Large Scale Central

Measuring question?

Modeling
#1

When you model do you measure in scale or by your day to day measure method i.e., ft & in, metric. ?

Reason for this is I notice a lot of post during builds don’t use scale sizes, but rather day to day measures. Since we build in a multitude of scales, I find it easier to think of the possible future builds in scale sizes. I think Mike OMalleys post brought this to mind when he talked of the drivers being spot on in a smaller scale.

#2

Quite often, I DON’T actually ‘measure’. Rather, I cut the piece to fit the hole - then make the other side to match. As long as the major proportions are close, the end result looks like I almost have a clue what I’m doing…

#3
David Marconi said:
When you model do you measure in scale or by your day to day measure method i.e., ft & in, metric. ?

Reason for this is I notice a lot of post during builds don’t use scale sizes, but rather day to day measures. Since we build in a multitude of scales, I find it easier to think of the possible future builds in scale sizes. I think Mike OMalleys post brought this to mind when he talked of the drivers being spot on in a smaller scale.


Sadly, my main source of plans is GR, and, as you know, they are all in 1/22.5 and I model in Fn3. So I take an AMS flat car, and copy that, for the most part. In order to keep up with Ron and his coach project I WILL be going to some lengths to get the coach drawings corrected [that’s a pun, by the way].

This is because there is no handy shop to enlarge the print for me - the nearest is in Peterborough - a round trip of almost 48 miles- that’s nearly three gallons of gasoline = $24.00.

I can build a complete car for half that, excluding trucks, of course. In fact, my twelve skeleton cars were built at a cost of about $4 each.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#4

But that’s my way of thinking. Even with the GR plans drawn to 1/22.5 if they also use the scale measurement with the drawing, I can look at the drawing and see I need a piece 7’3" scale and build in whatever scale I want. Whereas if the drawing in 1/22.5 shows a piece 1 3/4" long I first have to convert the 1 3/4" to 1/22.5 scale and then build in my scale

I understand that when you’re looking at a manufactured piece, i.e. AristoCraft Pacific drivers, you need to know the actual size to decide if it fits your scale use for your build

#5

What I do when plans are in another scale, I use two scale rules, one that matches the plan and the other that matches my scale (1.20.3). works good - I can take old HO plans from various sources and use those plans to build my stuff.

#6

I use the eye ball scale. Me and measuring/math dont mix.

#7

Since I have the software to do it, I mark my measurements as the 1:1 size on a drawing scaled to what scale I’m building. For example…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/EBTTank/Wood_Flat_102.jpg)

When transferring to the actual workpiece I tend to use a metric ruler. Kevin Strong pointed out long ago that if 45MM track represents 3 Feet in 1:20.32, then 15MM is 1 foot.

#8

So Jon, how do you get the wood to fit the sizes? Do you rip the bits to make the odd sizes? I don’t have a saw table, least of all the space to put one, so I buy the nearest that is available from our local hobby store and so far nobody has noticed that the components are maybe a mm or so too big or too small.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#9
Terry A de C Foley said:
So Jon, how do you get the wood to fit the sizes? Do you rip the bits to make the odd sizes? I don't have a saw table, least of all the space to put one, so I buy the nearest that is available from our local hobby store and so far nobody has noticed that the components are maybe a mm or so too big or too small.

tac
www.ovgrs.org


NOW we will notice. You should have kept your secret.

FYI, a 12" tabletop bandsaw can saw most of what you may need sawn. See? They are quieter, safer and allow for curved, intricate cuts.

#10

I’ve been generating “quite a few” structure drawings, they are to 1:22.5 scale and the dimensions are in millimeters i.e. the width of a specific doorway is 40mm (rather than 900mm).
Reasoning? Since these drawings are available to the RhB-Forum members (either side of the pond and elsewhere) this method will cause the least confusion; no calculations and no scale ruler required. :slight_smile:

#11

I usually use my scale ruler. I find that it’s easier to work with 36 scale inches than 1.771653543307 actual inches. However, for longer lengths, I’ll use mm.

#12

I would likely have rounded the 1.771653543307 inches to 1 3/4.

#13
Tom Ruby said:
I would likely have rounded the 1.771653543307 inches to 1 3/4.
But what if you want 6 equal segments? ;)
#14

Steve Weidner I have done the same But When some one post a build thread on line and says I cut a piece 1 3/4" but you happen to build in a differant scale that second scale rule doesn’t help much does it. But if the thread said I cut a 4’3" piece you’ld have no problem would you.

Now see Jon I like that! Because if I model in a differant scale, I can still use your drawing or your build thread to build the same thing in a differant scale thread

Hans, that works great in the group but if you see plans for something you like isn’t it alot easier on you when they are drawn to your scale. Kind of hard to model a specific railway station if the drawing you have is not marked with a specific scale and the measurements are actual metric length.

I’m not disagreeing with anyone here as I believe what ever works. Just food for thought when building and posting because of the many scales modeled here. Just because your scale works out to be a certain size mine may be smaller or larger. That 4" piece in your scale may only be 8’ long but in mine it might become 12’or 5’4", niether would make a good doorway would it?

Yes I’m guilty of posting day to day sizes but I try to remember to mention the scale at some point.

#15
David Marconi said:
..... Hans, that works great in the group but if you see plans for something you like isn't it alot easier on you when they are drawn to your scale. Kind of hard to model a specific railway station if the drawing you have is not marked with a specific scale and the measurements are actual metric length. .....
Actually since they are CAD drawings I can scale them up or down to whatever scale one would like to build in. Originally I thought long and hard about doing them in 1:1, but decided on 1:22.5 since that is an established scale (II or 2) and printing the drawings to that size is (more or less) manageable.
#16
Terry A de C Foley said:
So Jon, how do you get the wood to fit the sizes? Do you rip the bits to make the odd sizes? I don't have a saw table, least of all the space to put one, so I buy the nearest that is available from our local hobby store and so far nobody has noticed that the components are maybe a mm or so too big or too small.

tac
www.ovgrs.org


For the flat shown in the plan, I did rip each piece on my table saw from a cedar 4x4. I tried very hard to work within a +/-.5mm tolerance, but could not achieve it. I have a big (10") cheap (Craftsman) saw and I can’t get uniform thickness on very small pieces because the fence is not dead square with the blade.

There’s a build thread around here somewhere that goes into detail.

So if you are achieving +/- 1mm with hobby store stock then you are doing very well. I don’t even think I got that close on most pieces.

#17

Don’t you know how do divide a distance into an arbitrary number of even segments?

Take a piece of lined paper, with the lines spaced closer than the segments you want. If nothing else, fire up your word processor and print some underlines in a small font.

Now, mark one of the lines, count the number you want and mark that.

Now, put the paper against the thing you’re dividing, and turn it so the 2 marked lines cover the whole distance.

Now you can mark where each of the lines on the paper crosses the item, and you’ll have your even spaces.