Scale to Inches

The model boxes often have the dimensions of the built model listed in either inches or cm/mm.

Or find the dimensions of the real thing on something like Wikipedia, and simply divide by the scale.

Something 40 feet long (40x12 or 480 inches) would be 6.67 inches in 1/72, 10 inches in 1/48, 15 inches in 1/32, etc.

1/32 scale means a 1/32 scale model viewed at one foot (12")

will look like viewing the life sized real thing at 32 Feet (384").

Its math,  no one told me there would be math in modeling!

1:32 is a ratio.  One thirty-second of an inch on a model represents one inch of the real thing.   One thirty-second of a meter represents a meter.   Twelve thirty-seconds (or 3/8) on a model represents one foot.

Other common scales are also ratios.   1:72; one seventy-second of an inch represents an inch of the real thing.   A six-foot man is 72 inches tall.  A model of a 6-foot man is one-inch tall.

1:48; one forty-eighth of an inch represents one inch.  Twelve-forty-eights (1/4) on a model represents one foot.   That is why it is often called quarter-scale.   Care to guess how large a scale piece of 4'x8' plywood would be.

1:1 scale.  One inch represents one inch.  

Scales are just ratios.   The numerator is the number of units of the real thing (inches, feet, meters, cm, etc).  The denominator is how finely you want to slice it into.   Yes, 3:32 is a scale,  it reduces to a bit under .1 inch to the inch.

Hey Ed!

      Now you know why I bought Scale rulers for the different scales. I had enough of math making a living as both and Engineer/Designer and Model Builder. At least I only had to know the Compass well when conning a ship! Come right to 252! Aye! Aye! Sir !!! was the reply!

I wrote this scale converter for IPMS San Diego's web site ages ago.  Didn't survive the latest incarnation.  Simple Java Script

https://www.ipmssd.org/Pages/ScaleConverter.htm

That's why companies like Heller who are in countries that use the metric system have scales like 1/400. When making scale models, all it takes is adding decimal points.

I've documented a number of architectural projects in metric scale. Civil engineers use it or at least use dimensions that are decimal equivalents of feet-and-inches. It make calculating things like earthy grading volumes that have dimensions in three axes quick.

Model railroad scales and guages? A dark science.

Bill

GMorrison

That's why companies like Heller who are in countries that use the metric system have scales like 1/400. When making scale models, all it takes is adding decimal points.

I've documented a number of architectural projects in metric scale. Civil engineers use it or at least use dimensions that are decimal equivalents of feet-and-inches. It make calculating things like earthy grading volumes that have dimensions in three axes quick.

Model railroad scales and guages? A dark science.

 

Bill

That is also why there is 1:35 scale in addition to 1:32.   35 is easily divisible by 5 to get it into 'the realms' of 10s    1:700 scale is  metric 1:720, 1:200 scale is metric 1:192, 1:100 scale is metric 1:96;  all common ship modeling scales.

And if you want to talk 'dark science', what scale is a 54mm figure?  Figures are measured from the soles of their feet to the line of the eye.    Heaven forbid if the guy has a hat or a tall forehead

Yes, I know there are formulas to calculate figure scale from mm size, but that is math, and we've already established that no one told me that there would be math involved

54MM?  

        I don't know the answer to that either. I just know it's fun to work on those 54 Mimilitre Figures!

A 54mm figure is the equivalent of 1/32nd scale.

!/43rd scale is an accepted standard car modelling scale. How did that come about? Its original concept was to have scale vehicles that were compatable with 'O' Gauge Model railways as lineside accessories. It originated I think with Dinky Toys in the UK.

Inch to metric conversion........1 inch equals 25.4mm.

Bugatti Fan

A 54mm figure is the equivalent of 1/32nd scale... 

That's not consistent across all figure manufacturers, though, mostly because 54mm wasn't and still isn't applied consistenly by figure makers.  This goes back to the various makers of toy soldiers, before anyone made figures for mass consumption as historical miniatures.

Some makers reckoned 54mm from the top of a figure's head to the soles of its feet, ignoring any headgear the figure might wear.  Other measured from the figures eyes to its feet.

Going back to the 50s and the emergence of figures sold as kits or castings and intended to be finished as detailed historical miniatures as opposed to toys, there are two makers who illustrate this difference. 

One was Charles Stadden, whose figures were sold as 54mm, but they are slightly larger, and closer to 56mm, measuring from the top of a figure's bare head to the soles of his feet. 

The other is Imrie-Risley, a collaboration between the artists Bill Imrie and Clyde Risley.  Their figures are also sold as 54mm, but they are slightly smaller than Stadden figures.  And I don't mean smaller, in the same way one man is 6' and another 5' 6".  There is a slight difference in proportions.  I/R figures are what some call a true 54mm, and as far as scale goes, they're 1/35.  Stadden's figures are a big 1/32, closer to 1/30.

We see a similar inconsistency with 1/48 scale figures.  Compare a Verlinden 1/48 USN pilot with Monogram's TBD pilot figure, and we see that the Monogram figure is larger.  And we can compare that Monogram pilot with figures from earlier Monogram kits, and note that he's a little larger than they are, even though they're all 1/48 scale.

So you learn to develop an eye for judging size, and comparing it to scale, and you learn to see if two figures from different makers fit together.  You learn to judge if two figures look natural, and therefore, look right together in the same setting.

Hmmm!

      Funny, I hadn't noticed that. Now that you mention it, There is a very discernable difference between The Revell and Monogram military figures given they were supposed, Supposed to be the same scale! This also holds true for some figures I have from Hasegawa and Tamiya! Also the 1/24 figures and 1/25 figures from the model car companies vary quite a bit. The ATLANTIS offering of the old Revell, Cadillac,Eldorado Brougham are definitely smaller than my other 1/24 and 1/25 figures from other mfgrs!