Springfield Airsoft
General Category => General Airsoft => Topic started by: Boba Fett on March 18, 2011, 06:20:36 PM
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So what practical ideas do you guys have for building field fortifications? Nothing ridiculously expensive or difficult please(eg. underground bunkers, used airplanes, train cars, ect.). Even though I would LOVE to have cool stuff like that, in all likelyhood we can't get those for our field, so.
I was thinking things that are durable, inexpensive, wind-resistant, and look cool. And stuff needs to be preferably wooden, or something we can at least burn should we need to break down our field.
A few ideas we've had recently are sheaves of sticks or brush tied around stakes in the ground, and sandbags. But we need lots more ideas!
We already have some things like tires and wooden wire spools on our field. And afew places built in sinkholes and trees.
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Pallets. shipping companies and warehouses usually have tons lying around. In Rolla, my fraternity picks them up for free to burn in bonfires. you can also build them into boxes and stuff. old plywood works great to. Lots of things stop bb's.
you could also dig like an underground bunker with trenches....super practical and easy.
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We have tons of pallets and access to more. lol
I several spots on our field there's solid rock withing an inch of the ground. :(
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I have an Idea if you have dead trees and a chainsaw.
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I'll have to look the next time I'm there we might have a few there. The owner is planning on cutting down two trees as well I believe.
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You guys wanna grab up all the old pallets you can because I garauntee you that they are gonna start getting scarse amungst us private citizens. I work for La-Z-Boy here in Neosho and I've been trying to get some of the heavy duty card board and even pallets they have but with recent trends of 'going green' our company gets tax breaks for recycling that stuff, so the good ole days of us workers taking a truck load or two of that stuff home with us is already over and lots of other companies are following suit.
Sarge and I have discussed buying some PVC and making somewhat of an 'L' shape frame and using canvas or other heavy meterial to cover it to make some lightweight and very portable cover. Also the PCV would be very easy to take down and is very cheap if it needed to be replaced. Also all you would need to make them resistand to wind while you were using them is put some chunks of wood or even big rocks (which SW Missouri has NO shortage of) on the base of them to keep them from getting blown down.
But yeah, old pallets are great. You might even try going by some tire shops and haul off some of thier junk tires. They usually sell them real cheap and they provide great cover. Just don't get caught burning them cause it' very illegal.
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Wire and pickets with canvas draped over the top easy to put in easy to take out, wind proof
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Yeah that's why we don't want any more tires...we have access to tons of them, but we only have one bunker made from them at our field.
Thanks for the other ideas, keep them coming! I'm gonna designs some bunkers today with my artistic abilities on Paint. haha
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I thought about PVC with one side ripped about 1/4 of an inch ( or 3/8ths which ever was less in thickness.) and buying some plexiglass or plastic panels.
The panels and PVC would then be able to be "snapped together" using "Ts" , 90 degree angles, and end caps... could make "L" or "T" shaped barriers... even cube like structures if desired.
Could be painted any color desired to provide visual obstructions.
I'm not sure how much it'd cost and if it'd be practical or not.
We use the land and some big wooden boxes on our place right now. We have some pallets and such to use later on when we start building stuff.
I really wanna dig some actual bunkers though.
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From my experience with PVC and Plexi glass, chip board, 2x4s, and nails would be a lot cheaper.
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I strongly suggest staying away from partical board. Partical board is held together with glue and when it gets wet it's only a little stronger than wet cardboard. Now if you could keep it dry, that would be great, but otherwise I'd stick to pallets and regular lumber or even plywood at the least.
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Actually that's just what the guy that gave it to us was calling it. when we got it it turned out to be 5 4x8 sheets of good-condition chip board. :)
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At our teams field we use Canvas as faux walls. Also we nail plywood together for some shelter. We have a few palisades and a bunker built out of logs. We picked thru a junkyard for siding from washers and dryers, they work well. Its definitely not easy to find Fortification materials in the BFE, but we do our best.
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Interesting. I got a sweet deal with some friends who hooked us up with free inner tubes to make sandbags out of, and a deal to get a half sand and gravel mix for filler.
Now we just gotta brainstorm a way to get 3+ tons of filler to our field in Republic...ROFL
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Another thing you might consider is the stuff they make political signs from. It is called coroplast. If it was a presidential election year you could get TONS of it after the election. It also makes a wicked sound when you shoot at it.
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Wouldn't that begin to decompose after a while though?
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It may start to break down over time but the panels would be easily replaceable. I have shot the stuff at close range and it holds up. The same signs are the ones they use to advertise everything along the side of the road.
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I work at a newspaper, and we get the big heavy plastic pallets. and they get thrown away, so i always grab them i have enouth to fill my truck bed 4 times over, and they're handy. ive got some down on a little of my land leaning against small trees for cover.
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Wow awesome. We're still trying to avoid plastic, and things we'd have a hard time getting ris of though.
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the good thing about the pallets is, instead of going to the dump, i pull them out and find a use for them, they dont decompose and are easily movable.
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well i will look into this for sure ... hopeing that we can do some stuff down here in rolla soon
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I didn't read threw all the posts of the thread so I might be repeating something. Depending on how much money you want to spend, you could use something cheap and light such as a base (Styrofoam) in which you can transport easily and then reinforce it with quick drying concrete. Stack styrofoam to build what fortifications you want (small fighting positions, small bunkers, or even full sized buildings if desired) then add some water to the quikrete and cover the styrofoam to reinforce it.
Dwayne and company used this method for some buildings they made at D-Day adventure park. Brilliant. Now, for what you need, you don't have to go all out with buildings and stuff, but it would be easy to make some small dug in fighting positions reinforced with a 1 1/2 ft. high styrofoam/concrete wall in front of it. You could make some pretty nifty fighting positions for a relatively limited amount of money..... that will LAST!!!!
Might be too expensive or elaborate for what you are looking for, but it's just another idea if you want to use it.
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We have a few hundred dollar budget right now. thanks for the idea!
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Hrmm...
Sandbags are cheap too. You can build almost anything out of sandbags and dirt fill. Kinda labor intensive though.
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We have access to free inner tubes, and we'll be getting 3 tons of chat(sand/gravel mix) for $60. Free bailing twine to tie the bags with. :)
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you can get 1000 sandbags for 140 bucks. You can buy smaller amounts, but they are only 14 cents a piece when purchasing 1000 or more.
Now, they won't last forever... UV rays break them down over a year's time.
If you use clay/dirt/sand ( 30/30/20% mix) .. you can tamp them down as you lay a row though, ( heavy weight pound them until the "thud" becomes more of a "thap" sound. Doesn't take that much. ) Once the bags set up, the mix inside "cures" , the bags don't matter anymore... the "blocks" of soil will stay there for years and years... just like adobe bricks.
Not great to do that if you plan on moving the structures around... but great for building permanent bunkers and such.
( The tubes, I bet work on the same principle. )
Takes a bit of work though.
Once our field is ready for it... thats what we're gonna use to build the bigger forts and bunkers. everything else will be makeshift stuff, pallets and all that... so it can be configured and re-configured.
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Awesome! I like the idea's of bunkers never really used one yet
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what i have seen is people taking broken trampolines and using the fabric from it around some pvc pipe...i actually have been wanting to do it with are old trampoline
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old reclaimed carpet. we used to call them carpet bunkers in paintball. works the same way as the old trampoline canvas.
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maby you can get some trenches going those are vary simple but a little bit of work if you dont have a backhoe.
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we have a TON of rock under our field, very close the the surface, and showing in many places. big slabs of rock. We'd need like dynamite or something! haha
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oh that or build up around the rocks go up rather then dig down.
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Rocks aren't to good in a field like that. More chance of someone getting hurt.
Jon
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They're all super smooth jon. they never stick up more than a few millimeters from the ground either. Similar to the floors in your CQB actually. I wouldn't be afraid to take an unpadded knee on them.
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Kneeling wasn't what I don't like about rocks. (i don't like that either though) it is someone tripping and falling on them. And if they hit their head... Your invite isn't like ours when we do outside games. With the outdoors you are talking more hazards that you can cover regularly. We only have people come to our outdoor games that understand what Airsoft is. And the hazards involved. By having them playing for awhile or even at a few of our controled events you see how they play and they have a chance to understand what is involved. And talk to other airsofters that have played at many events.
Experience shows us that new players that go out and fall and break and arm the end is not good with the parents or guardians. If they get their teeth shot out they don't always think they are the ones responsible. Or the people who have to pay the medical/dental bills don't care what they say if they think the Land owner is neglegent. I just know what happens to the whole sport of Airsoft when Events aren't prepared for this stuff. And if someone has a bad experience then they want justice and bad news stories are not good for anybody.
What I am trying to say is don't take any safety issues for granted. Think the worse and prepare for them. And pray you don't have to really worry about those ever happening.
Again we just want people being safe and having a good time. First time events at any field have their issues and I want it to go as smoothly as possible.
Jon
So go Airsoft
Supercell
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i like to think all that danger come with the sport of airsoft, but thats just me.
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i like to think all that danger come with the sport of airsoft, but thats just me.
That is my point. That is what you expect if you have done this before. But you also want the organizers to curve some of those hazards if they can. I hate those fields that don't pick up old barb wire fencing. Use old metal pieces for bunkers and such and raged edges and nails sticking out.
How many events have you been to? What is your age? Just curious. We want people to be able to go to a field, or CQB, and know that at least things have been done to the best of most people's ability in keeping them as safe as possible. Otherwise, like I said bad things tend to happen. Usually not by the players but by those having to pay the bills. And some new players that just can't afford things. Basically like I said before.
Jon
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So if it would be a better idea not to use our field, then what's the point of having one? Just trying to understand, although I get what you mean about safety and people taking hazards and stuff.
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jon- i am 21 and for the events i have never been to any around here with you all, i have played a little bit with my firends. and i have an other friend that have played airsoft for a few years give me the lowdown on the sport. he tells me old war stories lol. im working on geting as much information on this sport as i can so i dont seem so ignorent about it all lol
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So if it would be a better idea not to use our field, then what's the point of having one? Just trying to understand, although I get what you mean about safety and people taking hazards and stuff.
You know that isn't what I am saying. Even Cody's land has areas that are rough. But he tries to manage those area's so that people know what they are getting into. As well as just doing what he can when we aren't there to clean things up and take care of any problems that arise after flooding or normal growth.
My point on yours was that you commented on not being afraid to kneel down on those rocks after I mentioned that rocks aren't good things. All it said to me was you aren't planning for any situation that could happen. Which brought on my comments of safety and how easy it is to fall and bust your head and all those bad things that can happen especially when rocks are involved. Again I am just trying to make sure you knew what I am saying since you haven't done this before. And I sure hope you don't think, THAT I THINK, there are no rocks here in the Ozarks. Because I don't know of anyplace without rocks.
Scottxxx, you seem to be taking all the right steps getting into this. And you will learn so much from all these guys. Everybody has their own perspective of what they like and don't like so remember that. I have been doing Airsoft since the 1997 and we are the guys who developed the First Airsoft Claymore (ASC7) back in 2001. So I have been in the sport a long time and have seen a lot of things. So keep up the good work learning what you can. And just remember to have fun.
Back on Topic...
Jon
So Go Airsoft
Supercell
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thx jon, i have been thinking a large tower would be really neat but that might be a long shot to build one.
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Well it won't be to far off if I get this property I have been working on.
Jon
So Go Airsoft
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if you get a few large towers on one field that would be really cool. i have a thing for towers lol
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We have a couple iron T-posts we're saving for possibly something like that. Seems like the other people that work on our field aren't interested in it though.
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you can build a sweet structure with some T posts and some plywood add sand bags and you can have a peice of work :)
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Yeah I know! We still haven't got around to making our bags, we got the inner tubes I believe
though.
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Yeah, safety is a big issue.
Even on our field down here, we have old metal pieces, and some fencing, along with other things scattered around. We generally try to avoid these spots for the most part... as it's been a slow process, and unfortunately, when it comes time for us to ask everyone that plays down here for a bit of help and clean up... we usually don't get a very great response from players.
Our field is very big though, and there's just alot to do, especially with a little bit done at a time.
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dragon your field sounds pretty good, i hope to play on it some time.
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Our field is basically a very large backyard with both open and inaccessible areas.
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aslong as its not so small that im right on top of my team mates its all good lol
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Naw you'll be fine. lol
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Our field is basically a very large backyard with both open and inaccessible areas.
Please tell me that your backyard is away from neighbors and major roads. Backyard airsofting is not something that we support.
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Well there's a neighbor but there's trees and a barn so they can't really see the field.
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Just wanted to make sure, thanks for making that clear. Your game is coming up soon, it might be a good idea to prep your neighbor for whats to come.
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tell them dont mind all thise guys running around shooting at eachother its just a game lol
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haha Well I don't know them so I'll tell the owner's granddaughter to tell him to tell them. lol haha
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Safety is no joke. Do not rely on someone else to do your job. Take responsibility and talk to your neighbors. You do not want to take any chances when realistic weapons are involved. If you can't manage it, asking your parents for help would be the right choice.
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Clayton, Shifty is right. The laws they are trying to redo in Ca. are because of people not doing their due diligence while planning and setting up a game. If 1 wrong person sees this game and nobody has been told or not the right people have been told about it. Cops get called. Then you better hope and pray that someone doesn't want to show the police that their Airsoft gun isn't a real gun and points it at them. (again just picking it up and trying to show them) and they end up getting shot and possibly killed.
And it has happened enough where they are wanting to pass all these laws and rules for Airsoft. Even this piece of property that I want to hold games on I will notify the County Sheriff's office, any neighbors and have the appropriate signage. Even though I am pretty sure that where we would be playing on 60 acres nobody will even see or hear what is happening. Again it only takes 1 person.
Always be saying Stay Safe in your head when planning things. Whatever it takes. That way you know you have done your best to watch over those who agree to come to your games.
This is probably a good discussion so we all know the importance of all these things. I watched the California meetings on turning Airsoft into something that will destroy it. These people have no idea. And I just know we don't need those types of problems.
Stay safe everybody,
Jon
So Go Airsoft
Supercell
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Well it's quite a drive for me is all...I don't really consider it my job either, but since I doubt anyone else will do it, I'll try to talk to them or leave them notes when I'm over there on the 18th.
And I've talked to cops while wearing my guns, I know the drill. I even got pulled over with 5 M4's in the car. You just be non-threatening and submissive and everything should go fine.
PS There's more neon-colored firearms out the than firearms with orange tips...lol They'd actually make it harder to tell the difference.
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Well it's quite a drive for me is all...I don't really consider it my job either, but since I doubt anyone else will do it, I'll try to talk to them or leave them notes when I'm over there on the 18th.
And I've talked to cops while wearing my guns, I know the drill. I even got pulled over with 5 M4's in the car. You just be non-threatening and submissive and everything should go fine.
PS There's more neon-colored firearms out the than firearms with orange tips...lol They'd actually make it harder to tell the difference.
As it is your field and your game it is your responsibility. Unless I am mistaken on who is hosting the game. Telling the people in the area about impending games should be part of your check off list of things to do before you start a game. It would be wise to even tell them right before a game. Make sure you talk to them. Either in person or on the phone. people forget notes or they get thrown away or they never make it to people. This way there is no way they could be confused.
You know the drill, but does everyone that plays the sport. Do the kids that still don't know who is playing the game and who is a sheriff? What if while on your field the sheriffs showed up and one of the kids thinking the sheriff is part of the game. Points his gun at the officer and is shot in response. Now that kids well fare is your problem and the news will say "Local air-softer shot due to negligence." They will probably post the location he was shot and probably the group that sponsored it and hosted the game. Then they would warn people not to play and to avoid sites like this one that broadcast when and where games can occur.
We do Not need bad publicity because someone doesn't want to heed the warnings of people who have more experience. No one has told you Not to hold your games or that you are doing a bad job of setting stuff up. We are giving you the tools to succeed and make sure its a safe place to play. For you and your players. I implore you to take the advice given to you and use it.
PS. To the media it doesn't matter what kind of guns are out there and neither do the politicians. They will be seen as doing something about public awareness and helping out our children. So they will get better ratings and also get more votes. It doesn't matter if they actually do it!
~Shaggy
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Well honestly I'm not huge fan of the idea of people using airsoft guns as a sport. I mean is it really that good of an idea for all these replica guns to be in the hands of so many minors and irresponsible college kids or adults? After all it has gotten people killed in past a surely will in the future, especially as the hobby grows. It seems as though the 18+ purchase age limit is quite disregarded, especially with parents buying guns for their kids. It's all about responsibility and irresponsibility. Regardless and way off topic........
Let me clarify exactly what's going on here as far as administration-My church has an airsoft team. A relative of one of our members has allowed us to use his land for this purpose. Our team decided to host an event. It seems to me as if it's lacking planning and organization. They don't really listen to me, I just try to organize their stuff.
Since this discussion no longer has anything to do with "Field Fortifications", I'm locking this thread.
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I hope you will still be making it out tomorrow. This way we can discuss this more and play some good games of airsoft.
~Shaggy