Best Scale to model?

[S.Coleman]

What is the best scale kits for quality details, I'm into 1:64 scale myself and I believe the higher the scale the less detail? Is there a popular kit scale out there most of us like to model?

[Blue Ensign]

1:48 is the classic scale for scratch ship modelling and it does allow for realistic detailing. However, models at that scale can be very large and create accommodation problems.

 

1:64 I think is a reasonable compromise, and for kit builders especially, there is a good range of quality fittings  now available at that scale. There are also some of the best kits on the market at that scale.

 

I do know that the older I get the bigger the scale required

 

B.E.

 

 

[demonborger]

1:72 for wooden ships - nice size and good cross compatibility 

1:350 for modern ships - nice size, ok detail, industry standard, lots of after market photo tech

[russ]

It really depends on what you are modeling and your space restrictions. If you have the room for a 74 gun ship at 1/24 scale, then that will work for you. However, most of us have room for a frigate at 1/64 scale perhaps. For smaller vessels one can build in much larger scales without taking up too much space. I can build a smaller coastal schooner at 1/24 scale and still have a model that is about 3 ft long. That is about the same modelsize as a 44 gun frigate at 1/96 scale. It just depends on what sort of vessel you are modeling.

 

Russ

[Jim Lad]

I usually model at 1:96 but go to 1:48 for smaller vessels.  I started at 1:96 simply due to space considerations, but found it to be such fun at that scale that I stick with it unless the size of the original would make the model too small.

 

John

[Cristiano]

the wood ships modelling allows you to improve a standard kit greatly.

you can add more rigging, accessories, and so on.

but the best results are obtained when you work with a reasonable scale.

that because there is a physical limit on reducing the space occupied by all the rigging involved in a sailing ship.

so when possible, it should be chosed a scale from 1:60 and lower.

[mtaylor]

I think I'll fall back to the "how long is a piece of string"....  The term "best" is relative.  What's best for you may not be best for me and vice versa.  We have scale tall ships here from 1:400 (ships in bottles) to 1:24 for a 74 (I think it's a 74...gotta' check) and it's huge.  Each of these is "best" for the person building them.

[WackoWolf]

I agree with what Mark said. It is up to you. Do you have the room, do you want a lot of detail. It does all come down to you and what you can work with. The show NCIS in the beginning you see him working on a boat in his cellar, now the boat is big, the question is how did he get it out. You can do in the scale of 1/24 but then you have to get it out of your workshop and do you have the room to make it? There is a heck of a lot of this and then in this question. And something like what Mark said but instead of how long is a piece of string use the one "Is the glass half empty or half full". Just my 2 cents. But to me bigger is better.

[mtaylor]

Joe,

Bigger is better, but like everything else, the concept of "best" is a compromise.   My scale of choice is 1:64 because of the compromises.  A different set of circumstances and I might be doing ships in a bottle or extreme miniatures. If it goes the other way, I'd love to do a 1:24,

[WackoWolf]

I would like to also do in 1/24, maybe after I get the house. Now that is about at least a half year down the road but I will be getting one. But then is it going to be too big to get out of the cellar. Me I like 1/48 scale, but at times 1/64 is a nice size. Like we both said, it is what you have to work with and what you want.

[realworkingsailor]

There really is no best scale that fits for everyone, just a best scale for you. It's always a factoring of what space you have available, and the limits of your abilities and eyesight.

 

Andy

[WackoWolf]

And don't forget your AGE LOL.

[Tarjack]

The best scale is that you find good.
If you ask 4 people you get 5 different opinions

 

and do not forget

 

Have Fun

[realworkingsailor]

And don't forget your AGE LOL.

That was my implication with "eyesight"... I was just trying to be polite about it

 

Andy

[WackoWolf]

Andy,

 

   With me you don't need to worry about that. I am old and that is that LOL. But Thank you.

[edbardet]

A lot depends on what you model. I like 1:24 since I do cross sections and partial models and I am more interested in the construction rather than the 'accessories'.

Ed

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Space and cost

 

Space

 

1/48 is the largest scale for easy manipulation of the model and it is not surprising why it was the mostly used

1/36 although I did not try it, it could be very interesting

1/24 for a 74 guns you need a circle of 8'circumference to easily move the model 360 degres

1/12 for a frigate of  about 30 canons was 9' long

 

I built  the same 74 at 3 different scales and after this, there is 1 major observation:

 

the bigger the scale, the easier it is to hold a piece

the easier to hold the piece, the better are the results

 

This means that if I built the same ship at 2 different scale, the best results will be on the bigger scale used.

 

Cost

 

wood: cherry at a low price and use of exotic woods, over $1000 for a 74

tools: bigger the scale, bigger the tools: table saw, band saw

 

Finally, you need to ask  yourself one other question? where are you going to put it when completed?

[Jaager]

I asked myself this same question. If you wish to build and keep several models and wish to use the same scale for each to show their relationship to each other, usually some compromise must be made as regards display space.   Scale differences are usually discussed as 2D values and a model is a 3D entity.

Doing primative math I derived the following ratios - 1:48 being the traditional standard.

Scale     Length     Volume

1:48       1              1

1:60       0.8           0.5

1:76       0.6           0.25

1:96       0.5           0.125

[42rocker]

For myself 1:24 seems like a great scale for cross sections of older ships. Next 1:48 and 1:64 is what I would like to work in. Have a few 1:98 and higher and don't really enjoy working at those scales as much as I do the others. To each their own.

Main thing is to enjoy the build whatever the scale.

 

Later 42rocker