How do you calculate the length/width of real life things, to sixth scale?

While conversion calculators do exist, they're really not necessary- especially for 1/6, which is a relatively easy conversion to do manually.
For ballpark numbers, just remember this: 1 foot in the real world = 2 inches in scale. (So basically, take your number, double it, and replace "feet" with "inches"- a 200 foot hockey rink would be 400 inches long)

For more precise conversions, figure out what unit you want your scaled measurement to be in. In this case, we'll say inches (but pick whatever is best for that project- inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, etc).
Then, get your source dimensions and convert to that same unit. So 200 x 85 foot real world hockey rink would be 2400 x 1020 in inches.
Then just divide by your scale. 2400/6 = 400 & 1020/6 = 170. So your 1:6 rink would be 400 x 170 inches.

not really the case here but on a similar note I have seen a lot of people on places like Facebook who are 1:6 collectors (usually HT) who don't understand that 1:6 is a scale, not a size. For example, they were crapping on the Threezero Ghost in the Shell Major and Game of thrones Danerys figures for being tiny, despite the fact the size is correct for the actresses and characters in question (the heads are still bad and one does have an undersized head but that isn't the topic here atm).

When explaining to them that when taking the heights of the actresses in question (or their characters on screen heights) then dividing by 6 the result would be the same as the figures they just brushed it off by saying things like 'they look too small', 'I like them taller' or 'but other brands make theirs 12 inches tall'.

It does seem that many people have been conditioned to see 1:6 as a size not a scale from childhood (Barbie/GI Joe/Action Man etc weren't exactly great with scale a lot of the time, hell look at a lot of the vehicles and the uniform 12 inch heights of figures in the lines) all the way through to adulthood (many brands today prefer to use standard bodies for most releases resulting in uniform heights that reinforce the message that 1:6 = 12 inches).

The other issue is certain brands making figures oversized to make them more impressive/heroic (Hot Toys Die Cast Iron Man figures are often way too tall) so when a correctly scaled smaller figure is stood next to them it suddenly looks tiny.

Anyway, as to the actual topic at hand, dividing by 6 gets the answer you are looking for but I think the OP was obviously referring more to conversion (eg feet to inches/centimeters/milimeters etc) and obviously if you are like me (terrible with numbers, I come from an 'arty' family, not a 'technical' one) you need conversion tables and a calculator (pen and paper too to note things down). I find just Googling things like '72 feet to inches' finds the answer pretty quick.

As for building a full 1:6 scale ice rink.... you will need a huge room to pull that off, they are big... but the great thing about the above mentioned issue of people confusing scales is that you could make one way smaller than 1:6 and to most people it would still lok right. In the toy industry it is called 'play scale' IIRC (unless I am mistaken). Many vehicles for 1:6 figure and way underscaled but still look good.

I would suggest either making only a portion of an ice rink (say 1:4 of the rink, or maybe just the net area) or making it at a much smaller scale (1:12 for example) but having all the props and barriers the size/height they should be for 1:6. that should give the illusion of correct scaling without having to buy a barn to store the diorama.

If A=they; B=Don't c=?

and using

A+BC=D what does D=



everyone uses algebra in real life they just don't realise it


there is also when considering scale manufacturing limitations an example being my own black velvet cloak is ,and I'm guessing ,1/16th of an inch thick therefore if you follow the scale rule to make a cloak for say my Raven figure the thickness of the cloth would actually:

(1/16) / 6 inches thick or 0.0104 of an inch thick or 1/96 of an inch which would be thinner than a human hair.


Another example which I'm not even going to guess at the thickness of a gun barrel or bullet casing.



One thing to remember though if you are making a large scale Diorama / vignette is perspective you might for instance have a 1:6 figure in the foreground with a 1:12 figure a suitable distance behind it giving the impression of depth


Say one of the Battle of Britain pilots in the foreground with a 1:12 scale aircraft behind with maybe a 1:72 scale behind that giving the impression of a flight line.


I hope that this helps