Expecting mothers, people with heart conditions or back trouble should not use the slides. Right now i am talking with a friend who studied electronics just a couple of years after electronic calculators unceremoniously drove slide rules from the engineering scene. Students are now going to make log slide rules and use these to explore the properties of logs. The cursor appeared on the earliest circular models but appeared much later on straight versions. Mannheim slide rule 1850 faber castell 283n nestler 23r mannheim issac newton put 3 scales in parallel in 1675 to compute. In addition are a few manuals i have written for my own jugglers and radix series slide rules. Stanley this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions. The slide rule, a practical manual, 22nd edition 1941 by c. I taught evening classes in solid state circuit design at our local community college from 1967 to 2000, and during the pre calculator days, around 1974, i assumed my students had a firm grasp on slide rule operation.
All slide rules consist of logarithmic scales that can be moved in relation to each other in order to do basic mathematical calculations. Originally published in german in 1977 as the first major book on the history of the slide rule since florian cajoris a history of the logarithmic slide rule, this newly revised and translated edition of slide rules, a journey through three centuries, offers readers a fresh, more continental perspective on this most fascinating of calculating instruments. The slide rule and logarithmic tables by j j clark published by frederick j. These rules have extensive directions on the reverse of the rule. This did not stop us from doing complicated things, like going to the moon, figuring out the double helix, or designing the boeing 747. You dont have to track down vintage slide rules to play along. Remember that you are the presenter, not powerpoint.
The slide rule is actually made of three bars that are fixed together. Here derek has put together a number of working slide rules that can be used for calculations and demonstrations on the computer. It is a simple manual, but very adequate and covers the scales on both the virtual slide rule linked above and the pdf slide rule i built. How to use the slide rule international slide rule museum.
Well, i stumbled on this forum googling some slide rule info, and id like to say thanks for both the link to the slide rule book pdf and to fabercastells online shop. This one, inspired by the yokota slide rule s scale arrangement, doesnt even require putting scales on the back slide of the slider, thus, construction is basically the same as the postscript slide rule initially offered here as constructed by brian ronald. With the aid of scales printed on the frame it also helps with such miscellaneous tasks as converting time, distance, speed, and temperature values. Bissaker slide rule 1654 circular slide rule king pocket calculator 66 sclales thacher calculator 30 ft. The slide rule universe all kinds of reference information. The log log trig slide rule 1936 this instruction manual is for the 409. Oughtred society slide rule reference manual the oughtred. The simplest slide rule would have two log scales that you could use to do multiplication and division see my slide rule introduction page for more info. It is unfortunate that, for some reasons not easy to see, the slide rule is sometimes regarded as a difficult instrument with which to become proficient. The slide rule, a practical manual, 19th edition 1930 by c. Water slides rules read and obey all posted signs and obey instructions given by water park staff. Typical slide rules contain scales for multiplying, dividing, and extracting square roots, and some also contain scales for calculating. Notes on frederick post slide rules, in the journal of the oughtred.
Amplified card rules the following is in further explanation of the rules printed on the cards, which entirely govern the play of the game. Instructions for using a slide rule project gutenberg. Today, slide rules can be found on ebay, antique stores and estate auctions. Speaking about nib slide rules and wondering if it wasnt already told somewhere else on the forum. A standard singleface rule with scales to solve problems in multiplication, division, squares, square roots, reciprocals, trigonometry and logarithms. There is also a version as a word document which is smaller 2040 kb. Project gutenbergs instruction for using a slide rule, by w. Pdf the most recent ebook is a hard science fiction spell binding yarn about a couple that decide to disobey the forbidden nature of entering. Constructing and understanding new and old scales on slide rules.
Unfortunately, i dont have a copy of the revised edition, but even this early work has a lot going for it. Scientific american may 2006 university of vermont. If you download the instructions, two of the basic slide rules are also attached. If you use a different pdf reader, your procedures should be quite similar.
For the experienced reader we recommend the dualistic slide rule as being the best available for general purposes. This is a circular slide rule first created in the 1930s for aircraft pilots to help with dead reckoning. Sphere researchs slide rule universe, build your own. Also, the creator of the universal slide rule league a lunchtime 5 minute competition of 10 problems for the slide rule. There are already a couple of tutorials posted at instructables on using a slide. I typed and scanned this in from one of the manuals that came with my n4es slide rule. Buying and selling slide rules to make your life easier, and help you find exactly what you want, we have broken the online slide rule catalogs into smaller sections. Most students learned slide rule use on the linear slide rules, and did not find reason to switch.
The slide rule the book, written by florian cajori, is the standard work on the early history of. Pickett trig slide rule instruction manual national museum. As graphical analog calculators, slide rules are closely related to nomograms, but the former are used for general calculations, whereas the latter are used for applicationspecific computations. There are at least three different scales, and on most of them the numbers arent even spaced evenly apart. As a collector, 2014 was my slide rules year after 35 years of electronic and mechanical calculators. By the late 17th century, the slide rule was a common instrument with many variations. Oct 01, 2000 originally published in german in 1977 as the first major book on the history of the slide rule since florian cajoris a history of the logarithmic slide rule, this newly revised and translated edition of slide rules, a journey through three centuries, offers readers a fresh, more continental perspective on this most fascinating of calculating instruments. A programmed sequence on the slide rule 1962, pdf mb. Slide rules can get very fancy, but the basic type has a body, one slide the thing. The slide rule could hardly compete with this, although some of the mentioned features can be fou nd in slide rules. Old pilots watches feature these slide rules, and any newer pilotstyle watches also have this.
To divide 4 by 2, find 4 on the d scale and place the hairline over it. The slide rule the book, written by florian cajori, is the standard work on the early history of the slide rule. The slide rule, also known colloquially in the united states as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog computer. Pickett trig slide rule instruction manual national. Shows how to use the slide rule to calculate squares, square roots, proportions and percentages. Spheres new in box nib pickett slide rule page buy. Basic slide rule operation for scientists and engineers 10. It contains four different types of slide rules and a tutorial for each. Nostalgic original keuffel and esser slide rules with their advanced trigonometric and logarithmic scales invoke fond memories in accountants, engineers, scientists, and business consultants. Highly recommended for archeotech or retrocomputing people. Sphere s slide rule site provides information about slide rules. A book from the same era as my recently acquired slide rule was the best introduction i could have asked for.
Slide rule was invented by english minister william oughtred in 1622. A cursor is fixed in the center of the window to allow for accurate readings. Api flange slide rule 1 16 2 116 2 12 2 916 3 18 3 16 3 116 4 116 5 18 6 7 116 9 11 58 16 34 18 34 20 34 21 14 29 12 30 10m 15m 20m quick links. I particularly like the simulation of the pickett n 525es, a statistical slide rule and one that is uncommon. The 100th year of slide rule production passed in 1972, but sadly, only a few years later, 1978 marked the end of slide rule production, and the liquidation of that portion of the company. For example, the book shows you how slide rule can be used to i wish he had talked a little more clearly of the theory but i have to say that already having an understanding of logarithms, this really opened my mind to the possibilities of representing them spatially and how they can be. There was a time when electronic calculators did not yet exist. The sliding center bar is sandwiched by the outer bars which are fixed with respect to each other. More divisions allow for more decimal places which means increased accuracy. Thompsons original 1930 slide rule book was also updated in a second 1952 edition the standard manual of the slide rule that many collectors feel is the standard slide rule reference text. Slide rule instructor containing new and important rules upon the present practice of engineering etc for the improved slide rule by j. This manual is missing page 30, however this section of the manual is identical with the how to use log log slide rules and the missing page from that manual is here. The purpose of this particular and quite idiosyncratic slide rule page is to describe common scales used on slide rules, and the kind of mathematical expressions.
Twelfth grade lesson discovering log rules because logs. Swimwear with zippers, buckles, rivets, or other metal ornaments are not permitted for use riders should remove watches and jewelry. To multiply two numbers on a typical slide rule, the user set the left index start of the scale on the c scale to line up with one, slide rules and logarithm tables slide rule or ii print out papersliderule. That was done by the user typically by estimation, common sense or by computing the characteristic. After explaining the parts of a slide rule, the manual divides the process of learning to use a slide rule into twelve steps, each of which are discussed with examples, solutions, and exercises in the remainder of the pamphlet.
Assembly instructions hairline cursor slider title. To do a calculation with a slide rule you reduce all numbers to scientific notation with 24 digits then use the slide rule to perform the basic operations. Slide rule image aluminum wide geeky cuff bracelet. Some donors have provided these booklets and other paper items, such as advertising flyers, directions for cleaning slide rules, warranty certificates, and. I had had the itch for a 283n and failed to pull the trigger a few years ago, but today the euro has fallen enough that i. Npr ed before the smartphone, the laptop and the pocket calculator, there was a powerful mechanical computer. The accuracy of the calculations made with a slide rule depends on the accuracy with which the user can read the numbers off the scale. Slide rule proportion, percentage, squares and square roots. Look at the graphic used earlier for 2 x 2 in step 5.
The sterling slide rule has standard a, b, c, c, d, and k scales. Slide rule two page how to there is 1 adobe pdf file in 1 zip file. The logarithmic slide rule is a compact device for rapidly performing calculations with limited accuracy. The a, d, and k scales are on the body, the b, and c scales on the slide. Slide rules are used for quick calculations, not for purposes that require extreme precision. In the comment section instructables member mr ross made reference to a may 2006 article in scientific american magazine titled when slide rules ruled. The link below will take you to dereks virtual slide rule site.
These were used by pilots to do simple arithmetic, conversions and other calculations in an era before gps and calculators. The player who first moves his 4 men from his start to his home, according to the rules, wins the game. It gave the foundations necessary for the online manuals available for the different rules to make sense. An easy introduction to the slide rule by isaac asimov. Pdf the proper way to use a slide rule researchgate. Spheres slide rule marketplace buy slide rules online. Circular slide rules and cylindricalspiral slide rules also appeared quickly.
This instruction manual is for the 4092 and 4092 12. My high school chemistry teacher 1976 who would only let us use slide rules and our brains during the first semester. There are many pages about slide rules on the web, and you can still buy brand new slide rules 40 years old but never used, and still in their factory supplied box in various places. The slide rule, a practical manual, 18th edition 1927 by c. Many pilots watches made make use of a circular slide rule on the bezel of the watch. A player drawing a 3, 5, 8, or 12 card moves forward the corresponding number of.
Jeff weiner brought to my attention that actually there are some slide rules that can add and subtract, specifically the pickett microline 115 and the pickett 901 rules. From the finest to the humblest, however, all slide rules were based on logarithms see box on page 85. Slide rules are rarely used because of the advent of electronic calculators and computers. Additionally, the slide rule does not tell you where the decimal point is located in the answer. Ci1st number to multiply, goes over top d2nd number to multiply. To someone who doesnt know how to use it, a slide rule looks like a ruler designed by picasso. Once that article was available online in pdf, but has since been removed. Slide rules come in many different styles, including sliding bars and rotating cylinders and circles. The slide rule was strong in conversions with a constant factor. On the reverse side of the slide, the s, l, and t scales appear, and the slide. The slide rule, a practical manual, 23rd edition 1942 by c. Each just needs to be cutout and placed onto a cd case.
Located on the slide, most calculations are done in conjunction with the fundamental cd scales. Please remember to disconnect all electrical before servicing any equipment and follow all safety guidelines. These video tutorials are designed to only be used by properly trained and certified technicians. Cheapskatesincluding this authorcarried plastic ones. We strongly believe every hvac technician should own a supercool slide rule. Students first need to complete questions on the student worksheet logarithmsdemystified. Peter alfeld, department of mathematics, college of science university of utah what can you do with a slide rule.
The author was managing director of the company that made unique slide rules but as this was a. It remained the tool of choice for many for the next three hundred years. Slide rule instruction manuals here are a few instruction manuals for aw faber faber castell slide rules that i have acquired, most came with slide rules as indicated. Sharp and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Back in 2008 instructables member legionlabs published how to use a slide rule. O fine adjustments of the slide can be made with the thumb and finger of the moving hand at the slide to body joint and twisting. Division on a slide rule involves the exact steps used in multiplication on the c and d scales, but in reverse order. Henry suttons slide rule top was an early circular rule circa 1663. The main idea of any old or new slide rule is 4 that we write each. An easy introduction to the slide rule asimov, isaac.
They will use their findings here and the slide rules template to make the slide rules. Also, unlike electronic calculators, the slide rule helps the user develop a feel for numbers. However, they are a valuable educational tool because of the mathematics behind its design. In a separate calculation you find the order of magnitude by combining the powers of 10. Scales to make a circular slide rule using a cd case by ying hum va3yh canada there are 2 circular slide rule options shown.
Top eight rules for creating a powerpoint presentation 1. The metal window is inserted over the slide rule to act as a place holder. It is quicker in action, more accurate in its results and the irritating necessity of traversing the slide when using the more usual type of slide rule is eliminated. One slide rule remaining in daily use around the world is the e6b. Slide rule, a device consisting of graduated scales capable of relative movement, by means of which simple calculations may be carried out mechanically.
O if your slide is too loose, on most high quality slide rules it can be adjusted, but in the meantime, let the thumb and fingers of your holding hand add a little friction. A member at instructables asked me to explain how to use a slide rule for the sake of those who came along about the time electronic calculators replaced slide rules. The invention of logarithms in 1614 by the scottish mathematician john napier and the computation and publication of tables of logarithms made it possible to effect multiplication and division by the simpler operations of addition and subtraction. Use your slides to emphasize a point, keep yourself on track, and illustrate a point with a graphic or photo. Move the slider so 2 on the c scale is under the hairline.