Making a WWI Trench System

Well, I'm sure I want to document how SLOW I have been at finishing this terrain. I wrote, BARRAGE, which is the Piquet supplement for Early 20th Centurey warfare. I wanted soom realistic terrain to fight my battles on. I embarassed to say that I started making these trenches in 2003!!!

I really love how they have turned out and hope to use them again in the near future.

I decided to make 4 x (2' x 4') boards to make a 4' x 8' trench system. This would include the first line trench of the attackers, no mans land, then the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line trenches of the defender's trench systems.



Materials

Two inch thick 4x8 Pink Board (Insulation) - Cut into 4x2 sections
Brown Paint (mud)
Black Paint (sides and bottom of boards)
Clay (Make lips of crators)
White glue & plain white paper (Seal tops of boards)
Polyurethane (bottom and sides)
Polycrylic (top)
Spray sealer for tops and sides (American Accents Clear Top coat - Matte Finish - by Rust-oleum)
V-Grove 2050\2060 by Evergreen Scale Models (Duck Board)
FIMO Clay to make sand bags to line the trenches. (eight small packs)

I cut pieces of paper (8 x 11) into four pieces. I then dipped them into white glue and covered the boards with them. You get the idea on this shot.

Next I painted the boards in brown and then glazed it with the polyurethan.

Here are a couple of photos of the the unfinished trenches. I hope to have sandbags on the trench lips when the boards are complete.

I have started working on the bunkers\dugouts.

Eric