To add a little from my humble observations....

The thickness/weight of a particular set of scales depends on the material. I generally perfer a larger scale because of how it feels in my hand, so that means I gravitate toward lighter weight woods (like spalted stuff and cedar) so the overall weight doesn't get out of control. With less dense materials, you will want thicker/larger scales for added stregnth as well.

If I use a heavier material (read more dense) like Corian, I can get the same size/feel in the hand while going thinner.

The size/thickness/shape is a personal preference. I play with stuff until it looks right and feels good in the hand to me. You may read a lot here about "balance" but to me it is a general feel- either it's right or it's not.

I would suggest you get a few scraps of whatever stuff you intend to use for the scales. Cut some very rough shapes that feel good in your hands and put them together as a mock up. I would suggest using a small nail (like a brad) for the pivot and tape the ends together to get an idea. Once you are close to a good feel, then you can do your final shaping and sanding for apearance.

Keep in mind as you play with this, it's much easier to take a little more off of a set of scales than it is to try putting some back on if you get carried away !


v/r

Allen