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Circular CD Slide Rule

This 9-step instructable shows how to build a circular slide rule using common household materials like a CD, cardboard, and plastic from an empty bottle. The circular design allows computing scales equivalent to a 30cm straight slide rule to fit on a 9.5cm diameter tool. Key steps include printing scales, adhering them to cardboard and a CD, assembling rotating inner and outer discs, adding a cursor that moves along the scales, and installing spacers to hold the assembled rule together while allowing free rotation. The completed circular slide rule can be used to perform multiplications, divisions, and other calculations traditionally done with slide rules.

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202 views9 pages

Circular CD Slide Rule

This 9-step instructable shows how to build a circular slide rule using common household materials like a CD, cardboard, and plastic from an empty bottle. The circular design allows computing scales equivalent to a 30cm straight slide rule to fit on a 9.5cm diameter tool. Key steps include printing scales, adhering them to cardboard and a CD, assembling rotating inner and outer discs, adding a cursor that moves along the scales, and installing spacers to hold the assembled rule together while allowing free rotation. The completed circular slide rule can be used to perform multiplications, divisions, and other calculations traditionally done with slide rules.

Uploaded by

Hermes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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instructables

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE

by cparedes2302

Hello Everyone! Anyway, it is of a much easier and faster constriction


and as it is built over a CD, it becomes very strong!
Keeping it up with my math helping tools and after I
finished my straight Cardboard Slide Rule, I decided Supplies:
to make another slide rule but of much easier and fast SUPPLIES
construction. I decided to go for a simple circular slide 1 CD
rule. Just as the previous slide rule, the intention is to Thin cardboard
have middle school students built their own and use it Acrylic clear spray paint
to get numeric ability. I know there are several apps 1 transparency (very thin acrylic)
that emulate a straight and a circular slide rule, but if 1 empty bottle of mustard/mayonnaise as the material
you are using your phone it would be much easier to is thicker than a bottle
use the calculator instead of the slide rule. My dream Crazy glue
is to have the students “thinking and reasoning” again Rubber cement
instead of relying so strongly on technology.
TOOLS
The advantages of a circular slide rule is that the Xacto knife
computing scales (C and D) of a 9.5 cm (3 3/4”) Cutting board
diameter tool are equivalent to a 30 cm (almost 12”) Metal ruler
straight slide rule! So you can get a more accurate Scissors
reading! The disadvantage is that as your scale is Thin saw
located closer to the center of the Slide Rule, the Heat gun
scale becomes very short and difficult to read. A piece of thick steel wire (hanger wire)

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 1


Step 1: STARTING YOUR CIRCULAR SLIDE RULE

I found this scale on the Internet and it suit me well as cut both circles and glue then on the support material.
the scales it has are very useful: I used the CD for the larger circle and thin but sturdy
- C and D for multiplying and dividing cardboard for the inner circle. I used regular white
- CI for inverse glue for the small circle but I wanted the big circle to
- A for squares and square root really stick to the CD so I used rubber cement.
- K for cube power and cubic root
- L for log numbers To keep everything straight, I lay both pieces on the
You can download the scales I used at: floor and put a lot of weight on top of them. This time I
https://www.sliderulemuseum.com/REF/scales/Ying_ used the volumes of my Encyclopedia
Hum_VA3YH_Circular_SR-1.pdf Encyclopedia... anything in the sake of knowledge!

Once you print the scales (I used normal 180 paper),

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 2


Step 2: PROTECTING YOUR SLIDE RULE

Once both circles are dry, trim away any excess material. It is time to protect the printed scales with acrylic clear
spray paint

Step 3: CAUTION 1

Here I ran into trouble... I think that if you use some shiny smooth cardboard
Once the clear acrylic paint was dry, the small disk (like a detergent box) keeping the shinny side to be
would not rotate on top of the other one due to the the contact with the larger disc, it would rotate easily
roughness of the cardboard. To fix it, I cut the and will not need the transparency circle.
transparency to the size of the small disk and that
fixed the problem. Now the smaller disc rotates freely
on top of the large one.

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 3


Step 4: FIRST ASSEMBLY

Now it is time to assemble your circular slide rule for the first time. I used an old CD container to properly cut the
hole into the small disc and I sanded as needed until it would fit easily in the container with no lateral movement.

Step 5: CENTERPIECE

Now you have to make the centerpiece so both discs spin freely but are firmly kept together laterally. Here you can
use a lot of materials but to made it easy for me. I decided to use the center post of the CD container. I cut out a
small piece... and it worked great!

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 4


Step 6: MAKING THE CURSOR Part 1

From an empty bottle of Mayonnaise, cut out a FLAT, excess and now you have your hairline on your
straight and clear piece of plastic. Trim it to an cursor. Be careful that your hairline must pass over
approximately size and trace the centerpiece to cut the center of the hole for the centerpiece.
out the center hole. Cut it a tiny bit on the smaller size
and sand it to the correct size. Be careful to have it to Note:
move only in an angular, it must not wobble around. I used the Mayonnaise bottle as the plastic is thicker
than the one from a soft drink bottle.
Once it is trimmed to size, trace a line in the middle
and paint over it with a black marker. Wipe any

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 5


Step 7: MAKING THE CURSOR Part 2

Now comes the fun part!

Assemble your circular slide rule and using the heat gun, heat the steel wire. Once it is hot, place it on the edge of
the CD and very gently bend and fold the plastic of te cursor over the edge of the CD. It may require several
repetitions of the “heat the wire - bend the plastic” sequence to complete. Be patient.

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 6


Step 8: FINAL ASSEMBLY AND CAUTION 2

Now it is time to perform your final assembly. You Now comes the tricky part as we do not want crazy
need to figure out hot to keep your circular slide rule glue slipping through the top. To avoid it, I cut out a
assembled and operating. This is how I did it: thin transparent acrylic and insert it between the
cursor and the foam spacer (cut out the inner circle a
As stoppers around the centerpiece I used some little small so the fit is tight). Place the top spacer and
foam spacers that use to hold the CDs in the gently glue it in place with crazy glue. Let it dry and
container. I measure out the length of the centerpiece THAT IS ALL!
with the circular slide rule assembled and glue the
bottom spacer into place with crazy glue. Cut te
center pece to size and sand the bottom to make it
smooth.

CIRCULAR CD SLIDE RULE: Page 7


Step 9: AL DONE! HAVE FUN!

And you are... DONE!


Your Circular CD Slide Rule is complete!
Now, enjoy it as I am enjoying mine!
Final picture, my 2 homemade rules together!

Please let me know how did it go for you!


Happy calculating!

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