Structure Calculator — Scratch-Built Buildings

Real UK house walls are 230mm (single brick) or 330mm (cavity wall). At 1:76, a 230mm wall scales to 3mm — use 3mm styrene or foamboard. For interior partitions (100mm real), use 1.0-1.5mm styrene.

Start by cutting four wall panels from sheet styrene. Score brickwork or stonework before assembly. Glue the four walls into a box using liquid poly cement. Add a roof from card or styrene. Fit windows and doors using strip offcuts or commercial window frames.

A standard UK storey is 2700-3000mm floor to floor. At OO gauge (1:76), this is 35-39mm. For Victorian buildings, storeys are taller at 3000-3600mm (39-47mm at OO). Ground floor commercial premises can be 4000-5000mm.

Only if the building is lit or you plan to have visible interiors. If the model is purely external, internal walls add unnecessary weight and complexity. If lighting, add key partition walls to prevent light bleeding between rooms.