Chain Link Fence?

[hwolf]

I remember reading in MR about making a Chain Link Fence. Does anyone remember the issue or what they used to make the fence?

Harold 

[Anonymous]

I dont remember what MR issue but the Walthers Bulk Transfer Conveyor  (933-3519) comes with a chain link fence and instructions.  Not sure why its not listed in kit discription in the 2014 Reference Book.

[davidmurray]

I remember reaading in MR of a layout where the modeler made chain link fences out of wire window screen and brass rods/tubing.

 

Never tried it myself.

 

[mlehman]

davidmurray

I remember reaading in MR of a layout where the modeler made chain link fences out of wire window screen and brass rods/tubing.

 

Never tried it myself.

 

 

You'd have to be in O scale for that to even look right, I'd think.

I remember the material, tulle, even if I don't remember the exact article. It's the same stuff Walthers uses for their chain link fencing. Their 933-3125 kit also includes some nice post castings, etc. Tulle is what's used to make bridal veils, etc, so you may be able to find it at a fabric store.

[Eric97123]

I have had good results with tulle. Some gray paint and some styrene rods and you got a fence. A couple dollars of tulle will fence miles.

[MisterBeasley]

This is a run of Walthers chain-link fence I put on my layout.

It does use tulle bridal veil material.  I think I ran out, and picked some up at the craft store.  If you want to do this on a budget, pick up some tulle and use styrene or brass rod for the posts.

["JaBear"]

Gidday Harold, Model Railroader, September 1980. "Modeling Chain Link Fencing" by G.Warren Reed.

There was also an article on improving the Walthers chain link fences in the MR April 2009 issue.

Cheers, the Bear.

[zstripe]

Hi, Harold,

I have a couple of kits, from, Alloy Forms, Chainlink Fence Kit, #H-2009, Contains over 200 scale feet of prototype fence. 200 feet of top rail, 14 fence posts 4 corner posts, left and right gate posts and 2-8 foot swinging gates. Includes aluminum fencing material and barbed wire. All parts are high-quality brass castings. In my opinion, I will take this over Walthers, or any others, I have seen, or tried, for looks and size.   They make them in N-scale also. #N-118

Cheers, 

Frank

Edit: The Aluminum Fencing material is already, cut, 6 ft high,58 ft long, do not have to stretch it like the veil material, to keep it taunt, just put it together.

[RogerThat]

A modeler named Tyler Bjarnason has a blog called Ty's Model Railroad in which he describes how he makes chain link fence using brass rod and tulle. You can find it in his Sept. 2012 section.  Go to the model railroad.blogspot.com.

[john.pickles87]

Hi H,

 

Way back, I was being dragged round the shops by the boss and daughter in-law like you does, when they called in a local haberdashery for some dress make material.  While killing time I spotted something in black that is a dead ringer for diamond shaped chain-link that’s great for HO/OO and above, it’s Petty-coat lining stuff made out of nylon. 

 

God forgive I butted in asking how much a yard, you should see the look I got.  I was told for my cheek and because Pat and Beck’s were order so much I could have a yard. 

 

That was about 5yrs ago, that yard length has produced yard after yard of scale fencing between 8 to 12ft high with 2mm brass posts and sprays up any colour you want and I’ve not used half of it yet.  

 

And boy did she make sure it cost me dear.  

Be in touch.

Pick.

[hwolf]

Is this suitable for HO Scale?

Harold

[gmpullman]

Hi, Harold

All the suggestions here are great. For reference, here's a few more pics of the Walthers product. I added stiff brass top and bottom rails and I also recommend a jig like Tyler Bjarnason shows. It is far neater to make up the fencing then install it on the layout and if it is rigid enough you only need to drill like every third post to secure it. Trying to drill EVERY fence post gets tedious really fast. The light tulle that Walthers provides is a very nice representation of HO chain link. I don't remember but I think Walthers supplied top rail wire but it was way too soft and looked too wavy to represent pipe so I found a tempered brass wire that was pretty stiff. All this stuff is tacked together with ACC superglue.

I do like the detail that the barbed wire standoffs make, the AlloyForms has this too, if you really wanted to get crazy you could add that Berkshire Junction EZ line to represent barbed wire.

Again, these are just suggestions but you have some good starting points from these contributors!

Happy Modeling! Ed

[john.pickles87]

Hi H,

If you are asking me (pick) if it’s ok, I’d say ye.

 

It’s fairly stiff stuff and with cut horizontal it measures about 2mm / 6”ish per diamond, so you need to have a good look round your local shops(or maybe get the boss to), ok I don’t take any notice of the rivet counters, but at a couple of feet it don’t bad and for nout, it costs about £1.50 over this side of the pond.

Be in touch.

Pick.

[eaglescout]

For N scale you might try the material some specialty tea bags are made from. It is like tulle but much finer.  You would have to carefully cut the tea  bag along three sides to get a piece about 1 1/2 x 3".  Piecing them together may be a pain but worth a try.

[rrebell]

The Alloy stuff is better and if you pay retail, about the same price. The barbed wire holder looks way more real and being all metal bars you don't have problems. Other nice features are  the gates are already made and the mesh is metal.

[skagitrailbird]

An (unsuccessful) online search this afternoon suggests the Alloy Forms chain link fence is no longer available, unless one shows up on ebay.  Do any of you know who the BLMA product compares to the others?

[Seamonster]

Whenever I clean the lint screen in the dryer I can't help seeing chain link fencing.  Haven't tried it yet.  Could probably get a lint screen from a junked dryer at an appliance repair shop. Just an idea.

[zstripe]

skagitrailbird

An (unsuccessful) online search this afternoon suggests the Alloy Forms chain link fence is no longer available, unless one shows up on ebay.  Do any of you know who the BLMA product compares to the others?

 

SSL, owns, Alloy Forms now:

http://scale-structures.com/chain-link-fence-gates-kit/

Cheers, 

Frank

[BRAKIE]

I'm surprise nobody mention the excellent chain link fence by BLMA..I plan on using this since it looks pretty good to my old eyes.

[skagitrailbird]

Frank,

Thank you for the Scale Structures link.  I looked at that web site yesterday but did not see  the chain link fencing is now under the Scale Structures label.

I would teill welcome comments about either of these chain link fencing models.  What are their similarities?  Differences?  If you have worked with both, which would you choose to work with again?

[saronaterry]

I used toule and florist wire. It came on a 3/4" roll.

It works for me.

Terry in NW Wisconsin

[zstripe]

Roger,

I have used, both Alloy Forms and Walthers, like the AF, have not used the BLMA, but if you would, like to view a install video, here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM9I8UtcRNY

Cheers, Happy Thanksgiving! 

Frank

Edit: I forgot to mention, that link, has other, Video's, of a lot of other system's, mentioned,in this thread. Again, Happy Thanksgiving, to all

[Steven S]

Here's a test I did using tulle and brass wire.

 

Back in the '90s, Model Railroader did an extensive article about prototype fences.  They had drawings about various types.   Does anybody remember which issue?

 

Steve S

["JaBear"]

Steven S

Does anybody remember which issue?

Art Curran had an article, Four Familar Fences, (of the rural variety), in the November 1998 MR.

Cheers, the Bear.

[Steven S]

Art Curran had an article, Four Familar Fences, (of the rural variety), in the November 1998 MR.

The one I'm thinking of was more about industrial fences.  They also had drawings of the different types of gates used, not just swinging ones but the type that are suspended from a truss and roll off to the side.

The article was pretty detailed, giving the diameters of the various types of pipe used.

 

Steve S

[zstripe]

Steven S

Here's a test I did using tulle and brass wire.

 

Back in the '90s, Model Railroader did an extensive article about prototype fences.  They had drawings about various types.   Does anybody remember which issue?

 

Steve S

 

Steve S,

A Truck line I worked at years ago, had a sliding gate. Should not be too hard to duplicate one. Where your swing gate attaches, at the end where the tall post is,right across from that, have another,tall gate post, on the two tall, gate post, install a I- beam, then on the gate, have the two, end posts,almost match, the opening end posts, then put a U-shape connection,on top of the gate posts,with rollers that sit on the bottom flange of the I-beam, this way, the rollers, roll on the bottom flange, to slide the gate open, or closed. To lock it, they merely,put a length of chain around, the end post and the gate post to lock it. One person, could easily, open ,or close, the gates, without a lot of effort. Unless of course, there was two feet of snow, on the ground, then we used, the spotting tractor, which had tire chains, on it to open the gate, pulling on it with, another chain, never hurt the gate at all. . BTW, the fence and gate, where 10ft, chain link fence. The gate, slid, on the inside,of the fence. When opened, two trucks,would fit side by side.

Cheers, 

Frank

Edit: I left out an important part. One end, had a casting,like a guard rail, at one end that the bottom,of the gate would slide in preventing, anyone, pushing on one end to get in.

[magi46]

I found in MR Sep 80 page 72 an article on chain link fencing.  Is that the one?

[Medina1128]

MisterBeasley

This is a run of Walthers chain-link fence I put on my layout.

It does use tulle bridal veil material.  I think I ran out, and picked some up at the craft store.  If you want to do this on a budget, pick up some tulle and use styrene or brass rod for the posts.

 

I'm not usuall one to nitpick, but I noticed that the tops of the fenceposts usually hang over on the side away from what gets fenced in. I've used the fence material and posts that have come in a couple of Walthers' kits. It's a pain to work with, but the results look pretty good. I found that chasing the holes for the horizontal supports with a small drill bit make inserting the poles a lot easier.