I've bought a couple of slide rules and feel like I still haven't quite gotten it:
- a ThinkGeek one which had an offputting amount of stiction despite not-bad reviews
- a used one which was better, but such that I guess I still need to learn how to clean or lubricate it to the standard these things must've been meant for.
I clean and lubricate my metal and plastic slide rules occasionally. A good wipe down and petroleum jelly is sufficient. Bamboo slide rules seem to be more slippery, so I just keep them clean.
You want it to move freely and without grit, but not so freely that it has a chance of slipping. When necessary, adjustment by loosening the top and bottom scales can be accomplished by using the cursor to fix alignment.
- a ThinkGeek one which had an offputting amount of stiction despite not-bad reviews
- a used one which was better, but such that I guess I still need to learn how to clean or lubricate it to the standard these things must've been meant for.