Completed Trench Sections

[MacCoy]

Outstanding work.

 

[PropBlast]

Am I being thick or have I missed the link for the website?

 

[PropBlast]

Sorry I was being thick and didn't look through the previous posts properly. Great tutorials by the way Andy but one thing I would like to see is how you construct a basic trench and the materials you use in a sbs.

 

[Mirofsoft]

Superb

 

[Ettore]

Beautiful project!

 

[Andrew Belsey]

Sorry I was being thick and didn't look through the previous posts properly. Great tutorials by the way Andy but one thing I would like to see is how you construct a basic trench and the materials you use in a sbs.

I'll search out my photos tomorrow. (I had blogged it all on MilMod Forum and magazine!) I make the basic shapes from acrylic (Perspex). If you look at the first page of this thread you'll see my mining sections started in grey sheets of acrylic. I cut rectangles on a circular saw and the cut contours with a bandsaw. I'll explain more tomorrow with some photos.

Thanks guys for your support and encouragement.
Andy

 

[PropBlast]

Thank you Andy. I think when it comes to doing things like this my biggest problems arise when it comes to getting the correct dimensions to fit in scale with the figure (for example how high and wide the trench should be).

 

[Andrew Belsey]

There's plenty to find on the internet these days. I just found this. You just need to convert the dimentions in feet to the scale you need.
Andy

 

[PropBlast]

I think I have that in a book somewhere.

 

[Andrew Belsey]

As promised....
Here are my basic bases. Sheets of acrylic. I sketch the contours on the backing plastic and cut out on a bandsaw. Once they are glued together, I paste on car body filler to get the basic shape. Any wood work is kept loose until I've sprayed a base colour. (The bits of plastic where there to keep the areas where I would later put in balsa. I cover the plastic with selotape which the filler doesn't stick to.

The shellhole was built up with polyurethane foam (like insulation foam). After the basic skin of car filler is there, I put thinner layers of crumbling curing filler in small patches. (See my website for a better description.... https://andybelseymodels.wixsite.com/mysite/ceating-soil ). (The more pink catalyst you add, it will give you a pinker filler.)I spray coat the groundwork. Once the woodwork is glued in place I blend it in with crumbling Polyfilla.

Andy

 

[PropBlast]

Thank you Andy. Thats a big help.

 

[samson]

Wow great stuff

 

[Merryweather]

Hi Andy
I've been lurking rather than contributing for a long time but how wonderful to see you back at the coalface, so-to-speak (pun intended!).
What a superb idea! I saw stuff about this I think in 'Parade's End' with Benedict Cumberbatch and its a deserving subject for your awesome talents. And if Kiwi Mike gets on board as well - another WOW!
Can't wait to see it -just about to check out your website
And I wish you best of luck with all the other stuff in your life

 

[PropBlast]

Sorry for all the questions Andy but in the French trench section what material do you use to represent wire mesh (chicken mesh)?

 

[Andrew Belsey]

I happy with questions! I used some diamond mesh for chicken wire, that I had in stock, for that section. I used a better version on my typical British section, which is hexagonal and made by Eduard. They are brass etchings.

Samson and Neil. Good to have you on board!

 

[Henry Schmidt]

Wow, truly art! Your site is bookmarked and I will learn much from it. Good luck with your struggle and I am praying for you. My father was a German soldier in the 9th Army, Army Group Rupprecht. He saw action in Arras, Flanders and Cambrai as a teen ager. My vignettes tend to replicate his stories. You do amazing work.

 

[Andrew Belsey]

Thanks Henry. You may have read that I became interested in the Great War because of investigating how my family were involved. Please share some of your models too.
Andy

 

[Andrew Belsey]

This is my section showing an improved shelhole. The guy has just spotted a huge rat in is shaving mirror!
I posted these photos and a few more in another thread (Here- https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/mikes-ww1-kiwi-for-andys-trench.116988/page-4 )
This was a joint project that I made and Mike Butler painted. We've named him Percy, as he looks like Mike's Great Uncle Percy Munn.
The shaving kit, clothes, lemon-squeezer hat and webbing were all made by me. Mike painted it all as only he can!

We'll work together in the future, using the best of each other's talents. It's wonderful having Mike treat my work with his magic!

If you visit my website, you'll find that I've removed the tutorials at the moment. That's because I'm writing a book about the trench models. It will include much more than the tutorials because I've been planning it for years and finally found a publisher.
Meanwhile, if you want to know something that the tutorials showed I'm happy to answer questions. Just email me at my website email [email protected] or PM me here.
Andy

 

[Nap]

Andy

Incredible work by both you and Mike , these sections tell so much of the conditions

The book sounds like something to watch out for

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Kevtk135]

Amazing work! WOW!