well worth a visit if you're in London.

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    1. Thank you Tamsin and will certainly be having a closer look at some more of 4D's stock, can't fault their service.

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  8. It really does look the part your terrain!

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  9. That is all coming on a storm!

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    1. Have to confess that I'm rather pleased with it myself.

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  10. Really nice work and an entertaining read, very effective hedges.

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  11. Very nice and realistic looking hedges. Finished table will be most certainly a work of art with all of these nice scenery and terrain pieces.

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    1. Thank you Nimrod, it os certainly coming along now.

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    1. Thank you Stefan, really pleased to finally have some hedgerows on the table.

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  13. You can never have too much terrain....hedges look great. Having done some revamps trees with the horsehair rubber stuff I too want to make some more hedges.

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    1. Thank you Matt, I was pleased with how versatile the rubberised horsehair was.

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  14. They look great! I have some hedges made with scourers and clump foliage that work well enough for neat hedges, but I'm keen on making more unkempt looking hedges for my Ancient Britons. I was thinking about using cut down scourers with wire wool covered in appropriate coloured flocking. We'll see how it goes!

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    1. Thank you Lee, I have seen some some really interesting uses of wire wool as brambles which I'm keen to try.

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  15. Good hedgerows Michael, thought I just saw a badger?

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    1. Now funny you should mention Badgers as I have one lurking around somewhere!

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  16. Those are very nice hedges, just right for hiding troops behind.

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  17. Stunning work on those hedges Michael! I got to remember to checkbook here for inspiration once I can get bothered to do some.

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    1. Thank you Nick, pleased to have finally have completed them.

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  18. Wonderful job, very realistic!

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  19. Fantastic work! Thank You for this usefull terrain Photos sir!

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    1. You are entirely welcome Michał and thank you for the kind comments.

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  20. Those look awesome Michael! I've been pondering the production of Hedgerows myself. I've got some of the old GW ones & I've seen other peoples produced ones, but just haven't taken the apple from the tree. I may follow your leads on these tutorials & things & make a point of striking this off of my list! Cheers!

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    1. Thank you Terry, like you this was something that I had meant ti do far a while, it was just a matter of finding the right inspiration.

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  21. Great modeling! The last picture shot from bird's eye view down through gnarled tree branches would make Cecil B. DeMille smile.

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    1. Thank you Jay, I'm afraid a couldn't resist a couple of atmospheric shots to set the scene.

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  22. Superb hedgerows and terrain!

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  23. Very nice work, Michael. I've not constructed hedgerows from scourers, but have used then to make inexpensive trees - which may feature on a future post.

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    1. Thank you Jez, would certainly love to see how you did your trees as you can never have enough forestation.

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  24. You're building up quite the collection of quality terrain mate. Looking forward to seeing it in use.

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    1. Thank you Millsy hopefully some will get a run out next weekend, if all goes to plan.

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  25. Those hedges turned out great! The trees growing out of them are my favorite part.

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    1. Thank you Brian, seeing that on someone else's blog is what finally gave me the inspiration to try it for myself.

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  26. That's a lot of good work Michael, you really turn all your work into art

    Ian

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  27. Your terrain is growing wonderfully Michael and it all ties in together nicely and compliments each other.
    Also thanks for the mention.

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    1. Thank you Pat and you are more than welcome, your work has been such an inspiration to so many of us.

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  28. Gorgeous work Michael, I've looked at the scourers for 10mm hedging but never up to 28. Might have to think again.

    I'm looking a scenics for the next couple of weeks as well (as you say must be the weather), but alas not hedges.

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Thank you Roger and the weather was definitely a contributing factor in getting these done, I was able to put them outside to dry so as not to incur the wrath of the 'Saintly Mrs. Awdry'.

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  29. I like the terrain much more than I like the chap in the green vest in photo 8 picking his nose - what an odd mini! Looks fabulous. Thank you for the helpful links.

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    1. He is a terrible oath that one, not what was meant by 'stand guard!'

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  30. These are excellent. You show great imagination and of course inspiration both from your own efforts and those of others bringing these scenic bits all together with your own twist.

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    1. Thank you so much Joe, it was great to finally get these done as they have been on my mind for so long now.

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  31. These look superb I have bookmarked this as I want to play some Fantasy games and this sort of terrain will break up the board nicely.

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