Author Topic: How about slide rules?  (Read 22962 times)

Offline goodfellow

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #30 on: August 28, 2018, 09:56:46 AM »
I have never been able to use a slide rule successfully, I grew up after full calculator integration was complete. My mother the calculus and trigonometry teacher is a wiz with one though. (she is a nerds nerd, who else will sit down and do formulas because its "fun")

Most of my work is performed on a TI-84 (mainly sin, cos, tan functions) or a construction master V. The construction master was carried in my pocket everyday for the last 10 years, it is invaluable in my construction life.

Learning calculus is about the only thing left on my bucket list that I haven't done.
I've tried several times but just can't get it. I think either you're gifted and have a brain that's wired for it, or you gotta put TONS of time into learning. Neither of which I have.

I was the same way learning from traditional theory-based books back in the day. That was until a Professor advisor gave me a couple of books that were written from an applied perspective. It showed how useful Trig and Calculus were in real industry applications, and how these disciplines solve problems in machining, warehousing, production planning, and industrial automation (just to name a few). It was a changing point -- from that time on I studied/concentrated on applied science research and it made sense.

Offline highland512

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #31 on: August 28, 2018, 01:27:48 PM »

Learning calculus is about the only thing left on my bucket list that I haven't done.
I've tried several times but just can't get it. I think either you're gifted and have a brain that's wired for it, or you gotta put TONS of time into learning. Neither of which I have.

She is very wired for it. She can do most of it in her head, I often imagined her daydreams looked something like rain man's. :))
 Imagine her disappointment when I was in her calc 1 class and was struggling my ass off to get a C, sorry mom. (Yes my mom was my math teacher all through high school, it was a real drag) 

Online J.A.F.E.

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #32 on: August 28, 2018, 04:33:31 PM »
Yes my mom was my math teacher all through high school, it was a real drag

It probably was a drag but you must have had great help for the homework.
People who confuse etymology and entomology bug me in ways I can’t put into words.

Offline Rural53

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #33 on: August 29, 2018, 01:30:12 AM »
I also went to school after slide rules were superseded by calculators. Casio FX-82 right the way through high school and university. When I learnt to fly we used a mechanical flight computer. Basically a circular slide rule on one side and a wind/course vector solver on the other. In the middle of the slide rule side there were also a series of conversions, weight, fuel weight, speed etc. I've still got it somewhere.

Offline bonneyman

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #34 on: August 29, 2018, 07:54:20 AM »
I also went to school after slide rules were superseded by calculators. Casio FX-82 right the way through high school and university. When I learnt to fly we used a mechanical flight computer. Basically a circular slide rule on one side and a wind/course vector solver on the other. In the middle of the slide rule side there were also a series of conversions, weight, fuel weight, speed etc. I've still got it somewhere.

Dang, I think I just saw one of those at an estate sale weekend before last! It was aluminum, and knew it had something to do with aviation. Should have snagged it - it was only $6.  :-[

Offline DeadNutz

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #35 on: August 29, 2018, 10:21:22 AM »
I also went to school after slide rules were superseded by calculators. Casio FX-82 right the way through high school and university. When I learnt to fly we used a mechanical flight computer. Basically a circular slide rule on one side and a wind/course vector solver on the other. In the middle of the slide rule side there were also a series of conversions, weight, fuel weight, speed etc. I've still got it somewhere.
Those are what I learned on back in 1979 while learning to fly. I still have several of them. Once you understood it flight planning was a breeze.

Offline bonneyman

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #36 on: August 29, 2018, 12:13:34 PM »
I think of slide rules as good back-up, like tape measures and bubble levels. Sure, the modern digital and laser tools are more accurate and idiot proof to learn, but it's never a bad idea to have a back-up plan in case something breaks.

Heck, I'd never give up my tape measure and spirit levels no matter how good the fancy ones get!   :P

Offline highland512

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #37 on: August 29, 2018, 01:03:37 PM »
Yes my mom was my math teacher all through high school, it was a real drag

It probably was a drag but you must have had great help for the homework.

The help was great, it was everything else.

She once pulled me out of another class to chew my ass because I had been suspended for 2 days. Trouble was nobody had told me yet and I had no clue what she was yelling about. Or when she was embarrassed due to the fact my friends and I relocated the principals desk to his parking spot before the last day of junior year.   O:-)

Online J.A.F.E.

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #38 on: August 29, 2018, 01:54:31 PM »
Seems like it was hard to get away with anything.

One of the guys I went to HS with his mother taught in the school. He kicked a fountain off the wall one day and did he ever get in trouble. Of course there was a lot of water everywhere so the school got pretty upset about it. He ended up having to pay for the damage.
People who confuse etymology and entomology bug me in ways I can’t put into words.

Offline Rural53

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #39 on: August 30, 2018, 03:05:34 AM »
Yes my mom was my math teacher all through high school, it was a real drag

It probably was a drag but you must have had great help for the homework.

My mother was a high school English teacher. After being taught by her father for most of her primary school years, she made sure she never taught in the school I went to.

Edit: At one time my mother, her sister and her father all taught at the same high school, all with different surnames so very few people knew.

Offline Cruiser808

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #40 on: August 30, 2018, 11:19:12 AM »
Wow, this thread brings back fond memories of my younger days on the drafting table. I think I still have my old 
Faber-Castell slide rule in a box with some ancient drafting tools and a Kroy lettering set somewhere around the house. Maybe????

Offline bonneyman

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #41 on: July 31, 2021, 11:16:30 AM »
Somebody stop me! I found another slide rule, and just couldn't leave it there. Priced at $6, b ut I had some store credit so got it for free.
A USA made K&E Log rule, 12 1/2" long with hard case. Probably late 40's - marked with a 1947 copyright but all of us here know that's no guarantee of date. Wood overlayed with plastic. Maybe it's worth some money.

Offline john k

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #42 on: July 31, 2021, 09:42:42 PM »
Havent come across any more slide rules lately but everywhere I turn there are the boxed drafting sets.  Used to open the cases to see how complete they are, all that chrome, and graphite dust.  I turned down mechanical drawing in high school as I had that teacher previously and had little confidence in his abilities and no respect for him as a person.  MIght just buy a set yet, even though at most I build things by rule of thumb and TLAR,  (that looks about right).  Anyone get into mechanical drawing/drafting ?

Offline bonneyman

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #43 on: August 19, 2021, 06:56:29 PM »
I used to do pencil drawing and some painting as a twenty-something. Mostly just for entertainment. Picked up and air brush and did T-shirt air brushing in the mid 80's. Nothing since.

Offline bonneyman

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Re: How about slide rules?
« Reply #44 on: November 04, 2021, 06:48:19 PM »
Found another slide rule today - a circular one! Basically like new condition, nice construction, with carry case and instruction pamphlet. Will take some getting used to but - for $1 - I couldn't leave it.