Lego "Scale"?

LTCSZ

Hi: I was wondering just what the true "scale" of Legos is?...I notice that many accessories, models, are at 1/32" scale...What about Legos?
Thanks...Steve

madforLEGO

LTCSZ said:

Hi: I was wondering just what the true "scale" of Legos is?...I notice that many accessories, models, are at 1/32" scale...What about Legos?
Thanks...Steve

I think the closest scale would be 'O' scale I think (at least for trains. But LEGO has always really been its own scale (though Im sure someone here can correct me if I am wrong)

MrShinyAndNew

It's difficult to scale Lego. If a minifig represents a 6-foot tall human, then that human is 2'6" wide at the hips and his head is 1.5' in diameter. There is no official scale or standard.

Consider the recent models of the Mini Cooper, which is a scale model (not minifig-scale) of a real car. It measures nearly as long as the Ghostbusters Ecto 1 car, which is meant to be minifig-scale. The Ecto 1 is as long as it is because it has to be wide enough to accomodate the windsheild parts used and all the detailing. But making the car look good, and fit a minifig inside, results in something that is comically over-sized for minifigs.

My advice is to pick some limiting factor and set your scale based on that. Want a car that seats 4 figures? it has to be a certain width: at least 7 studs wide, probably. If it's 7 studs wide, then how long would it be? Depends on the car, I guess.

Aanchir

There is no exact scale. Even with sets that are scaled to minifigures, things like trains, planes, buildings, and space shuttles tend to be at a MUCH smaller scale than road vehicles like cars and trucks. For the most part, the sets are scaled however it best suits the level of detail and the way the set is meant to be played with. An airplane, for example, has to be small enough that a child can swoosh it around, but big enough to contain a pilot, copilot, and a reasonable amount of cargo or passengers. A car, on the other hand, can be at a bigger scale so it has more realistic detail and trunk space.

TigerMoth

How do you have a single scale, when a particular model may be the subject of several sets at different sizes? And that's before you consider MOCs.

TechnicNick

Minifig scale is around 1:40, based on the height of the figures. Miniland scale, as at Legoland parks etc. is 1:20

Lyichir

TechnicNick said:

Minifig scale is around 1:40, based on the height of the figures. Miniland scale, as at Legoland parks etc. is 1:20

Basing minifig scale on the heights of minifigures alone isn't always the best idea, considering how minifigures are significantly wider compared to their height than an adult human. It's important to take that into account, particularly for things like vehicles where you might want two minifigures sitting side-by-side.

TheLoneTensor

Yeah, it's the weird height/width ratio that messes it all up.  Based on the trains alone (sets and mocs), I put Lego in at somewhere between O gauge (1:48) and S gauge (1:64).

MrShinyAndNew

TheLoneTensor said:

Yeah, it's the weird height/width ratio that messes it all up.  Based on the trains alone (sets and mocs), I put Lego in at somewhere between O gauge (1:48) and S gauge (1:64).

But even then, the Lego train scale is not that consistent. Wheels are too small or too big compared to the track width, trains are too short, wheel bases are too short, (due to the curved track radius being too small), etc.  Lego is not to scale. It's like a cartoon: you make some things smaller and some things bigger to fit within an aesthetic style.

madforLEGO

TheLoneTensor said:

Yeah, it's the weird height/width ratio that messes it all up.  Based on the trains alone (sets and mocs), I put Lego in at somewhere between O gauge (1:48) and S gauge (1:64).

Yeah, I think to clarify this is regarding 'minifig scale' being near O, as LEGO typically uses different scales for their models.
Again it will not be exact, if that is what folks are looking for they will not find it as I believe that LEGO minifig scale is 'L' scale, (meaning LEGO scale to me). it is the same reason why trains are only  6 studs wide, when those who try to build near replicas go 8 studs wide.

LTCSZ

Thanks for the info!
Steve

Fauch

TechnicNick said:

Minifig scale is around 1:40, based on the height of the figures. Miniland scale, as at Legoland parks etc. is 1:20

so my helm's deep has a 25cm high tower, which means 10m at 1:40. I think it would be about 3m large as well.

SumoLego

Until I have the built set in my hands, it is tough to determine whether a vehicle 'fits' with the scale.

The jeep from the JW set is a 'larger' scale, which I thought would look better in my modular city.  It is more realistic in terms of real proportions.  Alas, it does not fit on the roadway baseplates.

And when put next to the Ecto-1, it's completely oversized.  Or the service truck, prisoner transport one has similar issues.

Came64

I don't think Lego has a scale, because for example knives are as big as minifigure legs.

SumoLego

All my knives are as long as my leg.  Is that weird?

MattsWhat

^That depends how long your legs are. Although, that's not even a knife, this is a knife. Oh wait, it's a spoon, my bad. 

xwingpilot

^ There is no spoon.

ricecake

^^ I see you've played knifey-spoony before.

mountebank

Lyichir said:

TechnicNick said:

Minifig scale is around 1:40, based on the height of the figures. Miniland scale, as at Legoland parks etc. is 1:20

Basing minifig scale on the heights of minifigures alone isn't always the best idea, considering how minifigures are significantly wider compared to their height than an adult human. It's important to take that into account, particularly for things like vehicles where you might want two minifigures sitting side-by-side.

So this would be Walmart scale, right?

Istokg

Prior to 1978 when minifigs were introduced... the LEGO scale was 1:87 (or HO scale)... this was mainly from 1955-73.  Then from 1974-77 there was a variable scale somewhere between 1:87 and 1:40.



The 1:87 Town Plan Scale of 1955-73.

ryjay

SumoLego said:

Until I have the built set in my hands, it is tough to determine whether a vehicle 'fits' with the scale.

The jeep from the JW set is a 'larger' scale, which I thought would look better in my modular city.  It is more realistic in terms of real proportions.  Alas, it does not fit on the roadway baseplates.

And when put next to the Ecto-1, it's completely oversized.  Or the service truck, prisoner transport one has similar issues.

I don't even think items within the same set are to scale...'cuz how tall/big would the dinos of had to be based on the jeeps size?   I'm thinking they'd be like 1 or 1 1/2 feet tall, or more, to match the jeeps scale.

SumoLego

Exactly - that re-emphasizes how you really can't be sure until the set is in your hand.

I'm fairly confident the licensed racing sets are 'more' to scale than the jeep.

Although, based on their scale in the film, the JW dinosaurs should probably be substantially larger.