Building chain link fence

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Razor wire, or as it was called in the military when I served, concertina wire, has been in use since the late 60's. It's mean stuff to get caught in, I can tell you.

[jon grant]

I used etched brass barbed wire for my fences - available from Scale Link in the UK.

 

Once it is twisted between the fingers it looks pretty good, and could easily be wrapped around a pencil for other effects.

 

Here it is on my layout, Sweethome Chicago

 

Jon

 

 

 

[Casey Feedwater]

I have never made barbed wire, so I can't help you there. But I have made a lot of chain link fencing. For the posts and stringers, I use 26 gauge floral wire (available in Walmart's crafts dept.). I cut the needed pieces to length, square the cut ends with a small file, and lay them on a piece of waxed paper taped over a simple template. The pieces are then "glued" with Bondex. For the chain link fabric, I use bridal veil, which I cut to size and lightly paint with Floquil Old Silver. After the paint has dried, I randomly streak the material with Prismacolor markers (mostly burnt sienna and 50% warm gray) Then I glue the material to the posts and stringers with Bondex (just a dab here and there applied with a toothpick is all that's needed). Once the Bondex has dried, I *carefully* remove the fence from the waxed paper and install it on my layout or diorama.

Apparently, there is no way to post photos on this forum, so I'll post a link to a couple of pages on my website where you can see an example or two of how my fences turn out using the method I just described. Also, if you look around the site, you'll see some photos on other pages that have chain link fences in them. I hope this helps or at least gives you some ideas for your own fences.
http://homepage.mac.com/michael21/CMShome/faulksoilco1.html
http://homepage.mac.com/michael21/CMShome/faulksoilco2.html

(Just roll your mouse over the thumbnail photo to see the enlarged version.)

[Dave-the-Train]

That looped wire on top of security fences is called razor wire.  Instead of barbs, it has sharp metal blades like razor blades on it.  Nasty stuff to get caught in and much more of a deterrent to trespassers than barbed wire, from what I've seen.

Razor wire is a common misnomer.  "Barbed Tape" starts, strictly speaking, as a flat steel tape punched with various barb shapes depending on whether it is security tape, prison tape or anti-personnel (military) tape.  The higher grade stuff has the tape wrapped around a steel wire making it extremely hard to cut.  I sincerely recommend not getting mixed up with it.

I think that it first came into use in the 80s with the military.  I believe that it can be spun out from the back of vehicles fitted with special equipment.  Prison use came???  (Anyone modelling a prison?).  Civil/Security use began in the 90s I think.

In the UK anywhere non-military, with the stuff is required to have mandatory warning signs... 'cos the stuff is vicious.

This makes me think of another "security" measure... non-drying / anti-climb paint.  This wonderful gooey stuff (for anyone who doesn't know it) surface dries (usually black) but is never dry right through.  It's stickier than gum on your shoe.  Important thing here is that it too has to have warning signs.  I've seen this around since the 80s.  Before that a mix of old sump oil and grit did the job without the signs.

Then again... (never seen it modelled)... broken bottles and sheet glass bits set in cement along the top of walls and around some roof edges... They never had warning signs... but the modern plastic or metal strips do...

But the best deterent is still a huge, aggresive guard dog...

Um... or geese...

Given a choice between an angry pit bull and an angry goose... take the pit bull every time.

[nucat78]

That looped wire on top of security fences is called razor wire.  Instead of barbs, it has sharp metal blades like razor blades on it.  Nasty stuff to get caught in and much more of a deterrent to trespassers than barbed wire, from what I've seen.

 

[Dave-the-Train]

another thing that grows in chainlink fences is vines, so you can cover thirty or forty feet of fence with groundfoam. there's a stretch by the row where I work totally covered up.

AAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!  Clematis!  Russian Vine! Ivy!

[Anonymous]

another thing that grows in chainlink fences is vines, so you can cover thirty or forty feet of fence with groundfoam. there's a stretch by the row where I work totally covered up.

[n2mopac]

I have used screen, but be sure to use the black cloth type screen. The wire type will unravel when cut at an angle. Use small styrene rod for the posts and rails, then paint the whole thing a metalic silver libe Sante Fe silver by Floquil. I had great luck with this on my layout.

Ron

 

[Dave-the-Train]

The only good chainlink fencing that I've seen so far in a five year hunt (AAAAAARGH!!! )  has been Walthers for  American 1:87  H0 and Ratio fo UK 00 1:72.  The post systems and gates are completely different for the two countries.

Tulle comes in great shades of rust as well as grey but the only stuff I have been able to find is good for 0 scale/gauge and 1/35 but far to big for H0.

I would recomend getting at least one set of the Walthers stuff to give you a good example.  I have hunted high and low and not found a suitable mesh this side of the pond.  (Ideas anyone please)?

Posts... round brass tube is almost certainly better than plastic rod... it's stronger and you can bend it in ways that are more like the way the real thing bends.

barbed wire... I would use the finest rust coloured or medium grey thread that I could find...these are the colours of 99% of wire... probably split 66% / 33%.  I would never attempt to model the barbs... they  are between 1/4" and 1/2" long... minute in H0.  if you look at a barbed wire fence from anything more than about 20' you won't see the barbs unless you look for them.

What you might model is bits of paper and plastic bags caught on the wire.

Oh, yes... frequently fence top (barbed) wire is strung straight... it is only looped in rolls where there is a higher security need to justify the cost and effort.  (Locating the stuff straight is hard enough work!  People like the military and penitentiaries have machines for spinning it... and the budget... that you provide).  There are sometimes added bars to keep it in shape.  Talking of which... top wire can be layered as three strands straight up - three strands at an angle (usually into the property) or the fence top can be wyed (Y) with five strands -bottomm and two strands in /two strands out - This is a lot easier to model than a roll.  I would try creating the roll along a paper tube that you can collapse down to get it out and try fixing the thread with a hair spray... don't know how long this will last.

An easier solution - that is used - is to zig-zag one or more additional strands of wire along the horizontal wires.

Don't forget some wires sag (so you don't have to tension them) and some break.

Something I've not seen modelled but have spent hours correcting full size is the fact that grass cutters/mowers and strimmers do not clear long grass, brambles and weeds from chain link fences.  HORRIBLE people also push empty beer cans, plastic bottles, cups , newspapers... ete...etc into the holes in wire fences AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

If you really want to dazzle... trees not only grow branches through the wires but get bigger and sort-of absorb the wire into their growth.  This can be really impressive.  Also, when we trim the trees the short "logs" are sometimes left in the wire until we get round to cutting them out (if we don't "forget").

The opposite side of thet (which I have seen modelled) is that trees get blown down across/into/through fences...

Seeing as I'm going mad... animals make scrapes under them, people bend/fold and cut shortcuts through them and even make bridges over them...two piles of pallets and a plank...  Just some ideas.

Where a wire fence ends at a river/concrete drain or crosses a gulley there are often fans of iron spikes or coils of barbed wire used to block off the possible unauthorised access... there are ways round these too!  Branches and flotsam usually build up on the upstream side of these barriers if they reach down to the water (or flood water).  Even 40 gallon drums as well as car tyres, dead cats, prams, bike frames,...shopping nall trolleys, road cones...

Most wire fences here have straining wires in the chainlink... I'm not sure about the US... I think that you tend to have top,middle and bottom rails.  When a fence is cut cutting these slackens the whole stretch so a cut often doesn;t cut the tensioning device... keeping the hole less obvious.

Holes can of course be plugged with... barbed wire, pallets, steel bar, re-bar, re-bar mesh, corrugated iron... car fenders...

Hope this helps.

[Jetrock]

I have read articles (I think there was one in MR last year) on making barbed wire from thread--the idea is that thread is actually kind of rough, and if painted a dull silver color (or a dull rust color) it will make the thread stiff and bumpy, in order to simulate the barbs on barbed wire. The chain link part is easy to simulate with a fabric called "tulle," a fine mesh fabric common at weddings, both for bridal veils and for those little bags that Jordan almonds come in. A trip to a fabric store and about $5 will give you enough tulle to put chainlink around your largest military installations.

[0-6-0]

Hello you can use a spring for the barbed wire find the right size and streach it from pole to pole? frank

[csmith9474]

For the posts, you could use brass tubing or styrene rod. The only odd thought that I have for the barbed wire would be to wrap thread around a pencil or pen (or anything of the correct diameter) and spray it with hairspray or something similar. The frayed thread may be the right look for the barbed wire.

[mikesmowers]

I am still working on the lumber yard and will need a chain link fence with barbed wire along the top. I have heard to use screen wire cut at a 45 degree angle for the fence, but not sure about the post, top rail. and the barbed wire, I suppose I could use silver thread for the barbed wire. Any ideas on how to go about doing this? Maybe some of you that have made a chain link fence could help me?          Thanks    Mike