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Slide Rules: Real Engraving vs. Pilot V5RT Pens

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A 0.5 mm Pilot V5RT pen produces good-looking results on presentation-grade paper:

Tek CC - V5RT black - glossy presentation paper
Tek CC – V5RT black – glossy presentation paper

Peering through a measuring magnifier shows a bit more tremble in the traces, but they’re still OK:

Tek CC - V5RT pen width
Tek CC – V5RT pen width

The desk light off to the upper left casts shadows from the reticle on the three different sheets.

A closer view of the linear scales:

Tek CC - V5RT pen width - detail
Tek CC – V5RT pen width – detail

The pen lines seem to be 0.25 to 0.3 mm wide, with 0.4 mm dots at the end of each stroke.

For comparison, the engraved lines on my trusty K&E Deci-Lon slide rule are under 0.1 mm:

KE Deci-Lon Slide Rule - scale detail
KE Deci-Lon Slide Rule – scale detail

The digits look like they’re embossed into the surface with shaped punches, rather than engraved like the lines. Of course, I don’t know how K&E’s production machinery worked.

A closer view:

KE Deci-Lon Slide Rule - scale detail - digits
KE Deci-Lon Slide Rule – scale detail – digits

I think 0.1 mm is an aggressively narrow trace width, even for a laser engraver.

Comments

4 responses to “Slide Rules: Real Engraving vs. Pilot V5RT Pens”

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    Drag Knife Blade Wear | The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

    […] Perhaps, with careful attention to alignment in a non-pivoting / collet holder, one might scribe exceedingly narrow lines. […]

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    Diamond-Drag Styrene Engraving: Sanded Sharpie Colors | The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

    […] lines are all about 0.1 mm wide and, to the naked eyeball, look about the same as the lines on my K&E Deci-Lon slipstick:, done on a real production line with an actual engraving tool and somebody who knew what he […]

  3. Homage Tek Circuit Computer: Yellow Variation | The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning Avatar
    Homage Tek Circuit Computer: Yellow Variation | The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

    […] of course, are the ticks and legends nearly as fine as you get with real engraving, but it’s probably Close Enough™ for anybody other than a […]

  4. Tek Circuit Computer: Paper Matters, Redux | The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning Avatar
    Tek Circuit Computer: Paper Matters, Redux | The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

    […] HP Brochure Glossy inkjet paper on the left produces wonderful results with a 0.5 mm Pilot V5RT ball point pen and has coating on both sides. It’s intended for handouts, brochures, and suchlike; the Pilot […]