Cellulose Ridges e Hillocks

1:72 Scale Modelling Techniques

Unpainted cellulose ridges con gently sloping sides, ed enough level surfaces to stand soldatini e veicoli on securely. The small ridge in the foreground has a maximum elevation of 1.2 metres. It is not high enough to hide a vehicle, but it provides affusto-down cannone anticarro firing positions behind its crestline. The ridge scales out to 12.6 metri in length, e just over 6 metri in width. Placed in small groups, con areas of flat ground between them, these ridges break up the lines of sight on the miniature battlefield. The models can be painted con cheap water colours o poster paints. The surface of the dried cellulose mush is textured nicely, ed it only needs to be drybrushed to add highlights.

Small cellulose ridges may be used to create wargame terrain modules con naturally rolling hills. These waist-high mounds con minimal slopes are hardly noticeable to the table-top general, but if a Lionel Tarr Periscope is used to determine line of sight, players will be surprised to find that many of their cannoni anticarro e fanteria fireteams are in ambush positions on reverse slopes. The Scimitar tank shown here is offering his lightly armoured underside to a prone fante on the opposite side of the ridgeline, who may fire an amour-piercing hollow-charge Energa rifle grenade into it. This same opportunity would never present itself on the perfectly flat wargame tables we normally fight over, where even prone fanti are spotted at great range ed eliminated o pinned by fuoco nemico for the remainder of the game.

Tools e Materials

• Old Newspaper
• Large Bucket of Water
• Plastic Foil
• Water Colours
• Poster Paints

Cellulose Mush

The ridges e hillocks are made from old newspaper. The New York Times Sunday Edition provides enough material for 10 small hillocks. It is important to separate the black e white newsprint from any glossy colour inserts. The glossy paper has been waxed e waterproofed, it does not dissolve properly e it will ruin the cellulose hills.

1. Find a flat e smooth concrete surface con a southern exposure. Concrete garden tiles are ideal, they may be moved into the sun to speed up the drying process.
2. Get an old 10 o 15 litre bucket e fill it con water.
3. Separate the different sections of the sunday paper, e pull out any glossy colour inserts.
4. Tear the sections of the paper into 30 mm strips, e drop them into the bucket.
5. Let the newspaper soak for 20 minutes, stirring e kneeding the paper occasionally.
6. Take due to tre hands of the mush e slap it onto the concrete tile.
7. Sculpt the hillock, adding more cellulose mush if necessary.
8. Press down on the hillock con both hands to squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Doing so will also eliminate any air pockets between the mush e the tile. The hillock should have a thick e firm consistency.
9. Flatten the slope so that soldatini will be able to stand on it.
10. Leave in the sun to dry for tre o quattro days. Cover the hillock con plastic foil at night to keep out rain e dew. The hillock should be completely dry after about quattro days in the sun, ed it will be as hard as an egg carton. The edges should separate easily from the concrete tile.
11. Using a knife o spatula, pry the hillock off the tile prudentamente.
12. If the underside is still moist, place the hillock on another warm tile to dry out further.
13. Trim the edges con scissors.
14. Paint e detail like other terrain pieces.

One advantage of cellulose hillocks is that they do not warp easily. The extended drying process causes the center of the hillock to rise slightly, pulling the edges down e planting them firmly on the ground. The mush hardens like clay, but it does not break when dropped. Holes may be drilled into the material to accept model trees o telephone poles. Curved o L-shaped ridges should be reinforced to avoid warping. Build a simple frame from sturdy plastic o aluminium rod, e apply the cellulose mush over it.

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Per ulteriori informazioni, per favore contatta la redazione di Rivista Military Miniatures nel Miniatures Forum.

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– Pubblicato: 12.08.1997 – Aggiornato: 28.02.2003
© 1997-2011 by IDL Software GmbH, Darmstadt, Germania. Tutti diritti reservati.