Here's an auction with some drafting tools and slide rulers.

 

How many of you remember these?  When  I was a senior in high school, my physics teacher would not let me use one because "not everyone in class knows how."   This was despite the fact there was a 6' long slide rule above the blackboard in the classroom.  To make matters even more puzzling the same teacher was teaching us logarithms (the concept behind slide rules) and some trig in math class.   (This just goes to show how bad my secondary school education was.  The next year he was working in a lumber yard and eventually we became friends outside school).   Well, anyway, my buddy and I volunteered to take one class session and teach everyone the fundamentals.

 

When I got to college, I got a nicer one that the cheap plastic one I had, "Because I'd probably use it for a long time."   Ha.  By the time I was a senior the engineering students had HP calculators that cost the equivalent of two terms of tuition and used "reverse polish notation."

I still have a briefcase full of items that almost look just like that auction, every now and then I dig something out about once a year.

At one time I knew how to use one, though probably not "fluently". I still have that slide rule laying around here somewhere I think.

After getting out of the Navy and realizing college wasn't for me (at that time), I used the GI Bill to take an Electrical Engineering correspondence course from Capitol Radio Engineering Institute (CREI). It took me a couple of years to complete (lunch times at my regular day job). It did help me get my teaching position. 

 

 

About the only thing left- even most of the knowledge is gone.

Ha, another story:   When I was in grad school, I had a friend who was working on his degree in chemistry as was a lab Teaching Assistant (TA).  One lab student submitted her report and it had something like 4.8202857 as the answer.  He wanted to teach her a lesson about "significant digits" as they were obviously measuring things to lines in beakers, drops, grams,  etc. and you couldn't be that accurate (segue: slide rules would be accurate to at most two or three digits)

 

He said, "How did you get so many decimal digits with the measuring tools we are using in the lab?" 

 

"Oh, it's easy, Mr. Bradley, all you do is put the two numbers in the calculator, press divide and then the equal button."

And did you know 355/113 is a very good approximation to pi?

3.14159292035 vs. 3.14159265358...

19 minutes ago, kmealy said:

And did you know 355/113 is a very good approximation to pi?

3.14159292035 vs. 3.14159265358...

Now there's something I'll file away for future use!

Like John I still have my briefcase from school with everything still in it.  This style of pencil is what we were still using although the click style micro lead pencils were available but very expensive.

 

         This is the sharpener

that is the first time I have seen the  adverb "sic"  used on an online forum  not connected to scholarly  pursuits.   I've used it a few times  but  never seen any one else do so.

still have my first one around somewhere...couldn't afford the hi-falutin plastic...only had the boxwood one.   a much nicer plastic one i had was lost at school i think as all that stuff had to be shoved under one arm and carried around all day as no lockers and no backpacks.   like that electric eraser....we had those at work.

 

think i had a couple of those metal erasure screens around somewhere, too.

Edited October 18, 20205 yr by p_toad

Oh, and the real nerds had a pocket protector with 3 pens and 4 pencils and wore their slide rule on their waist.

Left me out....was too busy being a Radio DJ......even had my License.....Uncle Sam had...other ideas for me....

1 hour ago, kmealy said:

Oh, and the real nerds had a pocket protector with 3 pens and 4 pencils and wore their slide rule on their waist.

I remember when pocket protectors for mechanics were so popular I had a dozen from the tool guys in my drawer.  As I use them they wear out.  Now I have to order them and it is very rare to see one on a tool truck, or someone that wears one.  Why I have no idea.  I have a pen, 3 types of pocket screwdrivers, a magnet and a black marker.  

1 minute ago, Gunny said:

I have to order them

Check the stores that sell nursing supplies. They have really nice ones- my wife was a nurse.

2 minutes ago, lew said:

Check the stores that sell nursing supplies. They have really nice ones- my wife was a nurse.

Thanks, I found a brand I liked and ordered in bulk.  Got 200.  Should last me.  

WELL, speaking of slide rules, If anyone here thinks they would like to play with one, I still have mine, with the case and and instruction manual for using it. It is in one of the drawers in my shop, but it has been so long since I've used it that it's all Greek to me now. Would be glad to give it to someone who might like to operate a computer on a stick. It is still in very good condition.

Edited October 19, 20205 yr by Al B

I've got the 6' foot blackboard slide ruler and can post a photo of it if anyone is interested. I rescued it from the top of a dumpster at a school.

17 hours ago, FrederickH said:

can post a photo of it if anyone is interested.

 

Please do.

Here tis'. Complete and still usable.

Now how cool is that Frederick?  Thanks for saving it