How Big Is a 1/35 Scale Cobblestone?

Size

• Merriam-Webster measures a cobblestone at “larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder,” commonly used in “paving a street or in construction.” The New England Architectural Center sizes the cobblestones it offers at 5 to 9 inches long, 4 to 6 inches deep and 4 to 5 inches wide for the medium versions. Larger versions run 9 to 14 inches long, 7 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 5 inches wide. To cover a square foot requires about 3.5 and 4 medium cobblestones while it takes 1 to 2.5 jumbo versions to cover the same area.

Scale

• Measurements converted to 1/35 scale divide actual sizes by 35. A 6-foot or 72-inch man scales down to just over 2 inches wide. This proportion shrinks medium cobblestones from the New England Architectural Center to under a quarter of an inch in length, depth and width and makes larger versions measure a maximum of 0.4 inches long by 0.3 inches by 0.23 inches deep and about 0.14 inches wide. Although these sizes are accurately scaled from real objects, they are clearly too small to handle in large quantities, such as for paving a courtyard in a model castle.

Models

• The 1/35 scale is small enough to model complete scenes in less than a square foot and yet large enough to hint at facial features for diminutive humans, which makes it a popular size for military models, particularly those dating to World War II. Typical efforts for this scale include soldiers, tanks, aircraft, transport carriers, armored cars, military staff cars, horses, motorcycles and artillery teams. Details can include bombed-out villages, homes and their interiors, tools, boxes, soldier gear and maintenance facilities. For dioramas set in Europe, cobblestone-paved roads and squares can help define the intended continent.

Sheets

• Fortunately, model builders do not have to place individual cobblestones for their 1/35 scale settings. These scenic details are available in plastic sheet sections up to 10 inches by 14 inches. For those preferring a more irregular appearance, 1/35 resin cobblestone sheets can fill the bill. Whatever the material, scale cobblestone sheets are cast in one color, which looks too uniform. Finishing with multi-colored paints in shades of browns, reds and grays adds a realistic touch. A wash of black or dark brown in the grooves can highlight individual stones.