General Forum

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Rich — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:21:27 GMT

For all you CURTA calculator aficionados, I give you the Charles Babbage Analytical Engine as shown in this month's Civil Engineering magazine.

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Rich — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:52:34 GMT

This thread made me remember one of my all time favorite junk antique store finds: the fourth edition (fifth printing, 1946) of Jameson & Banks' Elementary Practical Mechanics. This book, first published in 1909, was a text for a first undergraduate course in mechanical engineering and incorporates statics, dynamics, strength of materials, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics. I found it for $4 in a little shop in Blue Ridge, Georgia, about an hour from the southern end of the Appalachian Trail.

I ran across the book this evening looking for something else.

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

burantek — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:51:11 GMT

Puncher:

(I'm sure there are similar for those ibods among you)

Thanks Pounch!

Now I have to buy a real one!

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Daniel — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:21:18 GMT

Rich:

I am old enough to have grown up in a house with a slide rule in the cupboard, yet young enough to have never used one. Give me an RPN HP calculactor and I'll take on any of you "a slide rule is faster than a calculator" posers....

@Soren Mexico - couldn't stay away, could you? Or did the server timeouts go away?

I'm with Rich! HP48SX ruled in my days at the Institute of Technology.

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Puncher — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:20:40 GMT

Why make things easy for yourself - delete your calculator app and use this instead!

(I'm sure there are similar for those ibods among you)

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Rich — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:41:53 GMT

It's not the slide rule that attracts the girls, it's the EP of the guy using it.

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Evan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:56:06 GMT

Søren Hammer:

Yep, though only those hipster chicks; But it is an interesting thought that I, in theory, can pick up a girl with something as nerdy and outdated as a slide rule!

Imagine if girls would have the same reaction to my valve guitar amplifiers

Hipster chicks - nevermind!

Trust me, there is nothing cool about amps to them.. I have 5 (hi-fi) amps in one stereo and not a peep out of the girlfriends.

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

elephant — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:30:37 GMT

Søren Hammer:

Evan:

Søren Hammer:

One of my old friends who is also 18 years old like me has become very interested in old-school stuff. She went nuts when I told her that I could use a slide rule and begged me to learn her how to make all arithmetic operations.

Wait a minute, so your telling me I can pick up chicks with math??!?!???!?!!!!?

Yep, though only those hipster chicks; But it is an interesting thought that I, in theory, can pick up a girl with something as nerdy and outdated as a slide rule!

Imagine if girls would have the same reaction to my valve guitar amplifiers

Really Soren !

Surely you are wise enough to know that they SAY they are interested until the knot is tied, and then it is "game over" and a new set of rules

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Søren Hammer — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:08:57 GMT

Evan:

Søren Hammer:

One of my old friends who is also 18 years old like me has become very interested in old-school stuff. She went nuts when I told her that I could use a slide rule and begged me to learn her how to make all arithmetic operations.

Wait a minute, so your telling me I can pick up chicks with math??!?!???!?!!!!?

Yep, though only those hipster chicks; But it is an interesting thought that I, in theory, can pick up a girl with something as nerdy and outdated as a slide rule!

Imagine if girls would have the same reaction to my valve guitar amplifiers

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

elephant — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:16:56 GMT

Evan:

Søren Hammer:

One of my old friends who is also 18 years old like me has become very interested in old-school stuff. She went nuts when I told her that I could use a slide rule and begged me to learn her how to make all arithmetic operations.

Wait a minute, so your telling me I can pick up chicks with math??!?!???!?!!!!?

Absolutely ... magnets too

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Evan — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:55:58 GMT

Søren Hammer:

One of my old friends who is also 18 years old like me has become very interested in old-school stuff. She went nuts when I told her that I could use a slide rule and begged me to learn her how to make all arithmetic operations.

Wait a minute, so your telling me I can pick up chicks with math??!?!???!?!!!!?

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

Søren Hammer — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:16:05 GMT

That "pepper grinder" sure looks interesting, a very clever piece of engineering

My 60-year-old physics teacher (mid-level in upper secondary school) became totally nostalgic when he saw my Mannheim slide rule. He have had a very similar one, but it disappeared in the 70's when he bought a TI calculator instead. He could still remember how to operate it after 35 years!

One of my old friends who is also 18 years old like me has become very interested in old-school stuff. She went nuts when I told her that I could use a slide rule and begged me to learn her how to make all arithmetic operations.

I might popularize them for use in math exams. In Denmark, a written math exam divided(pun not intended) into two assignments; one done without any mathematical assistive (books with tables/formulas and electronic calculators), and one with assistives. The slide rule is not called a "mathematical assistive" anymore because it's outdated, thus a slide rule can legally be used during the first part of the test

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

stotty1111 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:03:37 GMT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Otis-King-Calculator-Cylindrical-Slide-Rule-Model-L-/200697990618?pt=UK_Collectables_Scientific_MJ&hash=item2eba884dda

Follow above to simple slide rule ie multiply divide

tony

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

elephant — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:31:29 GMT

burantek:
Here is a CURTA SITE if anyone is interested.

Just looking at their main poster of an exploded/exposed Curta Mark I reminds me how beautifully engineered they were and how complex they were.

Re: Anyone into slide rules?

burantek — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:50:42 GMT

elephant:
Curta's gears

Well, that brings this thread full circle for me!

As a recovering retired engineer, I missed the window (college in the '80's) to use a slide rule. I know my father had one, but it disappeared in the early 70's when a TI hand-held calculator showed up. Always wanted to learn, so I may give it a whirl someday.

Back to Curta... Some late night, long ago... I was on an induced eBay binge (read: too much juice) and I stumbled upon old (some vintage) drafting supplies. I thought that would make an interesting collection theme and duly bought a bunch of "stuff" -but stopped short of a Curta. Wow, they can bring some money!

Here is a CURTA SITE if anyone is interested.