Profil HO proužek 0,6 x 1,1 mm

An HO size strip, 0.6 x 1.1 mm

The designation HO refers to the 1:87 railroad scale, from which the section is derived. Converted, this gauge corresponds to a beam of roughly five by ten centimeters, that is to ordinary construction lumber. That is the quickest way to picture the size: you are not buying abstract millimeters but a particular plank in a particular scale.

Most often it becomes the kind of structure in which every single element counts. Scaffolding around a building under construction, slatted fences, formwork, roof rafters, the infill of gates, the internal bracing of fabric-covered walls or small supports for signals. In 1:35 it loses its role as construction timber and turns into a molding, a batten or a small edging for furniture inside a vehicle.

Working with such a thin section has rules of its own. Very little glue is enough, because the solvent can soften and bow the thin material before the joint sets. It pays to put a drop next to the joint with a fine brush and let it draw in by itself. Scissors will cut it, but the strip likes to twist under them, so it is cleaner to lay it on a backing and run a knife along it. Do not pick the offcuts up with your fingers; fine tweezers are a necessity.

Storage deserves a little more attention than with thicker gauges. A strip left loose gets tangled among the rest of the material and breaks, so a paper tube or a narrow box matched to the length serves best. One piece measures 35 centimeters and, given how little a single build consumes, it will last a very long time.