I have made several yards of Virginia worm or zigzag fencing in this manner. From a 2-foot distance, these are quite presentable on the gaming table, and mass quantities can be easily made within a week. 1. Obtain thin square balsa wood strips from your local model railroad, hobby, or craft store. I use 1/8" thickness, but others will work. As an alternative, buy a large box of wooden matches. Break off the match heads and throw them away (some gamers soak these match heads in a paper cup full of water to eliminate any future accidental ignition). 2. Cut the strips into 1/2" sections using scissors, an Exacto knife, a paper cutter, or similar means. 3. Cut 1/2" x 2" strips of thick cardstock (such as the back of tablets or similar stiff board), hard plastic, or metal. These will serve as the base for the fencing. I know of gamers that prefer to not use a base for their fencing. 4. Apply a bead of Helene's craft glue or similar flexible glue to one corner of the base and another small bead at a 45 degree angle 1/2" from the first bead. Lay one of the matchstick "rails" onto the base. 5. Apply another small bead on top on the diagonal end of the rail about 1/16" from the right end. Apply a second bead again at a 45-degree angle in a zigzag pattern). Place the left end of the next rail on the bead at the right end of the first rail. 6. Repeat this for two more sections until you have a base with 4 matchsticks in a zigzag pattern. Allow to dry overnight. 7. Go back to step 4 and add a second row of rails onto your fence model. Allow to dry overnight. 8. Add a third layer and allow to dry overnight. Some folks will add a 4th layer depending upon personal preferences. 9. OPTIONAL - add crossbars and riders if desired (X patterns on crossbars looking from the end. A rider is a final top rail that sits astride the top of the X). 10. Paint the base with a green paint (I use Wal-Mart Apple Barrel Forest Green or Hunter Green). 11. While the paint is still very wet, apply a liberal amount of Woodland Scenics fine turf (I use their blended packages). Allow to dry overnight and gently tap off the excess turf. 12. For finishing touches, add small rocks, talus, painted kitty litter, or similar materials. I also add small clumps of Woodland Scenics foliage of various shades of green. Other options are to add vines, lichen, and other common materials. 13. For variety, make up some broken or destroyed fencing sections. Instead of piling the rails in a zigzag pattern, scatter them on the base as is troops has thrown them aside as they crossed the fenceline. The Budget Wargamer Terrain Tips Low Cost Trees ACW-era Brickyard Virginia "Worm" Fencing Low Cost Hills Low Cost Roads Low Cost Crop Fields Back to Table of Contents -- ACW Newsletter # 1 Back to ACW Newsletter List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Marc Shefelton. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com