Friday, August 31, 2012

Czech Hedgehog Tank Traps

Czech Hedgehog Tank Traps

So called because of their spiky appearance and the fact that they were first used as part of the Czechoslovak border fortifications (built on the eve of World War II), Czech hedgehogs make for a relatively easy modelling project that your mates who like to field tanks will hate you for.
In the image to the right a Tallarn 29th Regiment Command squad shelters behind some examples made by Dave Capon using plastic angle. Dave tells us:
Lengths of plastic angle should be available locally at hobby stores, especially those that deal in model railways and the like. Choose a length that scales well with your models. In my case this was 6mm wide and about 2mm thick, and then cut it to lengths; again appropriate to scale. Mine were 50mm in length, but adjust to get the most out of your length of angle. The best way to cut plastic angle is to score a line and snap it. Score the line on the outside edges of the angle, and then snap it at this point by holding it either side of the scored line and bend it towards the 'point'.
Making the traps in batches saves time. In first experimental batch I made 4 traps but in the next run I did 8 and took about the same amount of time; because I knew what I was doing 2nd time around.
Each Tank Trap requires 3 pieces of angle. Mark the centre of each piece and glue two together with these centre marks touching, to form a slightly off centre cross. Leave this for about a minute. If you're making about 8 of these, by the time you've glued the 8th you can go back to the 1st. Then glue the third piece inside the cross (the larger gap).

To achieve a rusted look I began by painting the whole trap matt black. Once this is dry I drybrushed with Citadel Boltgun Metal. Finally, I washed the whole trap over with a generous coat of very watered down Model Master Rust colour.
The finished item can be left loose and arranged onto your battlefield (as Dave does), or you could add them to a base.

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