1:72 Fascines

Metallic Details 1:72 Fascines - fascines for a diorama

This item is a scenic accessory for building a diorama in 1:72 scale, not a kit. A fascine is a bundle of rods or brushwood tied into a cylinder; for centuries engineers used them to fill ditches, to firm up waterlogged roads and to shore up the walls of trenches. In modeling it is a rewarding feature - it brings an organic texture into a scene which breaks up the flat areas of terrain, and at the same time it is easy to use as a load on a vehicle, a heap by a trench or a filling for a muddy rut.

What it is suited to

Fascines can be used in several ways. Most often they lie loose by a road, by a field structure or at the mouth of a trench, where they look like a stock of material. The second option is a working placing: a fascine partly sunk into a muddy rut or thrown across a ditch explains at once what is going on in a scene. The third option is a load - a bundle tied with twine on the bed or on a fender of a vehicle is a small thing that gives a scene a story. In every case this is an accessory for a base model, not a product to be displayed on its own.

Tips for painting and placing in the scene

First wash the part in lukewarm soapy water and apply a primer. Never paint wood in a small scale in a single shade - start with a medium brown base, then flood the whole part with a dark wash, which runs between the individual rods and creates a shadow, and finally go over it with a dry brush in a lighter ocher or grayish tone so that the edges stand out. A gray cast matches dried wood, a warmer brown freshly cut. Dust the lower part of the fascine with pigment in the shade of the surrounding soil - it is precisely the transition between an accessory and its base that decides whether a feature sits in a scene. It is glued with super glue or with PVA glue into terrain compound that is still damp.

Who the accessory is for

• Builders of dioramas and vignettes in 1:72 scale
• Modelers of military vehicles who want to give a scene context
• Those looking for a load or a small terrain feature for a vehicle
• Newcomers to dioramas - painting a fascine is a rewarding exercise in washes and dry-brushing

The accessory is supplied unpainted. A base, paints, glue and models of vehicles are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.