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Tool What is this type of ruler called?

Tool
DavidR8

DavidR8

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Screenshot 2023-12-13 at 21-13-27 Gears Cutting my teeth.webp
 
Some expansion - the end is carbide, the scales are in metric and imperial, and have decent vernier scales. I use it to lay out electronic panels.Set it for Y dimensions, run it along the edge of the panel, scribe for holes, set at X dimension, run it along the perpendicular edge, scribe for cross hairs, and now all my switch and control holes are even and true. Way less errors than using a ruler.
 
whydontu said:
Some expansion - the end is carbide, the scales are in metric and imperial, and have decent vernier scales. I use it to lay out electronic panels.Set it for Y dimensions, run it along the edge of the panel, scribe for holes, set at X dimension, run it along the perpendicular edge, scribe for cross hairs, and now all my switch and control holes are even and true. Way less errors than using a ruler.
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I use a combination square now but find that it's cumbersome and the narrow end of the ruler doesn't lend itself to making accurate marks.
 
Bought one of the rules from Lee Valley.
I have to say that I am seriously impressed by the quality.
The body is a solid 1/8” thick and the sliding portion has to be 1/4” think. The locking knob is well knurled and locks solid.
A very impressive tool for <$30.
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I'm a bit late to this, but I think that has to be a steel copy of the original engineers "slide rule". It was prolly made before logarithmic and trigonomic scaling was developed.

Sorry guys, I just couldn't help myself. Just kidding.

But seriously, when I took engineering, they didn't have scientific calculators so we all had slide rules. I still have mine some odd 55 years later.

Keuffel_and_Esser-Model_4181-1_Log_log_Duplex_Decitrig_slide_rule-IMG_5821-white_(cropped).jpg
 
I missed the slide rule. Curiosity got the better of me so I watched a quick video, I'm guessing your generation of engineers were pretty comfortable with logarithms. Perhaps I should get one just for giggles when a non engineering type is visiting;-)
 
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slow-poke said:
I'm guessing your generation of engineers were pretty comfortable with logarithms. Perhaps I should get one just for giggles when a non engineering type is visiting;-)
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Yup. As well as exponents, trigonometry, significant digits, and extrapolation. SlideRulers were cool. I think Engineers got a bad rep wearing big sliderulers on a belt clip. Sure caught my wife's attention!

I still have mine but prefer an HP15C RPN Scientific Calculator now. I even have a clone of the 15C running on my Android Smartphone.
 
Susquatch said:
I'm a bit late to this, but I think that has to be a steel copy of the original engineers "slide rule". It was prolly made before logarithmic and trigonomic scaling was developed.

Sorry guys, I just couldn't help myself. Just kidding.

But seriously, when I took engineering, they didn't have scientific calculators so we all had slide rules. I still have mine some odd 55 years later.

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I always wanted to learn how to use a slide rule.
 
My electronic teacher back in the day made us use one. Calculators were already coming along at a fast pace. In fact I would carry a Tandy Pocket Computer (TRS-80 which was basically a rebranded Sharp PC-1211 for the poor kids) and a slide rule to his class. lol. I'm sure I taught him a few things, but I learned a lot from that instructor that has carried me thru the years. It would be nice to hunt him down and explain how he made a big difference in my life. :)

I know my mom got rid of my slide rule after I moved out. I do miss it.

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Edit. The other picture didn't look right. This is correct. Says it came out in 1980, but I know I had one in 1979.
 
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Slide Rules were even before my time and I started programming computers with punch cards in the 1980s.
Back to present day . . .

Digital devices are getting more advanced everyday.

The smartphone has become such an essential tool for technology that at my last fulltime job at Flowserve SIHI Systems (2014-2018) all staff of Engineering Projects were issued I-Phones.
 
Am I really that old? I’ve had the abacus since I was 10, before TI and HP started selling calculators. And I still use the ITT slide rule to quickly select control valves, it’s faster than using the manufacturers sizing software.

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As for the slide rule. Wife bought me one a couple years ago for a birthday present. Aside form playing around briefly, I never really gave it a solid chance to learn it.

I do love the slide calculators though. I have a bunch of different types from speed and feed calculators to bolt sizing. I should lay them out and make a thread about them. I'm curious to see who else has a bunch too.
 
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