This article has proven extremely difficult to reproduce clearly. So, for those like me who can't make out the text, it's reproduced below the image.
The Binnie File:
Study it closely and you will find a most useful piece of modelling equipment. It is a universal scale rule with many uses.
The principle is childishly simple. Along the bottom edge is marked a scale of some convenient size, in my case 16ft at 1/4in. to the foot giving a base line of 4in. (The illustration is shown smaller than this. Ed.). Each scale marking is carried up to the vanishing point in the top right hand corner. As the base line has been divided equally, it follows that any line parallel to the base must also be divided equally. A line drawn parallel to the base with an overall length of 3in. will give that prince of all scales 3/16in./1ft, or S gauge, for 16ft in S gauge is 3 in. Similarly a scale line of 64mm long gives 4mm scale, 56 mm long gives 3.5mm scale, 48mm long gives 3mm scale, 33mm long gives N gauge and 32mm long gives 2 mm scale.
Along the vertical left hand side is a similar scale covering 12ft at 1/2in. to the foot, this also is carried back to the vanishing point and scale lines for 1/4in. to the foot, 7mm to the foot, and 10mm to the foot added.
So far so good, but what the — do we do with it and what is the mysterious line X?
Imagine that it is all scribed upon a piece of clear perspex, in which case all the standard modelling scale are readily available. But consider the non-standard drawing to some unheard of scale. To cope with this a temporary scale line can be added by means of a piece of Sellotape stuck on the back of the grid.
And how do you tackle that photograph when a little bit of foreshortening has crept in? This is where line X comes in to its own, since, not being parallel with the base, it has a set of foreshortened feet to match To locate line X is a bit of a fiddle bait where two successive dimensions are known e.g the two half wheelbases ofa six-wheeler, is easy enough. Let us call these points A, B & C. Now the scale lines A, B, & C are added and give linear scales for vertical measurement. As many scale lines as required can be added or removed using Sellotape strip.
If the foreshortening is occurring in the vertical direction as well, then the scale lines A, B, & C can be fiddled to suit by inclining them to the base!
Constructional Notes
Scribe all the lines on the back of a piece of transparent plastic 1/16th perspex is ideal but not the lines X, A, B, & C. Scribe the outline and the main divisions first and rub in some red paint. Then scribe the inch divisions, the scale lines and the figures and fill these in with black paint. (Don't forget to reverse the figures when scribing for you are working on the back of the sheet).
I am well aware that this method of establishing a perspective scale is horribly crude and breaks all the canons of perspective drawing practice - but it is quick!
Study it closely and you will find a most useful piece of modelling equipment. It is a universal scale rule with many uses.
The principle is childishly simple. Along the bottom edge is marked a scale of some convenient size, in my case 16ft at 1/4in. to the foot giving a base line of 4in. (The illustration is shown smaller than this. Ed.). Each scale marking is carried up to the vanishing point in the top right hand corner. As the base line has been divided equally, it follows that any line parallel to the base must also be divided equally. A line drawn parallel to the base with an overall length of 3in. will give that prince of all scales 3/16in./1ft, or S gauge, for 16ft in S gauge is 3 in. Similarly a scale line of 64mm long gives 4mm scale, 56 mm long gives 3.5mm scale, 48mm long gives 3mm scale, 33mm long gives N gauge and 32mm long gives 2 mm scale.
Along the vertical left hand side is a similar scale covering 12ft at 1/2in. to the foot, this also is carried back to the vanishing point and scale lines for 1/4in. to the foot, 7mm to the foot, and 10mm to the foot added.
So far so good, but what the — do we do with it and what is the mysterious line X?
Imagine that it is all scribed upon a piece of clear perspex, in which case all the standard modelling scale are readily available. But consider the non-standard drawing to some unheard of scale. To cope with this a temporary scale line can be added by means of a piece of Sellotape stuck on the back of the grid.
And how do you tackle that photograph when a little bit of foreshortening has crept in? This is where line X comes in to its own, since, not being parallel with the base, it has a set of foreshortened feet to match To locate line X is a bit of a fiddle bait where two successive dimensions are known e.g the two half wheelbases ofa six-wheeler, is easy enough. Let us call these points A, B & C. Now the scale lines A, B, & C are added and give linear scales for vertical measurement. As many scale lines as required can be added or removed using Sellotape strip.
If the foreshortening is occurring in the vertical direction as well, then the scale lines A, B, & C can be fiddled to suit by inclining them to the base!
Constructional Notes
Scribe all the lines on the back of a piece of transparent plastic 1/16th perspex is ideal but not the lines X, A, B, & C. Scribe the outline and the main divisions first and rub in some red paint. Then scribe the inch divisions, the scale lines and the figures and fill these in with black paint. (Don't forget to reverse the figures when scribing for you are working on the back of the sheet).
I am well aware that this method of establishing a perspective scale is horribly crude and breaks all the canons of perspective drawing practice - but it is quick!