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We made the stretch of razor wire above with common materials available at any craft store along with some various bits that you'll likely have in your bits box. With a little time and effort, you too will have plenty of lovely razor wire.
Before starting, you'll need to gather some supplies and tools to build your razor wire. Don't worry if you are missing a few things, because you can always try to improvise.
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Step One |
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First, you'll need to cut out a 6" rectangular section from your base material. The base can be any width, but 2" should do nicely. Since you can have up to six razor wire sections in a scenario, cut out six bases – you might as well make 'em all right now.
Razor wire is supported by a bunch of wooden struts that keep the wire in place on the battlefield – time to make these cross-beams. Measure and cut out about a 1.25" length of the balsa stick. Use this length as your template and cut out another of equal length (you don't have to be too precise). Repeat this until you have 12 separate 1.25" sticks.
Now, grab two small sticks. Make two diagonal, parallel slashes across the width of a single stick an inch up from the base. Make the cuts through about half the depth of the wood, but not completely through the stick.
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Next, slide your blade into one of the slashes and carve out the wood chunk between them. You should now have a notch into which the other stick can fit snugly. Place a dab of white PVA woodworking glue in the notch and insert the other stick to make your cross-beam.
Once you've made six supports from the 12 sticks and glued them together, it is time to cut them so they'll stand upright and level (sort of). All you have to do is cut a triangular bit off the bottom to make the cross-beam sit level. Check out the images above to see how to do it. Repeat this procedure until you have a healthy pile of wooden "X" supports ready to be affixed to the base.
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Step Nine |
Now, it's time place all the supports on the base. Although it seems like a good idea to just plain glue 'em down, it's not. Sure, we'll be applying glue, but more support is necessary. Enter epoxy putty. Green Stuff along with superglue makes for an extremely tough bond that will help keep your cross-beams from breaking off during gameplay.
First, plot out how you want the supports arranged on the base. We drew a curved line on our plasticard base. Once you've decided on the general layout, place a blob of superglue on the foot of each cross-beam and stick it in place on the base. Do this for each "X" and wait for the glue to dry. While you wait, grab the Green Stuff and mix up a fresh batch. Roll it into a thin line with the thickness of a paper clip.
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Now, assuming the glue is dry, break off smaller sections of your line of putty and place them against each and every foot of an "X" that meets the base. Use an extra bit of plasticard, a paperclip, or a sculpting tool to wrap the thin line of putty around each foot. Once each foot is encircled, use your sculpting tool and press in the Green Stuff to completely seal each foot. While the putty dries, add superglue to the Green Stuff to form the super-bond we mentioned before.
Now is the time to place battlefield rubble onto your bases before we cover it with sand. Use old guns, arms, weapon bits, cut up plasticard, vehicle bits, and any other detritus you have on hand. Once these bits dry, texture the base with a coat of white PVA woodworking glue followed by a mix of fine and coarse sand. Paint the razor wire patch as you see fit and set it aside for now.
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Step Thirteen |
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Step Fifteen |
Gather up your 22-gauge wire (thick), 26-gauge wire (thin), clippers, and superglue. You can find both types of wire at your local hardware or craft store.
First, cut off a 22" length of the 22-gauge wire. Straighten it out so it'll be a bit easier to work with. Now, wrap the thinner, 26-gauge wire around one end of the 22-gauge wire. Make a sort of knot by going around and around the wire a couple of times. Then, place a drop of superglue on this knotted area to secure it. This glued knot will make the next steps much, much easier.
With the glue dry, begin twisting the 26-gauge wire (while it is still on the spool) around the thicker, 22-gauge wire in a helix pattern. Continue going round and round until you get to the end of the 22-gauge wire. Try and keep your coils fairly close together. Once you've wrapped the thinner wire all the way to the end of the thicker 22-gauge wire, wrap a knot with the wiring and seal it with some superglue like you did when you started wrapping.
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Step Eighteen |
Dig up a thick pen, marker, or other cylindrical object that's about 1/2" thick. Wrap your length of twisted wiring around the object until you can't wrap any more and then slide it off. This process will give you a good bundle of curved razor wire. Place this aside and repeat for any other razor wire patches you plan on making. Quickly paint the razor wire before moving on.
Attach one end of the razor wire to the first cross-beam in the line. Try to place this first point of contact in the area where the two sticks meet in the centre of the "X". Use a single dot of superglue and patiently wait for it to dry. Since the wire is probably coiled together tightly, stretch out the razor wire a bit so that it is as long as the base.
Carefully fit the razor wire to the centre of each support cross-beam. It's a good idea to lay the entire length of wire across the base before you begin gluing. This way, if there is a problem further down the line, you can correct it now. Don't be afraid to bend the wire a bit if necessary. In fact, you will have to do this in a few spots for the wire to sit nicely. Once the razor wire is strung to your liking, finish with a drop of superglue at each point that the wire meets with the support struts.
