What does scale mean?
If you’re coming to this page from a video or search, you already know the answer so feel free to skip ahead. For folks just getting into book nooks, scale model building, or dioramas, scale is simply the size difference between a real world object and a smaller (or larger) reproduction. For example, if something is one foot long in the real world and I make a model of it one inch long, the scale is 1:12… one inch equals one foot – super easy!
Why does model scale matter?
If you’re creating a single object that doesn’t need to relate to any other object or environment, scale doesn’t really matter… unless, of course, someone requests it. Understanding the scale becomes critically important if it’s part of a larger book nook or diorama because every element should be “to scale”. Humans are pretty good at determining size relationships. Being able to determine the size of… oh say… a mean looking, sharp-toothed creature in the woods is a big deal. There’s a huge difference between a beaver and a bear and the perception of relative scale allows us to visually figure out the just how scary the encounter might be. Looking at nooks and dioramas, nothing is more jarring than scale mismatches.
What are the different scales?
Scale is a ratio. That means there are an almost unlimited number of possible scales. You can make up your own or use some of the more common options. In many cases, keeping the math simple is the best reason to pick one size over another. Sometimes the numbers are a bit more obscure – 1:600 was used by the Royal Navy because it worked out to one-tenth of a nautical mile to the foot. Uh… wuh?!
Here are some common scales you might bump into during your next visit to the hobby or craft store:
- 1:12 – Often called Dollhouse Scale
This is one of the most useful scales for book nooks since you can find plenty of things to fill the nooks of your nooks. The math is really simple with one inch equaling one foot in the real world. Last, but not least, scale objects are big, but not too big, making construction easier. - 1:35 – Scale military models and figures
If your jam is military dioramas, you’re familiar with this scale. Many military vehicles and figures are available in this size due to the great balance between size and level of detail possible. - 1:64 – Gaming miniatures
DnD and Warhammer figures vary quite a bit so this scale is more of a guideline than a rule. Also, buildings and accessories for gaming are often built with playability in mind and not true scale. - 1:87 – HO model railroad scale
If you’re looking to build nooks and dioramas that depict buildings and towns and not rooms in buildings, HO is another great scale with tons of kits and accessories out there. You don’t need to love railroads to love HO.
Here’s a great link to a more extensive list and their uses.
Creating your own scale ruler
Thankfully, building a model to scale is really easy requiring a level of math that even I’m able to manage. When I start a project, the very first thing I do is determine what model scale I’ll be using. If the nook or diorama already has some scale bits and pieces I want to use, the decision is made for me.
Once I have the scale, I usually try to avoid math as much as possible. I’m a visual person so I like to use scale rulers. You can find architectural and engineering scale rulers online but I generally make my own. Here’s my process:
- I find clip art of rulers – inch or metric.
- I paste the rule clip art twice into a program where I can scale them to different sizes. Any tool that allows you to manipulate imagery or clip art will do.
- I keep one set of the rulers full sized and then scale the second copy down to match the ratio I’m going for. This does not need to be accurate to six decimal places-I usually eyeball it a bit.
- I print the ruler out and use it as a visual reference when I’m creating or measuring different materials or objects.
- In a pinch, I do the math to figure out how big something should be based on the model scale.
Examples and downloads
How to scale models
Once you’ve determined the scale you are using, there are two ways I use to convert the size of real-world objects to smaller, scale objects in my project. The first way uses math–—important if you want to be really accurate. The alternative is to eyeball using the rulers mentioned above.
Math
The math method is really easy when the scale is a simple conversion. In 1:12 dollhouse scale, one inch in the model is one foot in the real world. Six inches is 1/2 an inch. If a countertop is 36″ tall in life, it’s 3″ in miniature. It’s just a matter of converting the larger number to the smaller number by dividing by 12. Things get a little tricky when the numbers get smaller. In dollhouse scale, one inch in the real world is 1/12″ of an inch (0.08″) which isn’t really a thing on a ruler. When I start to get into more than a few decimal places, I round and simplify. The goal is to keep things “relatively” correct so everything looks correct.
As you can imagine, smaller scales or scales where the math doesn’t end in nice, round numbers begins to require a calculator. For example, many action figures are 1:18 scale—0.67″ per foot. Honestly, that makes my head hurt just looking at it. Since the goal for me is to get things “close enough”, I will switch to the eyeball method when the math gets hard.
Eyeballing it
Being a visual kinda guy, this is the absolute easiest way for me to figure out how big something should be. My first step is to create a ruler. The ruler can be an established scale or completely made up. Once I have a ruler printed out, it’s a simple matter of laying a straight edge across the page to see what the “real world” size on the right equals on the inch or metric ruler on the left. The measurements I work with are generally no smaller than 1mm or 1/16″ so this method is more than enough to get things sized relatively accurately. My goal is to make sure nothing is grossly out of scale—an apple shouldn’t be the size of a bowling ball. Having a ruler provides an easy visual aid to convert sizes and measure existing small items.
Wrapping up
There are a few sayings out there that I try to embrace. Done is better than perfect is one of them. It’s easy to get bogged down trying to make sure everything is scaled perfectly. Some competitions judge heavily on how accurate the model scale is. Unless you’re competing where that’s a criteria, close enough is your best friend. When someone looks at your nook or diorama, it should be clear if it’s a beaver or a bear. Ensuring that everything in your projects is at the same relative scale will go a long way in increasing the believability and realism of your scene.
