The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • 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.