a question about scale on s/b models

Personally, I avoid the off-scales if I can avoid it.  The one exception is dioramas if my diorama has to fit in a specific area and there are features on it that determine the overall size.  Even then I adjust to a modeling scale, though maybe a less popular one.  For instance I am doing a 1:500 ship diorama. 1:500 is used occasionally, but not by many mfgs.

Otherwise I tend to use architectural scales.  These are ones that are multiples of 1:12, like 1:48, 1:72, 1:144, etc.  The reasons include easy conversions of dimensions, plus the fact that I have an old architect's scale for measuring drawings, etc.  In fact when I scratch a car, I always use 1:24, even though both 1:24 and 1:25 are popular modeling scales, but the 1:25 is not an architectural scale.

Also, I do indeed like to use popular modeling scales in order to use aftermarket accessories and detail parts, or even parts from kits. I suspect when folks use an odd scale it is in order to make the model come out a specific size, as in my dioramas.

Ditto to what Don said!  I always start off with an accurate 3-view, and reduce, or enlarge it to the scale I want, and start there.  I use the pre-plastic era method. Get two flat piece of bulsa, or pine, slap em together with two sided masking tape, and using the seam as my centerline, I trace the model top view onto the wood. next remove the excass wood. Then trace the side view, and remove the excess wood. Then carve, file, and sand the remaining excess wood to shape. Next I seperated the two pieces of wood and vacuform sheet styrene over them, remove the wood masters, and work with the styrene like you would any vacuform kit. My vacuform, is a simple 10x16x4" plywood box with 1/16" holes drilled 1/2" apart. on the top surface. One large hole is drilled in the side wall big enough for a canaster vacuum hose to attach. I have a 10x16" frame made of 1+1/2"x 1+1/2" pine. The sheet styrene is stapled to the frame, and placed in an oven at 400 degrees until the styrene is ready. Then with the wood masters on the vacuform box, place the frame on top, and turn on the Hoover. This is a very basic way to make vacuform parts, but it works. I used this method for my Blohm & Voss P.188/02, (in scratchbuild forum). The canopy area was drawn onto the fuselage styrene pieces, cut out, glued together, sanded smooth, then the backside was filled with automotive bondo to support, and hold it at the proper angle for vacuforming with .015 clear Butyrate. Hope this info was helpful!  And, yes, most details do come from spare parts box. Dave.

I think that you asked a good question here and got some good replies.Now I build in some odd scales because the primary source is sometimes not clear enough to replicate in blowups or reductions.I use a lot of paper-models for patterns in my scratchbuilds. Why? Well, the papermodel genre has MORE ship types available.   TANKERBUILDER