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 Post subject: OT: building slide-rules
PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:08 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 3:42 am
Posts: 158
This isn't related to the 6502, but it might be a topic of interest on this forum --- both generally considered to be obsolete technology!

GARTHWILSON wrote:
Gerber files for PC boards are just text, so I had thought of writing a program to generate the slide-rule markings in a gerber file, have a PCB manufacturer make the parts for me, and take them to my friend's machine shop to do the tongue-and-groove fits. Now you can do things like a binary or hex slide rule, and make it the length of the panels, rather than limit it to 10" scales! :D I suppose I would have to get the cursor from a pre-made slide rule though. It would be very thick PCB to fit the cursor!

I would that thought PC boards would be too thin, but this might be an idea.
I had been thinking of making the slide-rule out of aluminum bars. I agree that the cursor is the most difficult part.

If anybody wants my software for generating slide-rule images, I can provide that. I generate two formats:
  • gcode for a CNC milling machine --- the idea is to use a scribe to scratch off the dark anodized aluminum (black or dark blue anodization for contrast)
  • .PDF for photo-lithography --- Don Lancaster suggested this

I'm dubious of a binary or hex slide-rule --- non-decimal floating-point is going to be confusing!

My software can do any length. There are limitations though. For a 10" or thereabouts, you have one level of precision. For a 6" pocket slide-rule, you have less precision. I support both. I also support round slide-rules, using the pocket slide-rule precision.

For a wall slide-rule, you could use either precision. This was done in paint stores in the past ---a wall slide-rule was used to calculate the ratios of paints, and this was done so the customer could see the calculation being made.
There have also been wall slide-rules built in the past that provided high precision (a huge slide-rule with tiny markings and a magnifying glass on the cursor to read the marks). This doesn't work very well because the slide-rule has to be 10 times larger to provide 1 extra digit of precision. My software doesn't support high precision --- it could be upgraded in the unlikely event that somebody wants this.

More useful (if the word "useful" can even be applied to a slide-rule) is to make the scale roll over at a specific point to make division by that number fast. Slide-rules normally have scales that roll over at pi, but other numbers can be used. For example, when traveling to a foreign country, make a custom slide-rule before you go that has the current currency exchange rate hard-coded. Also, this can be done with marks on the scales. I designed a slide-rule that could be used at the poker table to calculate pot-odds for Texas Hold'em --- be the uber-nerd who whips out a slide-rule at the poker table!


Last edited by Hugh Aguilar on Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: building slide-rules
PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:17 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:29 am
Posts: 597
Location: Norway/Japan
There are some great slide rules for Android. Including a copy of a russian one. They feel very much like the real thing, at least on my tablet. And then there's those with inifinite length.. something you can't do with a physical slide rule.


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