Let's Make - Wooden Yard Fences (Modern Urban Series)

Preorder my terrain book here -
In this Let's Make, we tackle creating backyards on your city boards to help create that gritty behind the streets feel for your modern urban games. We cover a few different construction techniques from simple to detailed, along with a range of painting techniques to make your fences really pop!
Checkout the Let's Make playlist for more cheap & easy terrain tutorials - • Let's Make Cheap & Eas...
Like what I do, want to support this effort and help my dream for this channel? Take the $1 patron pledge and become awesome! - / theterraintutor
Prefer a one off donation? - Paypal [e-mail]
Thanks for your support terrainiacs! I couldn't do this without you!
Terrainiacs Facebook support group - / theterraintutorsterrai...
Music from the free youtube library. Logo by Steven Silverwood - stevensilverwo...

[@travisbdub4952]

I like this guy! He has an energy about his videos. Not like a lot of other scratch-builders who are monotone and serious sounding trying to sound calm and are just plain boring.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Welcome to the crazy house buddy!

[@Diggnuts]

I'm not into war-gaming at all. never done it, probably never will. I just find these videos relaxing.

[@demetrinight5924]

With the 3 examples of fences it sort of looks like the display outside a hardware shop. These look great. I could see using them in modern or fantasy settings quite nicely.

[@veroniquelerosier2964]

Elles sont vraiment très sympa, merci pour votre tuto 👍

[@asowle]

I did my first 6" fence at the weekend with the coffee sticks....so big thanks for this video

[@civiccc]

Really blue me away with the grey on the white fence, the final looks so good.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

it's a nice technique

[@kaisermp1]

I have no words...you are a genius man!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Cheers buddy

[@lazzer2795]

For beginners the video is very suitable. They will thank you, a really great video. Continue so mate :) Robert

[@savagex466-qt1io]

No sitting on the fence with this one lol. Long Live The Coffee Stir Stick ! Looks great, thanks so much.

[@jonathondaniels2127]

These look great Mel. Have you thought about using plastic plant labels for basing them on? You know the thin white ones about 10cm long you can get really cheap. They'd be the perfect width and thickness. You'd just need to trim the ends off.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Yeah mate

[@AzraelThanatos]

First off, if you're clipping through wood like the stir sticks, craft sticks, popcicle sticks, tongue depressors, and anything of the like, get a large ziplock type bag that you can fit your hands, the clippers, and the thing you're cutting into it and cut inside it, the bag will catch the wood if it flies off. Also, for fences of the types you're making, they're a VERY good place to attach mini posters and such to add more of an eyecatch to them. Just print them out on white paper and distress the edges when you cut them out and glue them on before you apply the washes which age the paper to fit the rest while blending it in to look like it belongs there.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Thanks for the tips bud

[@AzraelThanatos]

I've had a lot of projects involving the various wooden sticks of various types and it took me forever to think of the bag trick...so many pieces that disappear into the aether until I ended up stepping on them a few months later...

[@emerybusfield2941]

A variation for a chain link fence is to use the wood posts glued vertically to a sheer-mesh ribbon (found some at the local dollar store) and put onto a base. A quick metallic dry brush and it's pretty much done.

[@karrieratcliff7418]

I love you. You make me want to quit my job and stay home and craft! As DMScotty says "Go Forth And Craft"! Thank you for all the hard work you do!

[@KriegKraft]

Wow, that white fence looks absolutely amazing! Very realistic! The others are great as well, terracotta one is very interesting too. Small elements like these can really make the table far more interesting to play and to look at. Great work Mel! :)

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Cheers buddy

[@momosupremacy8349]

Thank you so much for all your videos. Everything looks amazing and I plan on studying most of them and putting them to use in my 12 nano tanks

[@killianic9948]

I love the way you commentate your videos :)

[@kevinhale9400]

Brilliant video mate. I love making terrain and this tutorial only adds to my knowledge base. Great job, keep it up. Thanks.

[@IDICBeer]

Great job, thanks for the share

[@anthonybradford1041]

great video sum very good technics too add sum rotating planks at the botume

[@dougsundseth6904]

When adding pickets to a fence, if you were to put a thicker piece of wood in the right place relative to the stringers, you could align the pickets by feel rather than having to look for the bottom edge, which makes things noticeably quicker, especially when making many lengths of fence. For painting base coats, the cheapest available matte spray paint works just as well as hobby-specific cans. And it runs about $2/can if you look around, not $6/can. Then, with big, flat fences like these, especially if they're in an industrial area, you'll need to add either graffiti or painted-over graffiti. Painted-over graffiti is especially easy, btw. And now you need to show how to make gates. 8-) (They're quite similar, but they need triangular bracing to keep them from sagging.) And it turns out that if you need to build or repair a real fence, you can replace the glue with deck screws, scale up to real lumber, and you're golden.

[@AlbertoRodriguez-uq6hm]

thank U for your help from Spain... I'm still follow you

[@AbarothsWorld]

With the horizontal stringers taped down, tape down a length of thicker material or a double layer as a baseline. This makes the "vertical" positioning of the slats a bit of a no-brainer. Also, for the rustic fence - I think you could add a lot of character by snapping one of the boards in two, and just fixing half of it where you have left the gaps. Leaving the jagged (snapped) edge in the middle, would make it look like a broken plank, and with the lower ones you could attach them at a slight angle too ! If you want to add even more detail fairly fast, you could stab a sharp (compass, bradawl) point into the wood where the joints are, to represent where the planks have been nailed.

[@PaganShredhead]

If you want some really heavily weathered wood, use umber as a base color, grey next and white for the highlighting. Nice video. I've never seen such a fence as the terracotta one though, only ones where the slats are vertical. This is also quite a nice way to make roofs, or the walls of siege towers.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Brits typical stain their fences terracotta mate, all mine, my neighbours and my shed have terracotta wooden stain on ;-)

[@PaganShredhead]

Oh, I didn't mean the color is bad or something, I just wanted to add this for people who want even more heavily weathered fences, and the vertical slats were something I've never seen before. You give me lots of ideas and inspiration with your videos, keep it up!

[@rickywatson9336]

Hi mate I have been modelling now for 2 years now and I m so impressed with you're knowledge so far I have done 2 types of fence's and sand bag's for a dessert theme I have done a fence when I first started modelling that I think is rather unusual I would so like you're opinion, one thing I must say is that I am coloured blind

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Post it to the terrainiacs group on fb mate

[@johnnynuttall9851]

As always another great vid Mel....liked the Pink/Flesh touch

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Cheers mate

[@robot7759]

👍 like to end with a opaque whitewash to get a faded look 😸

[@maxidecimus1527]

Thank's from France

[@PaladinMthe13th]

Nice tutorial and interesting pieces. Good job.

[@irondwarf2292]

Another great vid Mel. keep 'em coming.

[@dealthagar]

Great vid Mel! Thanks!

[@clareperesdacosta5799]

coffee stirers, why didnt i think of that? where can i get them? a fantastic straight to the point instructional video as always. brilliant. keep it up mate.

[@willmfrank]

You can get packets of 100 or 200 in the Tea & Coffee aisle of your local grocery or department store; they're packaged in either boxes or bags and are available in different sizes. I've found a box of 4 1/2 " ones at Wal-Mart, and a bag of 7" ones at the local Dollarama.

[@keithmiller554]

HI MEL HAVE WATCHED A LOT OF YOU SHOWS, & I THINK THEY ARE REALLY GREAT ( good tips as well ) THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS ON YOUR PALLETS, BAGS, & BOXES SHOW IS IT IN OO SCALE. I NEED TO KNOW THIS BECAUSE IM MODELLING WITH RAILWAY TRAINS & THE SCALE IS IMPORTANT !

[@TheTerrainTutor]

All my stuff is 28mm matey

[@PatrickLohKamp]

This was a great Video Sir! I am going to do a bunch of different of them, and use em for all kinds of games. You are a grand Gent.

[@michaelmanning5379]

Now, in the tradition of Tom Sawyer, I just need to convince my friends to make my fence for me.

[@PatrickLohKamp]

@TheterrainTutor Have you ever thought about the fact that if you turn your fence sideways: the overlapping fence: You have "Lap/shipboard" siding for a house / building?? *Which is awesome because my house / a lot of the other old houses around me: have that exact same style. And has stepped up my "building period sets for table top games" options!~ Thank you Sir for your amazing work.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I likes that!

[@jefferystrong6852]

How about a gray weathered fence? Soaking in a solution of white vinegar that plain steel wool has soaked in it.

[@billd.iniowa2263]

I think we nailed the name of that solution down last year or so... Iron Acetate.

[@jefferystrong6852]

Gotch ya. I'm new to the channel. Cheers.

[@robbie_g8308]

Tongue depressers are good for fence bases

[@MadEaglesFan95]

Wouldn't mind seeing a fence using actual sticks, like the little ones at the ends of branches.

[@puckett2k2009]

Nice tips. BTW, my thief used to be a fence.

[@whereismymind9429]

Love this urban decay stuff ^_^

[@waywarddarkwolf8064]

Hi Mel. Great video mate. I had a go at making fences a while back using coffee stirrers and those wooden sticks beauticians use for waxing but the results were less than perfect (i.e. it turned out crap!). I used regular Superglue bought off the shelf at B&Q. I must try again using your techniques shown here plus use gel superglue to see if it turns out a bit better this time. Is there any particular gel superglue you would recommend for sticking wood?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Oh gel is loads better, good luck with that second batch mate!

[@anythingyoulike242]

Hey Mel, have you tried toffee apple sticks as a cheap alternative to 5mm balsa? You can pick them up cheap on eBay.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Haven't had a toffee apple in ages, thanks for the heads up bud

[@billd.iniowa2263]

Double-over one end of the tape when you place it down and you can pull it right off, no hassle. (Do that on the roll too.) --- Do you call the over-lapped fence clapboard or hurricane fence? --- Glad to see i aint the only one who ends up finger-paining their terrain, lol. --- I will definitely be looking for a vid on painting/staining and weathering wood! But you knew that already, didnt ya? ;-) Congrats on the 10 thou, it really is an amazing group.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

We call the slated mate

[@inigogw]

great tutorial as usual

[@hiddedrenth3266]

Looks good. Can you do something middel east looking stuf next. I want to make an Iraq diorama and it will really help me

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Hopefully soon mate

[@rickywatson9336]

Hi mate I done what you asked to log on to FACEBOOK for some reason I can't log on to question 2 it's not letting me enter my answer due to this your moderator has declined me access. Can you help

[@TheTerrainTutor]

No idea mate, message my TTT page of FB and I'll see what I can do

[@mikeylindseysadventures4212]

thanks to Mel I have a stock of painters scotch tape lol

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Good choice bud

[@mikeylindseysadventures4212]

lol

[@MichaelRErskine]

Still trying to figure out how to access the patron only vids now that I am a patron.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Message me on patron mate with your g+ email address

[@stephen-yb8ci]

what about coating the wood with crackle wood paste then a wash

[@TheTerrainTutor]

The extra work would be worth it

[@johnallen4176]

Can this be adapts for an N-gauge railway.

[@nettierose1619]

Is it best to do 4 inch fences ? Or can I do a 6 inch fence ?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

6 is fine mate

[@nettierose1619]

Thank you. My son-in-law is from New Zealand. I cant tell if you’re accent is from NZ, UK, or AU. Thank you for the tutorials, they are wonderful !

[@t.j.goldwater]

I was thinking something a bit bigger. I think this will be damaged by the lawn mover quite easy

[@agouthor1]

Bonjour très belles vidéos qui nous permettent de progresser et de rendre du très bons travail un grand Merci Par contre serait il possible d avoir un sous titrage en français cela rentrer le travail encore plus ludique par avance merci

[@foscoe2496]

What size Coffee stirrers do you use

[@connormcm1380]

Yay 3rd

[@foscoe2496]

WOOD COFFEE STIRRERS what size

[@redgreen09]

yes the wosh good old dirt yes you see all the neet stuff if turn off the phone and look bout will see more as you post mell ]]]]]]]]]

[@rubber20021]

pva= p[oly vynil chlorate glue? abc lmnop glue. whatever.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Polyvinyl Acetate

[@fredfred1651]

last

[@ButchersNailsEnjoyer]

67

[@romaineathey3663]

Woodprix has very good and accurate plans.

[@hafzamacie8858]

I bought plans from Woodglut and did it very quickly.

[@martinhayle8630]

N

[@bigpoppa1234]

PAINT MY FENCE - THIS BLINTZES WERE TERRIBLE.

[@Diggnuts]

I'm not into war-gaming at all. never done it, probably never will. I just find these videos relaxing.