HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:
|
CUSTOM scales are ratios you make. Some of the popular modeling scales are included
right on the Scaleware calculator. A FROM scale is the ratio you use when you measure an
existing object. Your FROM scale will probably be 1:1 most of the time if you are using an
ordinary ruler, yardstick, micrometer, or vernier calipers to make measurements. A TO scale
is the scale you decide to use to build or sculpt your model. The Scaleware calculator is flexible to use. Your input measurements can be in inches, feet, meters, cm, mm, or any combinations of these units. Your RESULT dimension is rounded to 3 decimal places (trailing zeros are not shown). And, you can scale up or down. When you click your left mouse button over the CLICK TO COMPUTE screen button, your scaled dimension is calculated and loaded into the RESULT display box. |
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
A FIGURINE EXAMPLE:
|
I sculpted and casted these pewter Indian eagle dancers from scratch. I would like
to know how tall they would be, in scale body height, in a G scale model railroad,
diorama, or pioneer doll house. With an ordinary inch ruler, they measure 2¼
inches. So, I select FROM SCALE ACTUAL 1:1 (because it is the scale I measured in)
TO SCALE G 1:22.5 (because that is the scale I want to model in), and FT-IN RESULT
(because that is the kind of ruler I am using). I enter 6.0 in the FEET field (because
that is a somewhat common male body height), then I click the COMPUTE button.
I can read the RESULT now. A 6 foot G scale Indian would measure 3.2 inches tall.
With 2 more guesses, I find my 2¼ inch Indians are 4 feet 2½ inches tall in G scale. Out of curiosity, I change TO SCALE to Number One (No1) scale, 1:32. I find that my Indian castings are exactly 6 feet tall in Number One scale. |
A WHEEL EXAMPLE:
|
I had made a mold for casting spoked wheels. I wanted to use castings from the
mold to scratchbuild a model of an early automobile. I used a yardstick to measure
wheels on an antique auto. The wheels measured 33 inches in diameter. My wheel
castings measured 1¼ inches in diameter. I selected FROM SCALE ACTUAL 1:1, TO
SCALE G 1:22.5, and entered 33 in the INCHES field. I did not get 1.25 inches for a
RESULT. So, I tried a few CUSTOM ·TO· SCALES, and I found that a ratio of 1:26.39
would allow me to use my 1¼ inch diameter spoked wheels as 33 inch scale wheels. |
A MINIATURE WOODEN OUTDOOR HOUSE EXAMPLE:
|
I wanted to make a mold for casting doors on garden railway houses. I used a G
scale ruler to cut and lay out my wood pieces to scratchbuild a scale door. I used
this door as a pattern to make a mold. I needed to cut lots of pieces of wood to
construct the sides and roof for each house. The tablesaw I used had gradations in
inches on its table. So, I decided to work in inches. I selected FROM ACTUAL 1:1
(because I was modeling from dimensioned house plans) and TO SCALE G 1:22.5
(to work in inches). I entered the dimensions called out on the house plans, wrote
down all my Scaleware RESULT dimensions (which were in inches), and cut wood. |
[ NHsouth ] [ CraftCorner ] [ Workbench ]
Scratchbuilders Scaleware 2.1 copyright © 1999 Wayne Pearson disclaimer
Send questions or comments about this web site to webmanager@nhsouth.com
Copyright © 1999, 2000 Gynan Enterprises
Gynan Enterprises acceptable use policy