When is a line not a line? When it is a series of little dots, of study course!
Which is the procedure [Ed Nisley] utilized to develop a tremendous-fine, coloured hairline in a piece of crystal clear plastic — all element of his task to re-make a traditional Tektronix analog calculator from the 1960s, but far more on that in a moment.
[Ed] tried out a range of methods and strategies, which includes laser engraving a reliable line, and milling a line with an incredibly tiny v-resource. Success were being serviceable, but what truly did the trick was a sequence of small laser-etched craters stuffed in with a red marker. That resulted in what appears — to the naked eye — as an very wonderful hairline. But when magnified, as shown right here, a person can see it is seriously a collection of tiny craters. The color comes from coloring in the line with a pink marker, then wiping the excess off with some alcoholic beverages. The remaining pigment sitting in the craters presents just the ideal total of colour.
This is all element of [Ed]’s endeavours to re-make the Tektronix Circuit Personal computer, a circular slide rule capable of calculating all kinds of useful electrical engineering-associated items. And if you uncover your self seeking to design and style and establish your possess round slide rule from scratch? We have you coated.
