Scratch Building Calculators
Calculators for scratch builders — sheet thickness, rod and tube sizing, templates, structural strength, rivets and panel lines.
Sheet Thickness Calculator
Find the correct scale styrene or brass sheet thickness for walls, panels and skins.
Rod Size Calculator
Calculate the right rod diameter at scale for pipes, rails, handrails and aerials.
Tube Size Calculator
Find the correct tube diameter and wall thickness for structural elements at scale.
Template Calculator
Generate dimensions for templates — circles, arches, angles and compound curves.
Structure Calculator
Calculate framing, bracing and panel sizes for scratch-built structures.
Rivet Spacing Calculator
Calculate realistic rivet spacing and row patterns at your model scale.
Panel Line Calculator
Work out panel line widths and spacing for realistic surface detail at scale.
Material Calculator
Estimate quantities of styrene sheet, rod, tube and adhesive for your project.
8 free calculators in Scratch Building
Scratch Building from Raw Materials
Scratch building is the art of creating model parts and complete models from raw materials — styrene sheet, rod, tube, brass wire, and other stock. It requires converting real-world dimensions to scale equivalents and choosing the closest available material size.
Evergreen and Plastruct are the most common UK-available brands for styrene sheet and profiles. Sheet comes in thicknesses from 0.25mm to 3mm, rods from 0.25mm to 6mm diameter, and tubes in various diameters with different wall thicknesses. Knowing which size represents your target dimension at scale is essential for convincing results.
Detail features like rivets and panel lines must be correctly spaced for the scale. Real aircraft rivet spacing is typically 20-25mm, which at 1:72 becomes 0.28-0.35mm — barely visible but important for the overall texture. Our calculators handle these conversions and help you choose the right tools for the job.