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Monday, August 15, 2016

Back to slide rules

I still collect slide rules, though as Ted can attest, they don't come up at the thrifts as often as typewriters.  I only find them on shopgoodwill or ebay, and since I lowball, I don't often win. But this time, the other collectors ignored or already had this N803ES speed rule.






It's been a while since I last worked through one of my manuals.  This one is transcribed (by Mike Markowski) from the manual that would have been in the box with this 803 rule.

Perhaps I'll compare it with other log/log and speed rules I have.  You know, for the thrills.

6 comments:

  1. I bought a slide rule from a thrift store several years ago, only to find that the sliding indicator part (not the correct terminology) had a bit of rotational slop, rendering the accuracy of the device moot. So now I'm much more cautious about purchasing them, unless they are carefully inspected first.

    I used to have a circular slide rule, which was neat. And an antique store in my town once had one of those massive cylindrical slide rules with multiple bars. Very exotic, and expensive.

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    1. Yeah I bet that was pricey! That's for the serious collector. I just have a couple for electronics and one for military, and one with metric conversions.

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  2. nice! Yep, slide rules in thrifts are rarer than typers, but i do see 2-3 a year and snag the best. Last year I found a package containing the flightplan kit owned by a vietnam-era pilot, like 3 different circular flight computer rulers, a couple straight slides, french rules and drawing templates for marking stuff like AA batteries and such on maps. Some of it made by Royal-Litton :D

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    1. I think you posted on that. I still have the one I found down there too! Since the US/AA merger I never get sent down to your area anymore.

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  3. Slide rules are fascinating! An astonishing amount of information on a small stretch of ruler :)
    Even more so on a Duplex - have been making 'excursions' into slide rules as well - seeking out more basic, older Mannheim or Rietz rules.
    Neat!

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    Replies
    1. I read a great post online about why to collect slide rules. They're technical, small, and finite in number as they're no longer made.

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