Anyone use a slide rule???

[waddycall]

I prefer non digital calipers, they don't get confused by coolant and flat-ish batteries....

All my measuring stuff is mechanical. My callipers are always ready to use. The digital ones at work always have flat batteries!

 

[Islander71]

I last used a slide rule when studying engineering in the late 60s. During that time I got a summer holiday job in an underwater telephone cable factory at Southampton docks where they had just bought a new fangled electric calculator which the foreman asked me to practice with one nightshift. After a few practise runs I put 9 divided by 0. It started rattling off a constant 999999999999 till it got to the end of the screen then started off again, and again and again.... Couldn't stop it. Pulled the plug out and plugged back in and off it went again! Had to own up to the foreman in the morning as to ruining their new machine. He just said well thats no use then and got it sent back.

 

[cheb]

I last used a slide rule when studying engineering in the late 60s. During that time I got a summer holiday job in an underwater telephone cable factory at Southampton docks where they had just bought a new fangled electric calculator which the foreman asked me to practice with one nightshift. After a few practise runs I put 9 divided by 0. It started rattling off a constant 999999999999 till it got to the end of the screen then started off again, and again and again.... Couldn't stop it. Pulled the plug out and plugged back in and off it went again! Had to own up to the foreman in the morning as to ruining their new machine. He just said well thats no use then and got it sent back.

I worked there in the mid 1980's.

 

[frank horton]

older is not better in this case....
we had to buy ours for school then left the following year.....
hopefully it's in a tip making Methane.....

 

[OJCar]

Still got my Jeppeson around somewhere...

 

[RichardM]

I found my slide rule a few years ago, not sure if I chucked it in a drawer or the bin!
I supposed when I die someone will clear the junk out and may find it.....

 

[brightspark]

used a slide rule at college 50 years ago haven't a clue now

 

[Redsailor]

Still have my old "Unique" from schooldays, main advantage being plastic on wood construction was you could write various formulae on the back, very handy in the maths exams! Used to be quite adept with all the functions it could do, forgotten it all now. Never needed a new battery ????

 

[Smallfry]

Dad had a slide rule, used to use it a lot. I kept it for a couple of years after he died, and it disappeared. We didn't use them at school, not that I can remember, and were not allowed to use calculators either, although a few kids with well off parents had them.

Got a Mitutoyo ? Electronic micrometer here. I dont use it as battery is always deadish AND its metric, which is a meaningless measurement to me.

Mum worked in wages at a factory with a payroll of 600 or so, was brilliant at adding and subtracting £s.d. in her head, she brought the books home sometimes, and I used her big mains calculator for my maths homework.

Who remembers 71077345 on their calculator ?

 

[premmington]

Dad had a slide rule, used to use it a lot. I kept it for a couple of years after he died, and it disappeared. We didn't use them at school, not that I can remember, and were not allowed to use calculators either, although a few kids with well off parents had them.

Got a Mitutoyo ? Electronic micrometer here. I dont use it as battery is always deadish AND its metric, which is a meaningless measurement to me.

Mum worked in wages at a factory with a payroll of 600 or so, was brilliant at adding and subtracting £s.d. in her head, she brought the books home sometimes, and I used her big mains calculator for my maths homework.

Who remembers 71077345 on their calculator ?

Calculator spelling - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Barking Mat]

Both my wife and I did maypole dancing in the early eighties (different schools, Wales and Devon), but neither of us have ever used a slide rule, I'm 1975, wifes '77.

I know what they are, wouldn't know how to use one though.

 

[Seadog]

Dad had a slide rule, used to use it a lot. I kept it for a couple of years after he died, and it disappeared. We didn't use them at school, not that I can remember, and were not allowed to use calculators either, although a few kids with well off parents had them.

Got a Mitutoyo ? Electronic micrometer here. I dont use it as battery is always deadish AND its metric, which is a meaningless measurement to me.

Mum worked in wages at a factory with a payroll of 600 or so, was brilliant at adding and subtracting £s.d. in her head, she brought the books home sometimes, and I used her big mains calculator for my maths homework.

Who remembers 71077345 on their calculator ?

5113951134

 

[rtcosic]

Brother in Law sent photographs of his most treasure slide rules:

1. Faber Castell 2/83N the most advanced engineering slide rule they ever did.

2. Faber Caster 67/87 R. Slide rule 1 side, addiator on other side

3. Pickett N600-ES. ES stands for eye saver so Buzz Aldrin could read it in low light

 

[rtcosic]

I'm going to search for my drawing instruments and start a new thread. I recall the tears in my other brother-in-law's eyes when he finally skipped the drawing board he rescued from British Steel.

 

[harveyp6]

Got a Mitutoyo ? Electronic micrometer here. I dont use it as battery is always deadish AND its metric, which is a meaningless measurement to me.

I fitted a new brake disc and found it was different thicknesses all the way around, so I thought I'd take a good few measurements around it and get on to the supplier for a replacement. The bloke I was doing the job handed me a micrometer so I took my first measurement , locked it and removed it to take the reading. At that point I thought taking the reading was like riding a bike, I hadn't done it for a while, but it won't be a problem, right. No, I looked at it and couldn't make any sense of it at all, I couldn't believe it, I even thought I might be having a stroke or something. It was only then I realised the bloody thing was Metric......

 

[mightymig]

My dear old Nan gave me my late Grandads one that was kept pristine like most of old boys stuff, sits in my cupboard with all my other 'nice' bits and makes me smile

 

[mechman]

I was in the last year in our school to be taught to use them. Not used my "guessing stick" for about 40 years now.

I still have it:
View attachment 509068

View attachment 509069

I got one given, took it out of its sleeve/Box looked at it and put back in the sleeve/box. I'm going to learn klingon instead.

 

[Morris]

I got one given, took it out of its sleeve/Box looked at it and put back in the sleeve/box. I'm going to learn klingon instead.

Klingon Language Institute – Language Opens Worlds

www.kli.org

 

[julianthegypsy]

I used one right through school. When I started college, we were the first year allowed to use calculators in our city and guilds exams. There were typically eight half hour questions and you could pick five. We practiced on old papers and could do all eight in half an hour. The questions on the papers we sat were considerably harder!
On a related note, we had a shaft to build for a reversible plough with a precise taper that needed some accurate calculations. While everyone got their heads down over their calculators, one of our old lecturers pulled out a set of Ten Figure Log Tables! His results, all agreed, were far and away the best and were what got used to make the shaft!

 

[MoreWellie]

When we got married we found we had matching Thornton slide rules. Still have them but not sure either of us can use them any more