SCALES

When we have to draw a residential building on paper, we are forced to

reduce its dimensions so that it fits on the paper, however, when we want
to draw an electronic component we need to expand it. This is where they come into play.
the different scales used in technical drawing.

Let's learn what a scale is, the types of scales that are used, how to make and calculate them.
a scale, how to know what scale an object is drawn to and the scale ruler. Also to
Finally, you have some simple scale exercises to solve.

What is a Scale?
The scale is the relationship that exists between the dimensions of the drawing of an object and the
real dimensions of the object.
The scale is defined by two numbers that determine the relationship between the drawing and reality.
The first number of the ratio refers to the drawing. The second number of the ratio
refers to reality. The two numbers are separated by a colon or by the sign of the
division /.
Scale = Drawing : Reality; the division symbol can also be used; Scale =
Drawing / Reality.
For example, if an object that measures 200mm in reality is drawn on the paper with a
measurement of 2mm, a scale has been applied: E = 2 : 200 (two is to two hundred) or simplifying
E = 1 : 100 (scale one to one hundred).

Types of Scales
The scales used in technical drawing can be of 3 different types:

Reduction Scale: It is used when the drawing is smaller than reality, that is, the objects
they are drawn smaller than their actual size. For example, a scale E = 1 : 20 means that
one unit (meter, centimeter, millimeter, etc.) in the drawing equals 20 units in the
In reality, the object is 20 times larger in reality than in the drawing.
The most commonly used reduction scales are 1:2, 1:5, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:100, and 1:1000.

Scale Up: It is used when we need to make the drawing of the object larger.
that the real object. The drawing is larger than the real object. For example E = 10 : 1;
it means that ten units in the drawing are equivalent to 1 unit in reality. The object is 10
times smaller in reality than in the drawing.
The most used scales of Enlargement are 2:1; 5:1; 10:1 and 20:1
 Natural Scale: In this case, the measurements of the object and those of its drawing are the same.
It is the scale 1:1

How to Make a Scale

If we have to draw an object on paper, we will have to determine it.
first, what scale will we use. The steps are as follows:
Determine if the real object fits into the paper or not. If all the actual measurements fit us
they enter the paper where we are going to draw it we will choose a natural scale. For this
we will measure the largest dimensions of the real object both in width and height and
we will check that they fit into the role.

If the object is larger than the paper we will use a reduction scale, if the
The object is much smaller than the paper, we will use a scale of enlargement.
Let's examine these two cases step by step.

If we use a Reduction scale:

We measure the total dimensions of the width and length of the paper.
We measure the largest dimensions of the height and width of the object in the same.
units. If we are going to draw it inperspective(3 dimensions) we will also take out the
maximum depth of the real object.

We will make an initial scale for the width by dividing the largest width measurement of the
drawing between the largest width measurement of the actual object.

Now we do the same for the length. From the two scales we will choose the scale that best
reduce the object in the role of the two previous ones. This ensures that all
the measurements of the real object, when scaled down, fit onto the paper.
For example, imagine that we have a real object that is 2000mm wide the measurement
greater and 1500mm high. Our paper where we are going to draw is a DIN A4 whose
dimensions are 210 x 297 mm (see:Paper Formats.

1st We divide the measure of the largest actual Width by the paper width: 2000/210 =
9.52. This scale would be E = 1:10. In order for this measurement to fit on the paper, we will need to
reduce it 10 times from the actual size on the paper.

We take the scale for height in the same way: 1500/297 = 5.05. We would have to use
a scale E = 1 : 6 In order for this measurement to fit on the paper, we will have to reduce it by 6
times the actual size on paper.

3rd. From the two scales, we will definitely take the one that has to reduce the most.
size of the object on paper. In our case, we will choose the scale E = 1 : 10 With
this scale we will reduce all measurements 10 times in the drawing and they will fit in the
paper.

If we had chosen the one that reduces the longest width by 6 times, the 2000mm would not fit us.
On paper, it would be 333.33. If we reduce it by 10 times, it would fit, since it would be 200mm.

If we use an Amplification scale

Let's imagine that the object measures 10mm wide by 20mm high. The DIN A4 paper is 210 x
297mm.

The largest measurement of the object's width is divided by the largest width.
of the paper. 210/10 = 21. The scale will be E 1:21. To avoid adjusting too much we could
set 1:20, where we will enlarge the object on the paper 20 times. If we enlarge the measurement
21 times will be equal to the width of the paper and it will be very tight.
2nd We do the same for the height. 297/20 = 14.85. The scale for this case is E = 1:14;
enlarged the object in the drawing 14 times and it would fit.
3rd Of the two scales, we will choose the one that we have to expand the least, which would be 1:14.

Therefore, that would be the scale to use. Definitive scale for all measurements.
E = 1:14.
If we had chosen the scale that increases 20 times, we could have some measure.
that it would not fit into the paper, for example the total height would not fit, since it would be
of 400mm. Being 14 it does fit since it would be 280mm.

How to Know What Scale an Object Is Drawn At

If we know any measurement of the real object and the same measurement in the drawing, we will only have
what to divide to get the scale. For example, if the object has a measurement of 1000mm and
that same measurement on paper is 10mm, it is clear that a scale has been used of
reduction of 1000/10 = 100 that is to say a scale of 1:100 has been used.
Escalimeter

The scale ruler is a special ruler with a prismatic shape that has different
scales in the same rule. It is normally used to measure in drawings that use
different scales. On the edge, it has a range with calibrated scales, we just have to go
turning the scale ruler to use the appropriate scale.

Having the shape of a prism, the scale has three faces and on each of its faces there are
2 different scales, in this way a scale ruler has 6 different scales.

It is used just like a ruler, starting with the value zero on the face of the scale.
the chosen scale and will count up to where the line reaches. That is the actual measurement. One must
Remember that what is measured with the scale ruler is represented in meters.

Here we leave you a video on how to use the scale ruler:

Scale Exercises
Here you have some stair exercises we suggest:
What is a scale?
2. What are scales used for?
3. Explain what it means for a drawing to be represented at a scale of E=1/5. What type of scale is it?
is?
4. At what scale would you represent the layout of your room to fit the size?
of an A4 size?
5. Find out the most suitable scale to represent a 2.40 meter wardrobe on an A4.
of height and 1 meter wide.
6. Determine the most suitable scale to represent on an A2 (remember that an A2
equivalent to two A3 sheets joined by their longest side) a sharpener of 2 centimeters long
and 1 centimeter tall.
7. Find out the most suitable scale to represent a 30 cm lamp on an A4 sheet.
height and 25 cm in width.
8. Find out the most suitable scale to represent a square button of 4 on A3.
mm sideways.
9. Given the following squares and knowing that number 1 is to natural scale:
 a. What scale is number 2 drawn to?
b. How many centimeters will the side of the same square measured at a scale of E=6/1 be?
10. On a map at E = 1:50,000, a distance of 4 cm is measured between two towns:

What is the distance between both towns?

b. I know that the closest city to the first village is 8 km away.
How many centimeters would correspond on the map?
11. A key is drawn to a scale of 5:1. Answer the following questions:

Is the drawing a reduction or enlargement?

Is the drawing bigger or smaller than the real object?
3. If the real key measures 6 cm in length, what will its length be in the drawing?
4. If the drawn key is 12 mm thick, what will be the thickness of the actual key?

12. The door knob is drawn to a scale of 1:1. Answer the following questions:

Is the drawing of reduction or enlargement?

Is the drawing bigger or smaller than the actual object?
3. If the handle is 50 mm long, what will be the length in the drawing?
4. If the knob measures 50 mm in width, what will the width be in the drawing?

13. The blueprint of a computer is drawn to a scale of 1:3. Answer the following.
questions:

Is the drawing of reduction or enlargement?

Is the drawing bigger or smaller than the real object?
3. If the height of the computer in the drawing is 200 mm, what will its height be in the ...
reality?
4. If the width of the computer in the drawing is 60 mm, what value will this dimension have?
in reality?
5. If the actual depth of the computer is 600 mm, what value will this dimension have?
in the drawing?