Search the Community

NATO Style Bastion Cage Barrier Sets EA35-063/4/5 1:35 ET Model ET Model are rapidly becoming a major provider of Photo-Etch (PE) and resin sets for the AFV modeller, and are also not afraid of tackling the more esoteric subjects. These sets are definitely from the more unusual end, but will be a boon to anyone planning on building a modern NATO based diorama or vignette. There are three sets in total, one square, one tall and narrow, and the final square one with different detail, numbered types 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Each set comes flat packed in ET's usual manner, and inside are two sheets of PE (four smaller sheets for Type 2), two pages of brown paper, and a sheet of instructions, and you can build four barriers from each set. A black backing card keeps all this safe from handling. Set 1 barriers measure up at 3 cm x 3cm, set 2 at 2cm x 5cm and set 3 at 3cm x 4cm when built. Type 1 (EA35-063) Type 2 (EA35-064) Type 3 (EA35-065) Construction is straight-forward, although some care will be needed. The outer cage is made up from one piece of PE, which is folded into the four sides of a box. Then a single long strip of PE is wound around the join to bind the two ends together. The instructions tell you to anneal the part to make it supple, which involves heating it in a flame from a lighter or your hob until it glows. Then allow it to air-cool before you use it – don't be tempted to quench it in water, as that will undo some of your work. The paper liner is cut from the sheet and formed into an open ended cube which slides inside the PE box. Once the paper sleeve is centred inside the PE outer, you simply fold over the ends of the paper so they are outside the PE, securing them with something like GS-Hypo cement, as it won't soak into the paper and discolour it. To finish the job, you need to fill the cube with some ballast, which can be your choice, but should look like limestone chippings for the most part. Crushed cat litter, railway ballast or Chinchilla sand would suffice, but I'm sure there are many other types out there. It would be wise to put a floor in each one made from styrene or card, so that the cages can be built "off-site" and moved around to get the correct placement within the diorama. To add a little realism, the cages could be sprayed with a larger flake metallic colour, as the galvanised coating soon oxidises once put in place, and small areas of rust develop where the coating has been scratched off during handling. It is also not unknown for the cages to bulge and sag a little under the weight of the contents, especially if they are stacked. conclusion Careful construction and filling of these sets will result in a very realistic Hesco Bastion Barrier, and you should be able to construct four barriers from each set. Of course if you're planning a larger diorama, you will need multiple sets, but there is currently no substitute available on the market, and the realism is second to none. Highly recommended. Review Sample courtesy of