What scale(s) do you prefer?

[Millimodels]

I'm used to ship models being produced in a wide variety of scales, some quite close to each other and some quite a lot larger than I'm thinking of, and I'm wondering if there are favourite ones amongst the modellers here.
What prompted the question is the fact that I have some Minic 1/1200 scale models that I've amassed over the years and some 1/600 card and wood models that my father built back in the 1940s. I'm now thinking of rescaling some of my Micromodel ships to build to fit with them and I'm trying to decide which scale to go with.
I know that I'll probably end up building them in both, but I'm wondering which scale I should use if I try desiging some new mo1dels myself.

Robin Madge

 

[Lex]

For me, there is always room for scaling and I don't normally build to scale anyway ~

 

[Mark_1984]

OH wow - what a corker of a question. It really depends on what I'm modelling. If I want to do something relatively quick and easy I'll got for an aircraft in a really small scale - maybe 1/160. If I have the urge to do something with more detail I'll go for a much bigger scale - maybe 1/200 for a highly detailed warship or something like the Titanic. I did do a 1/8 scale Foker Dr1 whcih was a very impressive model, but too big to display. For cars I like 1/12 scale which allows a good deal of detail.

Anyway, I've just realised that this is specifically a ship question - so my ramblings are irrelevant. Sorry ops:

For card ships I would go for 1/200 scale, but I'd select smaller vessel so I can have a reasonable amount of detail, but the mmodel is not too big.

 

[thewoodengraver]

I like Micromodels scale (???)...in other words, the Ship's hull must fit on a postcard.

Personally, I like Ty scale 1:900...but...they say I'm deranged!!! lol

 

[Mark_1984]

You're deranged !!!

Love n kisses "They"

(Sorry - couldn't resist it..... just treat it as off the wall English humour - probaly best ignored )

 

[Gregory Shoda]

If you have 1/1200 scale & want to upscale, I would recommend 1/600 in view of the fact that you already have 1/600 models in your collection. I'm not sure if you would get good quality reproductions at 2.0 magnification. Size wise, it is a good scale that does not take up an enormous amount of room and still allows adequate detail. Upscaling to 1/250 or 1/200 would result, I think, in bare looking models.

1/200 if the best scale for paper models I think. The newer kits are very impressive and highly detailed. When done well, they just blow people away. Most of the builds on the German/Polish websites are in that scale.

 

[michik]

Tough question that one...
quite useful for making enimies, ther's just too many people outthere who think they know the right scale!

Now, I take it for granted, that you care about scale, otherwise you wouldn't ask this question, would you?

As for the micromodels, you gave the answer yourself (if there's any answer at all): You got already 1/1200 and 1/600 scale models, therefore you build them in these scales. At least as far as possible. As far as I remeber, many of the micromodel ships are even smaller than 1/1200 scale. Enlarging is always a tricky buisiness, and I'm not sure if all the mm-ships can be blown up to 1/600 scale in a satisfactory manner.

As for your own designs: As long as you are not planning to make money with them, again stick with the scales you already have! If, however, you want to go comercial, for selling numbers sake, you'd better choose an established scale. To my knowledge, the most common scales for papermodels are 1/100, 1/200, 1/250, and 1/400. Further note that it's very unusual for 1/100 and 1/200 scale models not to have an underwater section, while 1/250 and 1/400 models mostly are waterline ships. But this, as mentioned before, is only important for models to be sold!

Bye!
Michi


(BTW: There's quite a distinct border between Poland and Germany: Poland builds 1/200 full hull, Germany builds 1/250 waterline!)

 

[Jim Krauzlis]

Interesting question...as for me, I like 1/600 scale for the most part. It just seems to build into a ship size that suits me. It's a nice size to fit into a small display area but still large enough be able to add doable details. I have built one at 1/1000 scale, but that was at the edge of my comfort zone.

By the way, what's a Minic model? I don't think I've come across that name before.

Cheers!
Jim

 

[Darwin]

I'm glad you couched the question as to what scale I prersonally prefer, not which I think is the "best" (whatever that is). My personal preferance is 1/250, mainly because most of the kits in the "someday" pile happen to be Wilhelmshaven, and I would like to wind up with a fleet as much as possible in the same scale. Add to that, since the majority of my other kits are 1:200 or 1:300, rescaling to 1:250 neither causes significant loss of detail nor makes a microscope a workbench necessity.

 

[Millimodels]

For further information on Minic models have a look on ebay or just search for Minic. Briefly they were a British range of diecast waterline models that started being produces about 1960(?), and covered naval and and commercial shipping and also a range of dockyard accessories. They became part of Triang then were produced in Japan for a while and now a new firm has the name and is producing a new range of models with some of the old accessories.
I'm reluctant to go for a larger scale than 1/600 as I'm another micromodeller, I was more wondering if there were other common small scales.

Robin Madge

 

[michik]

Hello Robin,

apart from 1/600 and 1/1200 and 1/1250 (which is virtually the same), there's only one common small scale left: 1/700, very popular in plastic and resin. Not that popular in paper, but at least Yukiyuji and Monksato-san have designed a few ships in that scale (->http://home.kimo.com.tw/yukiyuji/downl1.htm and http://www.geocities.jp/monksato/kit.htm).

And then, of course, there's Josef Mayer, who is a) a 1/700 afficionado and b) completly nuts. This link should (hopefully) lead you to most of his 1/700 works (and a few 1/250 ones): http://www.kartonbau.de/wbb2/search.php?searchid=283601

Bye!
Michi