squaring dies

hounddawg

New member
my tool of choice for checking alignment was a 6'' slide rule and a feeler gauge. Then when digital came along I had to use a Dial Indicator because noone knew what a slide rule was.


slide rule museum



actually scatter I have to wonder if you know what a slide rule is. I have a Picket N4-ES in my desk and while it is great for dividing, multiplying, and finding square roots I have no clue as how you would change the alignment of 2 holes bored in a piece of cast metal with it

but then you guys that claim you can align holes bored in a piece of cast metal are some magical fellas in my opinion
 

scatterbrain

New member
Check Not Change

Hounddawg, Pickets are nice yellow non ferious metal slide rules that could be used to calculate anything a calculator will do. In addition, it fit in my shirt pocket and resisted rain, sweat, dust and falls very well. Also worked to stir coffee, and spread mustard if needed (try that with your HP).
In the 80's I had heard that the younger engineers didn't know what a slide rule was so I went on a trek to get a supply of them. A large engineering supply house was the place to buy so I called to see if they had any, and to my suprise they said yes, had a large drawer full of them. So I make the drive to the city and asked to see their slide rules, the guy opened a drawer full of scales! He didn't know what a slide rule was. I then stopped at a small book store and asked the same question, the guy says maybe and went to check. He came back with not one but two Pickets covered in dust, said they would be makred down 1/2 price and come with a life time guartantee, I took both. Now I have a drawer full of them, and yes, I know how to use them.
I'm not one them guys who can realign two holes in a casting, I don't even agree to that as being a big problem.
 

hounddawg

New member
So how do you use a slide rule to align 2 holes bored in a cast metal frame? Curious minds want to know. Detailed steps please
 

reynolds357

New member
So how do you use a slide rule to align 2 holes bored in a cast metal frame? Curious minds want to know. Detailed steps please
1. Place shell holder on ram.
2. Lower ram handle raising ram to highest point.
3. Screw die down until it begins to push ram down.
4. Lock die in place.
5. Raise handle lowering ram.
6. Place slide rule on top of shell holder.
7. Lower handle raising ram to highest point of travel.
(If you destroyed the slide rule, you got your adjustment right.)
 

hounddawg

New member
1. Place shell holder on ram.
2. Lower ram handle raising ram to highest point.
3. Screw die down until it begins to push ram down.
4. Lock die in place.
5. Raise handle lowering ram.
6. Place slide rule on top of shell holder.
7. Lower handle raising ram to highest point of travel.
(If you destroyed the slide rule, you got your adjustment right.)

how could I have missed something that obvious :confused:

I am a bit disappointed though, I was looking forward to getting my old Pickett and moving holes in cast metal with it. That would be quite the bar trick
 
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GWS

New member
LOL! Now....I heard the Apollo commanders & pilots did that only they weren't holes they were lining up.....they were spheres, the Earth and the Moon....and supposedly they aimed quite well with it. They aimed their space craft and made it to the moon, then they aimed it back and made it home......using slide rules. Myth or truth I don't know......don't know what else they could have used.....in those days computers took up whole floors in university buildings......I know, I used one in Computer Science classes back then. They couldn't fit one of those in a tiny space craft. :) Ah....Fortran....those were the days! ....I've been trying hard to forget...especially the Moog synthesizer...what a sick invention that was.

I threw away my Pickett Slide Rule more than 40 years ago ......if we have a serious EMP we are screwed....who remembers how to use Picketts? Find me a "working" engineer who has been trained on one. Back to the dark ages we go. The liberals will be happy....we can all freeze to death in the dark.

EMP ....electromagnetic pulse.

BTW....I never seen a Pickett that would fit in my shirt pocket. Small ones were nearly a foot long.
 
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scatterbrain

New member
Pickeit 600-T

Description on the box: about this rule; 19 color-coded scales provide a 30 inch log/log range. All trig scales off slide A, high capacity pocket version of the most powerful dual base rules.
I would take a photo of them with boxes, but I would need your address to mail it to you.
 

hounddawg

New member
Description on the box: about this rule; 19 color-coded scales provide a 30 inch log/log range. All trig scales off slide A, high capacity pocket version of the most powerful dual base rules.
I would take a photo of them with boxes, but I would need your address to mail it to you.

so how is it used to move the bored holes in a piece of cast iron/aluminum and wouldn't those holes be aligned anyway since they were most likely through bored in a single operation at manufacture ?
 

cw308

New member
scatter
Thanks for explaining TIR , you must be an engineer . If it wasn't for baseball I'd still be in High School. I feel I have a good handle on reloading without being so technical . Thanks again .

Chris
 
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