Slide Rule Basic Operations

 

 Never thought about how a slide rule worked cause I always had a calculator, but inherited a slide rule from my dad and then found a pamphlet on slide rules when cleaning out my father-in-laws work shop.

So I added learning how to use a slide rule to my list of things to do when I had more than 8% of my weekly hours free to investigate interesting interests.

 My slide rule has 6 scales, C, D, A, B, C1 and K. Scales B, C and C1 are located on the inner sliding section of the slide rule. I have not used C1 or K yet and may never. Slide rules also are supposed to have a third piece which provides a sliding section containing a hairline crossing perpendicular to all the scales. My slide rule was missing this and so I used a paper clip as a pointer. There are other variants of slide rules for different specific functions.

The scales have an index or starting point on both the Right Hand (RH) and Left Hand (LH) ends of the slide rule. If you can't find the answer, the other index is to be used.

Multiplication:

To Multiply 7 x 5, for example

1. The C scale(bottom scale of the internal sliding section) right hand index is first set to 7 on the D Scale (bottom scale on the base of the slide rule)
2. The hairline is set to 5 on the C scale.
3. The result of 35 is read off the D scale at the hairline.

There are explanations about logarithms as to how this all works, but to mechanically multiple, you don't need to know that.

 Division:

To divide 5 by 4,

1. Set the hairline to 5 on the D scale
2. Slide the C scale so 4 aligns with the hairline.
3. read the result of 1.25 at the C scale Left Hand Index
   

 

Finding Cubes:

 

To find the Cube of 20

1. Set the C scale Left Hand Index to 2 (20)
   
2. Set the hairline to 2 (20) on the B scale
3. Read 8 off the A scale
4. Adjust the number on the A scale to get 800
   

Finding Square of:

Finding Square Root of: 

1. To square a number, look at the number on the D scale and the corresponding number on the A scale using the missing hairline device. The number 3 points to 9, the number 5 points halfway between 2 and 3 which is interpreted as 25.
2. To get the square root is just the reverse.

 

 

 

2023 Maple Mead

Started on September 4, 2023 and racked to 5 bottles on September 25, 2023. Was happy with the amount of mead generated, a gallon is too much to drink and I don't know that many people to foist homemade mead upon. Only one review so far, expressed an opinion that it was stronger than the 2022 batch. It could be that the Mead is still too young.

September 4, 2023

Make 2/3 cup maple syrup from ½ cup water and 1 packed cup maple sugar.

2/3 cup maple syrup is equivalent to 5.3333333333 oz.

 

Original recipe was 2lbs honey and 12.5 oz of maple syrup, 1.6 g yeast and 0.5 g yeast enhancer.

Halved is 1lbs honey and 6 oz maple syrup.

 

Ingredients

·      1/2 Gal water, 8 cups

·      1 lbs Honey

·      3 oz maple syrup

·      60 grams maple sugar, about 1/3 cup, err on more?

·      0.8 grams Yeast, Mead M05 Mangrove Jack

·      0.25 gram Di-ammonium Phosphate, yeast enhancer

 

Equipment

·      1 gallon jug

·      Air lock

·      Long thermometer

·      1 cup measure

·      2 cup measure

·      Large metal pot to sanitize things in

·      Metal Pot to hold ½ gallon plus of water, 8 cups

·      Pot to mix honey, maple stuff and water

·      Funnel

·      Large Metal spoon

·      Metal skewer to stir in jug

 

Instructions

 

1.     Sanitize all your equipment using as per the instructions on the packet.
Note: Never use bleach! Bleach will react negatively with the fermentation process.

2.     Warm honey and maple container to make pouring easier.

3.     Put 4 cups of warm water in a pot, measure out about 2 lbs of honey and mix with the warm water in the pot.

4.     Mix the maple sugar in a measuring cup and dissolve.

5.     Mix in the maple syrup.

6.     Pour honey/maple/water mix into 1 gal jug.

7.     Add additional 4 cups of water to fill to just about half of the jug and stir/shake.

8.     Use a thermometer in your gallon jug. Continue when the temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees.

9.     Add your yeast enhancer stirring gently until dissolved.

10.  Pull out about 1 cup of must in a two cup measure and pour your yeast in and stir gently. Let it sit for about 15 minutes or so. When it starts to foam, gently pour back into the jug. Close jug and install airlock.

11.  The mead will start fermenting after a couple of hours. You will see the airlock start bubbling. Keep the jug in a place between 65 and 85 degrees and let the yeast do its work. This could take 10 to 20 days.

12.  When the air lock bubbling slows down dramatically, rack the mead into your bottles using the siphoning tube. Be careful not to siphon up the sediment on the bottom of the jug.

 

 

 

2022 Mead (Honey Wine)

Started first Batch of Retirement Mead on 10/30/2022, the Mead received adequate reviews from multiple parties. It was a bit harsh initially, but mellowed with time.

Had attempted to make Mead years ago, but it was more of a haphazard effort and the results were not memorable.

Ingredients

·      1 Gal water

·      2.8 lbs Honey

·      1.6 grams Yeast, Mead M05 Mangrove Jack

·      0.5 gram Di-ammonium Phosphate, yeast enhancer

 

Equipment

·      1 gallon jug

·      Air lock

·      Long thermometer

·      1 cup measure

·      2 cup measure

·      Large metal pot to sanitize things in

·      Metal Pot to hold 1 gallon plus of water

·      Pot to mix honey and water

·      Funnel

·      Large Metal spoon

·      Metal skewer to stir in jug

 

Instructions

 

1.     Sanitize all your equipment using as per the instructions on the packet.
Note: Never use bleach! Bleach will react negatively with the fermentation process.

2.     Warm honey container to make pouring easier.

3.     Put 4 cups of warm water in a pot, measure out about 2 1/2 lbs of honey and mix with the warm water in the pot.

4.     Pour honey/water mix into 1 gal jug.

5.     Add additional cups of water to fill to just above neck of jug and stir/shake.

6.     Use a thermometer in your gallon jug. Continue when the temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees.

7.     Add your yeast enhancer stirring gently until dissolved.

8.     Pull out about 1 cup of must in a two cup measure and pour your yeast in and stir gently. Let it sit for about 15 minutes or so. When it starts to foam, gently pour back into the jug. Install airlock on the jug.

9.     The mead will start fermenting after a couple of hours. You will see the airlock start bubbling. Keep the jug in a place between 65 and 85 degrees and let the yeast do its work. This could take 10 to 20 days.

10.  When the air lock bubbling slows down dramatically, rack the mead into your bottles using the siphoning tube. Be careful not to siphon up the sediment on the bottom of the fermenter.

 

 

10/30/2022 1^st Batch

Racked to 9 Grosch swing top bottles on 11/14/2022

Added 1 tbs honey to one bottle in December, tasted too sweet on 1/17/2023

Added 1 tsp honey to one bottle on 1/20/2023 - better, could be more sweet

Added 2 tsp honey to one bottle on 02/??/2023 - maybe 1 tsp was OK

2023 Recap

 2023

Good

Travel, fun activities, new experiences,  and things I never had time for before.

• February visit from the Munich contingent
• June Munich Trip
• August visit of the Young One
  
• October Munich Trip
• Digitized Kids cassette tapes and got some doozies 
• Digitized some live DR.WA and D.W.I shows, 50/50 good/horrible
• Digitized the Basement Tape (Originals), tight band, but one mic recording does not great audio make
  
• Digitized some Parker attic tapes, some funny bits
  
• Fleet week Parade of Ships, nice morning out
• Spring Tulip picking at Holland Ridge Farms
• Fall Sunflower picking at Holland Ridge Farms
  
• Gingerbread Garage
• 2022 Mead is improving
• Made a 1/2 batch of Maple Mead, expected to improve
• tomato and zucchini yields were very good
  
• Saw meteors from the Geminid shower with friends
• Saw seals off the south shore
  
• Christmas Fair at the Deutschers Club 
• Attic Insulation
• Sumo tournaments
• Le Tour
• Keyport Fishery dinners
• Conference House Pavilion
   

Not So Good

Not looking hard for bad things, but these stuck out.

• Got bad COVID in August
• Dog died while we were sick with COVID
• Root Canals
• Fall Shoulder Impingement
• Continued lies and slow de-evolution back into the 1950s, which was not great for most people.
  

 

 

2023 Books Read

 Books, books, books

1. Do unto Others, Donna Leon (DL)
2. The Darkest Evening, Ann Cleeves
3. The Man who Died Twice, Richard Osman (RO)
   
4. The Long Call, Ann Cleeves (AC)
   
5. Knives (book about knives, a downstairs book)
6. Dr. No, Ian Flemming (IF)
7. The Cheltenham Square Murder, John Bude
8. Agatha Raisin Down the hatch M.C. Beaton
9. The Shooting at Chateau Rock Martin Walker (MW)
   
10. Monsieur Pamplemouse Secret Mission, Michael Bond (MB)
11. MP On the Spot, MB
12. The Coldest Case, MW
13. MP Aloft, MB
14. Goldfinger, IF
15. The Heron's Cry, AC
16. Travel is my Business, Raymond Chandler (RC)
    
17. Blade of Light, Andrea Calmeri
18. Playback, RC
19. Put on by Cunning, Ruth Rendell
20. Death of a Green Eyed Monster, M.C. Beaton
21. The Safety Net, AC
22. For Your Eyes Only, IF
23. The Rising Tide, AC
24. Pamplemouse Stands Firm, MB
25. The Sicilian Method, AC
26. The Killing Tide, AC
27. An Elderly Lady is up to no good, Helene Turster (HT)
    
28. The 12:30 from Croyden, Freeman Wills Croft
29. The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly, Margareta Magnusson
30. Swedish Death Cleaning, 
31. In the Shadow of Agatha Christie, multiple short stories of other female Christie cohort, a downstairs book
32. Happy the Land, Louise D. Rich
33. The Cook of the Halcyon, AC
34. An Elderly Lady must not be crossed, HT
35. Thunderball, IF
36. Secret Life of Cows, Rosamund Young
37. Road Rage, Ruth Rendell
38. The Bullet that Missed, RO
39. London Bridge is Falling Down, Christopher Fowler
40. Maigret and the Dead Girl, Georges Simeon (GS)
41. Maigret's Vacation, GS
42. Maigret at the Coroners, GS
43. Mr. Grapefruit on Location,  MB
44. Riccardino, AC
45. So Shall you Reap, DL
46. Chewing the Fat, Jay Rayner
47. Murder in Old Bombay, Nev March
    

2022 Recap

 Another year of Covid, but still good outweighed the bad

Good

• retired in August
  
• a granddaughter in September
  
• a trip to Munich after Oktoberfest
• tulip picking at Holland Ridge farm
• a new tax man
  
• viewing NYC parade of ships (Fleet week)
  
• sumo tournaments
• Le Tour
• consistent 5 days a week exercise routine post retirement
  
• Foraging class at the Conference House as a BD gift
• trips to Conference House and Mt. Loretto parks
• get together with friends (K&M)
• get together with a cousin and his wife (J&Y)
• touched base with people from past workplaces.
  
• expanded take out (sushi, ramen, Chinese, shake shack)
• trips to Keyport Fishery
• 42 garlic bulbs harvested
• seeing seals off the Staten Island's coast with friends (G&D)
  

Bad

• Continued Covid
• People not wearing masks
• Uncle in Michigan aging and getting lost
• Ukraine war
  
• Volunteering postponed
• Supreme Court tossing out precedent (Roe v Wade)
  
• a trip to Michigan to sort out an Uncle's single wide trailer
• Spotted Lantern flies
  
• the economy
  

Fixed/Made/Improved

• small metal shelf under basement stairs
• replaced dryer control panel face-plate
• replaced kitchen sink spray hose
• re-glued 2 dining room chair legs
• extended life of backyard gate
  
• new toilet fill valves and flappers up and down
• kitchen faucet seals replaced
• bottle opener from railroad spike
• made a gallon of mead (just OK, maybe it will improve with age)
• made a 2'x2' soil screener
• made a small wood shelf
• cleaned and lubricated a bathroom vent fan motor
• created a gingerbread house, with just simple royal icing decorations
• made broom attachment for a Scott's garden handle
• made another carpenter bee trap
• re-soldered distortion box wires
• installed guard for table saw
• cleaned and repainted Japanese Lanterns
• fixed an old white-noise sleep bear
• made a personal fan using a box fan
• refinished BBQ grill handle and BBQ table top
• ash basket for grill, easier to clean out ash prior to each use
  
• planted 2 new peony(dwarf and blueish) and tulips
  

Songs Learnt

• Black coffee, Julie London
• a  few Grateful Dead songs
• Carpe diem, Aldebert
  
• Two of us, When I'm 64, Yellow Submarine, Beatles
• Miles Beyond, Mahavishnu Orchestra
• Josie, Steely Dan
• Caught in a dream, Be my Lover, Alice Coopoer
  

 

2022 Books

 This year there were some new characters and a new series to read, the Ian Fleming James Bond collection.

 Mr. Croft and Mr. Bude(real name Ernest Carpenter Elmore) were crime writers in the early 1900s and it is interesting to compare how investigations were done in the old days, in books anyway.

Most of the books this year were murder mysteries/investigations and for the most part were set in Italy (17 of 39 by authors Donna Leon, Andrea Camilleri andAntonio Manzini). 

I believe I read Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene again this year, though I did not write it down. It may have been over the summer. If I did it will have been the 13th reading.

1.     Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman

2.     The Talent of Mr. Varge, Alexander McCall Smith (AMS)

3.     Drawing Conclusions, Donna Leon (DL), Inspector Guido Brunetti

4.     Full Dark House, Christopher Fowler, A Peculiar Crimes Unit Novel

5.     The Seagull, Ann Cleaves

6.     Falling in love, DL

7.     The Wings of the Sphinx, Andrea Camilleri (AC), Inspector Montalbano

8.     The Hog’s Back Mystery, Freeman Wills Croft, Inspector French

9.     Black Diamond, Martin Walker (MW)

10.  The Track of Sand, AC

11.  Trace Elements, DL

12.  Potters Field, AC

13.  The Devil’s Cave, MW

14.  Adams Rib, Antonio Manzini (AM), Inspector Rocco Schiavone, pot smoking inspector based on Inspector Montalbano

15.  Scarlet Fever, Rita Mae Brown, DNF

16.  Out of Season, AM

17.  Aunt Poldi and the Lost Madonna, Mario Giordano (MG)

18.  Dance of the Seagull, AC

19.  Upstream, Dan Heath

20.  Angela’s Smile, AC

21.  The Sussex Downs Murder, John Bude, 1930s novel

22.  Casino Royale, Ian Fleming (IF)

23.  Live and Let Die, IF

24.  Transience Destiny, DL

25.  A Voice in the Night, AC

26.  Moonraker, IF

27.  Pyramid of Mud, AC

28.  Death of Sea, AC

29.  Hello Everyone Again, Gail’s book

30.  The Overnight Kidnapping, AC

31.  Diamonds are Forever, IF

32.  The Resistance Man, MW

33.  From Russia with Love, IF

34.  We Took to the Woods, L. D. Rich, book from Allie

35.  Unexplained Deaths, Bruce Goldfarb, about Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962) and her crime scene dioramas

36.  Sumo, David Benjamin

37.  Monsieur Pamplemousses, Michael Bond, first book in the series

38.  The Other End of the Line, AC

39.  Montalbano’s First Case and Other Stories, AC