Machine Shop, Photography & Images

Slide Rules: Real Engraving vs. Pilot V5RT Pens

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.