1st time scratch building 1:24 How to?

[trier]

I'm going to attempt scratch building a fire engine in 1:24 scale. I've loads or photos and measurements. As I want to put it on paper as actual size, at 1:24 I tried the rulers which show 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, etc., there is no measurement scale for 1:24. As I'm "old" I'll be using inches and not mm.
Is there any mathematicians out there who can help a dummy like me?

[Deleted]

Scratch building and fire engines, sounds like my kind of combination of heaven. So, 1/24 scale, half inch to the foot. I have a very clever calculator which converts all my measurements for me, but there is also a 1/24 ruler. If you get stuck just give me a shout. Now then, what have you got planned?

[barney]

Thanks for your answer. I wanted to build British fire appliance as Airfix, many moons ago only sold 1:32 pump escape, and that's wrong. I wish I could attach a photo of the one I'm going to attempt but they don't seem to have a way of doing this. Its a 1984 Dennis water tender ladder, loads of photos to build from. I said scratch build but I'm going to use chassis, engine, wheels from some lorry kit. After all this is the first time I'm doing this.
So, where can I get:

1/24 ruler
calculator
I've got a not very clever basic calculator.

[rgriffs]

try this link.
f-a-h.co.uk/arcane/product/expo-tools-dolls-house-124-scale-steel-rule-74124/

take a look here, several of the people may be of some assistance with the project you have in mind
www.24thscalemodeltruckforum.co.uk

[Deleted]

Barney the Aifix fire engine was copied (very badly) from DU 179 which belonged to Coventry and the real vehicle has been preserved. When I was on my recruits course for Liverpool Fire Brigade in 1974, DU 179 was being restored by the apprentices association at Dennis in Guildford. However, the appliance never carried a wheeled escape ladder, the kit was made to look like a London pattern vehicle of the period. If you require and assistance please ask

[img src="i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2/nick1950/Stuff/du179_2.jpg" src="" alt=" "]

[trier]

Well what do you know, I was on a recruits course on Dec/Jan 1974 with Hertfordshire Fire Brigade. I'd built the Airfix fire engine before I joined. I was lucky to buy another kit last year to enable to build it correctly. The picture shows all I wanted to know. I assume it was "updated" with air Tyre's to replace the wooden spoke, hard rubber wheels which seemed right at the time? I checked other photos of DU179 but I could not see whole appliance.
I'm building it now as I haven't got everything together yet for the 1980's Dennis.
I see from 'rgriffs' reply and informed me where to get the 1:24 scale rule from. (thanks for that)
Can you tell me what calculator to get for the scratch build?, it would be handy.

[Deleted]

Barney, this link may help you, Dennis N' Type: Dennis N' Type

[alfie]

Hi. I wrote the following for one of my TAS Matters columns a couple of years ago which may help you transcribe various drawings/measurements into what you need:

It took a bit of maths and a photocopier to get to 1/72 scale, but it’s not too difficult if you use a calculator or a computer spreadsheet. There are various scale conversion charts about, but if your original drawing is not to a standard modeller’s scale then you need to work it out yourself. Using such a chart from www.IPMSStockholm.org, then to convert a 1/48 scale drawing to 1/72 scale you use a photocopier copy ratio of 67%. Type this exactly into a blank cell in MS Excel =(1/72)/(1/48) – the answer is displayed as 0.667, which when multiplied by 100 to give a percentage and rounded up equals 67%. If the answer was 1.667, then the photocopier setting would be 167%. This basic formula can be used to calculate any photocopier reduction/enlargement for anything that is required. To determine the scale of your original drawing, you need to measure a known dimension, such as the wingspan. Then convert the full scale dimension into the same measurement units as your drawing and divide one into the other. So, let’s say that you measured your drawing at 1 inch and the full size dimension is 6 feet, then the calculation is 1/6 x 12 = 1:72 scale. You may have to do this several times as the maximum copy ratio for most photocopiers is 400%. I hope that isn’t too confusing for you. If you want it really easy, there are several scale calculation tools available on the internet, but be careful about what you download.

Regards, Alfie