Formula to make instructions to match 1/48th scale

Hello!

Now math is something very handy to any modeller, try to get friends with it.

I'm trying to undertand your problem which is somewhat unclear to me - so let me get some more general instead. Say you have a drawing you want to match to your model, let's say it is a top view. What you do first is to find a nice measurement (the larger the better) - like a fuselage length, or wingtip to wingtip distance. The bigger the distance you choose, the more exactly you can measure it and fit the drawing to the model. Say the distance is x on the model and y on the drawing. Divide x by y and you get a number like 1.23. That means you have to copy the drawing with 123% setting to match it to the model. Should the drawing be bigger than the model then you get a number like 0.89, which tells you you have to adjust the setting to 89%.

I hope it helps you - should you need more info please let me know. Good luck with your projects and have a nice day

Paweł

You cannot, because your instructions are in no particular scale.

That is, if I am interpretting your question correctly.

Hello Greg!

Why such a negative attitude! One can always try - although the outcome is never guaranteed (almost). We have to make a distinction between when there's really no scale meaning the drawing is out of proportion, say you match the fuselage length the wingspan is off, yo umatch the wingspan then the fuselage isn't right. Or the drawing might be proportional but the scale just isn't stated - that's often the case with painting diagrams. Then the procedure I have described would just cut it.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day

Paweł

Pawel has good advice.

For example, if the aircraft has a 48 foot wingspan, at 1/48 that means the drawing would measure 48/48 or 1 foot wingspan.

If you can have access to a printer where the enlarge/ reduce is something that you can control, it's often easiest to make a guess about the ratio, then measure the print and make minor adjustments. You'll get it right after a few tries.

The larger the dimension used, the better you will do.

This can be a real problem with ship modeling, as the points of measurement are hard to determine, and in fact the definition of what a dimension even refers to are somewhat unreliable.

Pawel

Hello Greg!

Why such a negative attitude! One can always try

I didn't mean for my comment to be a negative one. I'm sorry.

Of course interpolation is possible. I assumed that would be presumed and the OP was looking for a ratio  or multiplier.

Dad told me never assume nothin. Guess I forgot.

Edit: MrDave, I hope you get this sorted out.

Greg, I was just kidding, didn't mean to make you sorry!

I slowly believe this is one of those "ask and run" threads, where we never get to catch a glimpse of the original poster. In those threads people take time to answer questions and then they don't even know if the answer was helpful to anybody.

And if I may do some philosophy, while I understand that thing about never assuming anything it's not really possible. The information we get all the time is (nearly almost) never complete. I believe our brains have to "fill in the voids" to be able to even start processing the problem at hand.

I hope at least other modellers can get something useful out of this one - have a nice day!

Paweł

(Raises hand)  Um, so what was the question again?

Does the OP want 1/48 instructions to go with his model?  If so, the answer is right there, 1/48.  So the copier is set to 0.020833% reduction (1 divided by 48).

HTH.  Did I get the answer right?

Gentlemen,

My apologies that my original post was as unclear as it was.  Several months ago, I came across a post asking a similiar question regarding making a camo mask to fit the actual model.  In hindsight, this was probably the wrong forum.

In any case, I forgot how the post said to enlarge the instructions so that the camo mask fit the scale model.  There is a calculation/formula but as I said earlier, my algebra is a bit rusty.

Thanks anyway for your suggestions.

Ah okay now I understand.

So what you do is measure the model’s overall length and span, and do the same for the drawings in the instructions.  Now divide the model span by the drawing span and that will give you the needed enlargement.  Do the same with the fuselage measurements because a lot of times the two views on the instructions are NOT to the same scale.

HTH

Dave, looks like Pawel and RealG understand what you want to accomplish and have offered some great advice.

You're a good guy, Dave. Please don't stop asking questions. This place gets boring when folks stop asking for help.

Thank you Real G.  You are a scholar and a gentleman. A rare breed indeed.

Frank Crenshaws' scale calc is your friend here,

measure your drawing wingspan, then measure your model wingspan, & Scalecalc will tell you what percentage to enlarge or reduce by...

available here: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/calculatorfc_1.htm

& here: http://www.mksmc.co.uk/hintsandtips/scale_calculator.html

MrDave

Thank you Real G.  You are a scholar and a gentleman. A rare breed indeed.

 

No problemo.  That’s what the forum is for.  

But I’m neither gentleman nor scholar - that’s like, um, other people.  Huh huh.  Huh huh huh... (Insert “Beavis and Butthead” picture here)