# Question on scale



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi,fellas..If O gauge is 1/4 inch to the foot has does this relate to scale for your buildings????? Is it the same for scale and gauge.A brick is 2 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 2 inchs big[I haven`t measured a brick lately,so app figgers]. What would be the size of a brick for building a brick house,not using fake sheet of brick? Making individual ones.HO gauge would be half of O gauge I assume. You wouldn`t be able to see the brick.

A single story ranch house [depending on roof pitch] Using a 4 in 12 pitch would be 14 foot from foundation to top of peak making your house in scale or gauge 3 1/2 onches high.I can build a house from dirt to peak but can`t figger how to scale it.WOW,I can`t believe I said all this..:laugh:




Many thanks,Everett:thumbsup:


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Yep, obviously if it's 1:48 for the locomotives, the buildings should be scaled the same to match them. Same thing for stuff like cars, signs, roads, etc.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Sanepilot, I feel your pain.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

http://lhonings.home.xs4all.nl/rulers.html


----------



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*brick scale*

Hey,fellas. Here is a brick measuring:1"x2"x1/2"

What scale approximately is it.BTW,I`m not good at figgering.

Tnx,Everett


----------



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*rulers*

Thanks,Ed.. Tried that link and my computer shut down IE because of the link,I ended up reloading IE.I got a tight system,tho. I hate the internet for this.I went up on the net and looked up shay engines and got quite a few hits. The first one didn`t tell me what I wanted,so I clicked the second and got a nice photo of a shay engine. Clicked on view details and got 5 thumbnail photo`s of women in questionable poses.Nothing sacred anymore,I guess.

Good to know they make a ruler for this.I`ll check my hobby shop

Have a good evening:thumbsup:Everett


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

That one you could print out and glue it on a piece of wood or heavy cardboard.

Free. :thumbsup:

What is that brick your showing?
Did you make that?
1"x2"x1/2"?

Do they sell them, I never saw a brick so small, is it actually brick?


----------



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*ruler*

Thanks,Ed. I finally got on that link after awhile and printed it out.. I bought that brick[it`s real] at a [if I remember right]cherry tree hobby store. Mainly a woodworking and craft store.This was about 40 years ago.I had got a bunch of them and my grandson took them all. My wife got one and kept it.I intended then to build a model brick house but he ruined that idea.

I live on a hill with about 12 inches of topsoil and the rest red clay,which is what brick is made of.I`ve made cinder block and it wouldn`t be too hard to make a form for small brick. I`d just need to make a kiln to bake them which wouldn`t be too hard,I dont think.About 80 miles from here they used to make brick.:thumbsup:

Cheers,Everett and thanks.


----------



## stevetil (Sep 6, 2011)

This is the O scale forum, so 1:48 is the correct proportion.

However, most of us are into Lionel, and lots of older Lionel
is not in scale. Much of it is too small.

However, I admire your interest in building a brick house out
of actual scale sized bricks. Most of the houses and buildings
that I have are Dept 56 and others like that, decidedly not
to O scale or Lionel scale or anything else, but I like them.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

This thread on O scale confusion ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5126

TJ


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

sanepilot said:


> Hey,fellas. Here is a brick measuring:1"x2"x1/2"
> 
> What scale approximately is it.BTW,I`m not good at figgering.
> 
> Tnx,Everett


it would be 48" x 96" x 12", or in other words, a really HUGE brick!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I never saw a real brick that small. :thumbsup:

But it does look too big to be a O scale brick, by comparing it to the things that are on your table.
And if Johns calculations are right that proves it.
That would be one big brick.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Instead of building the bricks, just make one side and stamp it, or free hand the brick lines? As long as it doesn't crack while drying. You could mass produce them! Lionel scale is allover the place! As long as you think it looks good, it is!


----------



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

SJM,youre probably right. That would be really hard but I`ve been known to experiment a little. My son used to do model houses and buildings and sell them on ebay. He made a replica of his neighbor`s house and I furnished [cut] the wood for him. I furnished all his wood as I was,at that time in woodworking pretty heavy. Shingle roof and brick front halfway up the front of the house.The shingles and brick was hard but she was very pleased with it.

I didn`t think too much of it tho.I`ve always had the idea of using real brick,so to speak on a model.The one I posted is as small as I could find.

Have a good evening,Everett:thumbsup:


----------



## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

sanepilot,
by my figures an o scale brick would be about 5/64x5/32x3/64. 
that would be 3.75x 7.5x 2.25


----------



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi,cole..That saved me figgering it out. Kinda looks like it would almost be impossible to do.I`ve always been told that the impossible justs takes a little longer.I may give it a whirl some day.


Oh,btw,welcome to the forum. sometimes I forget my manners


Tnx,have a good weekend,Everett:thumbsup:


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

sanepilot said:


> Hi,cole..That saved me figgering it out. Kinda looks like it would almost be impossible to do.I`ve always been told that the impossible justs takes a little longer.I may give it a whirl some day.
> 
> 
> Oh,btw,welcome to the forum. sometimes I forget my manners
> ...


Thanks for the calculations, I was wondering who would post that first. I would have to pull out a calculator for that. 

What you need is some kind of mold, then you can mass produce them as you need a whole lot to build a factory. ( Or maybe a 12 stall roundhouse):thumbsup:

Your not going to try and fire up some real bricks that size right?


----------



## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

Doll's house manufacturers make small bricks, 1/12 and 1/24 scale and there are military miniatures 1/35 scale but as small as 1/48 I have not seen in the flesh.


----------



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*fire kiln*

Yes,I would probably try.In my woodworking days,being el cheapo,I built a solar kiln to dry green wood in. I was truly amazed at how hot that puppy would get in the dead of winter. I went from $1.85 a board foot to around 65 cents a board foot,Ed. It was 40 deg one winter and I turned off the fan and in less than 3 minutes the temp went to 165 deg. I would build a small solar kiln to do it.
I found the plan for the kiln online at the university of Wv free. It is simple to do.I used sliding glass doors that was given to me. Face the building where you get the most sunlight,tilt the glass at your distance from the equator.insulate all around the building top,bottom,sides inside and out,even the floor.Put you a air condition fan[free] in the back with 4 small windows to controll the air flow and a thermoneter to track the degrees.Paint everything black,inside and out. put a timer and set it for 8 hrs daylight and you`re in buiness Have to check it everyday or you`ll ruin the wood.

You can make this as big or as small as you want.Even on a cloudy or dark day it still heated more than outside temp


Building the form will be the hardest for that small a piece but it can be done,I guess

I luv a challenge,Have a good rest of the week,Everett,cheers


----------



## Handyandy (Feb 14, 2012)

Dano said:


> Doll's house manufacturers make small bricks, 1/12 and 1/24 scale and there are military miniatures 1/35 scale but as small as 1/48 I have not seen in the flesh.


I wonder if the 1/24 or 1/35 bricks could be used for cinder blocks in O-gauge? I could use a few in my layout's trailer park and maybe under an old car.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The way many folks make bricks is to carve them into lightly wet plaster, you can have them any size you like.


----------



## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

Handyandy said:


> I wonder if the 1/24 or 1/35 bricks could be used for cinder blocks in O-gauge? I could use a few in my layout's trailer park and maybe under an old car.


The length would be right, you would have to lay them on their sides to get the right height, if we are talking about the same block.


----------



## Handyandy (Feb 14, 2012)

Dano said:


> The length would be right, you would have to lay them on their sides to get the right height, if we are talking about the same block.


That sounds about right. I think we're talking the same blocks. Concrete blocks like for foundations or to turn old cars into lawn ornaments.


----------



## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

Yep, those be the ones!
'Constructo' makes them at 10/32x5/32x4/32 which is a nice fit for 1/48 block.


----------

