What is scale?

alumni72 wrote:

Why isn't 1/48 scale one forty-eighth of actual size?  I know I've read that it isn't, but I've never read an explanation of why scales such as 1/48 is used or how to determine its proportion to actual size.  Can someone point me to an actual explanation of scale, as it pertains to models? I wouldn't really care except that for years I had plans to build a pre-WW2 carrier deck display base for my pre-WW2 Devastator model that I have yet to build - and I knew I needed to do the individual planks proportionally based on actual size.  I figured it was easy enough, since 1/48 is the scale - just find out the size of an actual plank and divide the dimensions by 48 and I'd have the size of the planks for my base.  But mathematically it didn't work out that way, so I know it's not that simple.

You have to remember that a model is three dimensional, so, 1/48th in fact means each dimension, length, width and height, is 1/48th of the original. So, in fact, volumetrically, a 1/48th scale model is 1/110592 the volume of the original.

Picture this - you have a 1 inch cube and a 48 inch cube side by side. Dimensionally, the 1 inch cube is 1/48th of the 48 inch cube. However, to fill the same space as the 48 inch cube, you need (48x48x48 = 110592) 1 inch cubes. (Hope this makes sense)

Rob Gronovius wrote:

1/48 scale actually means that 1" on the model equals 48" on the real thing. It is not a numerical fraction meaning 1/48 of the actual size.

Yep, that's why if you have a small size or shape error it can in some cases make the model look wrong to some people who know the subject well. Becasue if you were bring it up to full size the error in actually 48 times bigger.         

phoenix7187 wrote:

Yep, that's why if you have a small size or shape error it can in some cases make the model look wrong to some people who know the subject well. Becasue if you were bring it up to full size the error in actually 48 times bigger.

I was curious about this also. So a panel line of .5mm wide on a 1:48 scale plane would equal a 24mm wide panel line on the full scale plane? Wow! That is a one inch space between panels on the full scale plane!! It seems then that most model panel lines should be almost imperceptible for the scale effect.

Chris 

alumni72 wrote:

I figured it was easy enough, since 1/48 is the scale - just find out the size of an actual plank and divide the dimensions by 48 and I'd have the size of the planks for my base.

 1/48 is one forty-eigth of the actual size, dividing by 48 should give you the right dimensions.

bofuf wrote:

phoenix7187 wrote: Yep, that's why if you have a small size or shape error it can in some cases make the model look wrong to some people who know the subject well. Becasue if you were bring it up to full size the error in actually 48 times bigger.          I was curious about this also. So a panel line of .5mm wide on a 1:48 scale plane would equal a 24mm wide panel line on the full scale plane? Wow! That is a one inch space between panels on the full scale plane!! It seems then that most model panel lines should be almost imperceptible for the scale effect. Chris

Now consider the size of the engraving cutters used to create the mold.   If the finest cutting burr that they are able to use to cut the steel die in the mold has a nominal size 0.5 mm then that is the finest size of line that can be engraved. 

But the plans say there should be a panel line at this location and many modelers expect them to be there.

High quality small-sized industrial steel tools are expensive items and most model manufacturers will opt to go with a larger more robust cutter than risk breakage on micro-sized cutters

Rob Gronovius wrote:

1/48 scale actually means that 1" on the model equals 48" on the real thing. It is not a numerical fraction meaning 1/48 of the actual size.

You musta missed that day in math class, they're the same thing!

IYAAYAS wrote:

Rob Gronovius wrote: 1/48 scale actually means that 1" on the model equals 48" on the real thing. It is not a numerical fraction meaning 1/48 of the actual size.   You musta missed that day in math class, they're the same thing!

alumni72 wrote:

Why isn't 1/48 scale one forty-eighth of actual size?  Can someone point me to an actual explanation of scale, as it pertains to models?

Don, 1/48 scale does kind of equal one forty-eighth of actual size.
Scale: The ratio of the size of a model or other representation to the actual size of the object represented.
Ratio: The relation of one part to another or to a whole.
Problem is, you need a reference measurement for the 1 (ratio/form of measurement) in the equation. I see in all the post that people are assuming it is inches. HAHA, where was the model designed and made? Find a measurement of the real deal and compare it to the model, then base your calculations on that. Use something simple like overall length.

I figured it was easy enough, since 1/48 is the scale - just find out the size of an actual plank and divide the dimensions by 48 and I'd have the size of the planks for my base.  But mathematically it didn't work out that way, so I know it's not that simple.

Once you find out the form of measurement used for the model, it will become easy for the planks.

Edit: Think of it like this 1 unit of measure = 48 units of measure. 1 model = 48 real, must find measure unit.

within a few fractions of a mm scale is right for static modelers like us

for other types of modeling, scales are alot less accurate

r/c models and railroad are the ones that come to mind

with r/c you must allow for the gas engines to fit in/on the unit

with model railroad (unless modeling for static purposes) scale is off

ie HO scale 1/87  box car that is 48 ft long is 6.62 in long  but the tracks it runs on are not correct if it is traveling on  them.  the distance between 2 cities the train travels on if the cities were just even a mile apart  you need aprox 62 ft of track to match in proper scale

therefore you would need a std 5 room ranch house with track around it's perimeter to work right for it's scale

again slightly   but   sort of a perspective view on scale