[Gallery Assistant]

Edit: FYI: The AR Calculator is now available as Article - the PDF file linked there will be maintained as needed - Requests for changes, additions, etc. should be posted in this thread

Some weeks ago I discovered the Aspect Ratio Calculator created by Workshop Warlock. And I really like that concept of quick access to all necessary measurements. But with time, I felt a bit uneasy using it, because I am grown up in continental Europe and strictly metric educated - Gauges and many imperial units are a horror for me (especially all with more than one of its kind), and I hate the necessity to ever use tables, etc., and identifying, which variant of a given unit is used...

Using the AR calculator's built-in slide rule function indeed worked - even for calculating metrics, but was a bit inconvenient to use. But because this AR calculating slide rule proved as a good basis, I tried to enhance it - and feel to have been successful. And that is the result (image link beneath this paragraph) - just right-click the image, 'save target as' to save it to your PC, thereafter print (either 300dpi, or 'fit to page', depending on print options available to you), cut out and play a bit around. The Howto for useing can be seen in the article linked above, and maybe you will discover more. I even shifted the metric scale by 2.54 and multiplied the metric scale's lettering by 10 for convenient use, so with a vertical line mask (called 'sliding cursor' or sometimes 'index' on real slide rules) or other means to project a vertical line (e.g. a set square), you can directly convert imperial and gauges to metric - and vice-versa, so it should be a useful tool for imperial unit educated people, too.

Link to printable image

And, even given the fact, that I could have added a fractional inch scale, or other gimmicks too, I decided against it, because mandrel diameters and real diameters differ significantly, caused by material dependent springback, and cutting method used. But maybe I could add a table with standard mandrel diameters, and a list of typical springback & cut corrections, that appear on the slide rule's backside.

Tell me your thoughts. When it is perfected, i will (after converting to the more convenient PDF format) upload it into an article, because I will not bomb my webspace traffic limits, that are near to be reached by other content's use.

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

yep. But the basic idea isn't mine - only its alteration. If you compare the original version (imperial+gauge only), and mine (adding metric, without losing anything of the original's functionality), you will know, what I see as improvement - even for anglo-american users that feel sometimes uneasy using metric...

At the moment I contemplate about shifting the "tongue" scale by the factor of 2, so that the AR value of 5 is centered - not for having the impractical AR range of 1 to 2 added, but to add smaller IDs, that are interesting for micro-maillers. But I'll do this only, if interest in this is mentioned - or alternatively I get possessed by the devil and do it anyhow...

-ZiLi-

BTW: In principle I do not dislike even imperial units - if they are uniform (only one of its type), clearly defined by only a factor (like inches or grain), or usable without tables and defined by a formula (AWG is such a formula defined example, while SWG needs a table).

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

Inch, foot, yard I can live with, because they are clearly defined, and I have to memorize only ONE fixed factor to be able to work with. Miles are another kind of animal. You read "miles" - are they statute mile, nautical ones, or another type of them, now? You need the context, and that is sometimes missing. Or ounces - one unit name for weight AND volume, and there are even a couple of different of the fluid ones around - same for gallons and a whole snake's nest of redundant and sometimes illogical units. These are the imperial units I hate, because you can identify them only in context. Just think about a computer program or a shiftstick: All what can be realized there without saved tables, but with only one factor is agreeable to me.

Back to the AR calculator: What could/should be improved?

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

EDIT: second variant (see further down in this post) added

OK, gals and guys,

I did it, and developed the AR calculator a bit further.

Link to downloadable image in .GIF format,
use 'save target as' to get the file...

That shift stick is now usable for the micro maillers a bit better, as I shifted the scale, so that AR 5 is centered now - after all most maille is made in the ring AR range of 3 to 8...

And I added a small springback correction scale, so you can calculate effective ARs, if you only know wire gauge, mandrel and typical springback percentage of your material (and cutting method), and vice-versa, so you could (e.g.) calculate the needed mandrel diameter for a given wire type and wished AR. And all with a single operation with this shift stick. That I retained the imperial to metric (or back) conversion capability using a right angled triangle or similar tool to project a vertical line over the AR calculator, is clear (as it proved to be useful).

BTW: I prepared the file in a manner, that it could be printed on overhead transparent film as well (and the necessity to cut out the 'windows' is dropped in this case), so it can have an additional use, or optionally only the 'tongue' is made out of cardboard, or else - just as one likes to do...

Please, could anyone write me, what could/should be preferably noted on the still empty backside? I would vote for a table, that gives fractional vs. decimal inches (surely useful for mandrel calculations of our US maillers - all in one place concept). Is there anything more, that could be added, or something more valuable, that should be there, instead? Or could it be preferable to exchange one of the yet double layouted decimal inch ring dia scales by a fractional inch scaled one (or alternatively adding the fractional inch ring scale inbetween them - somewhat similar to the awg/swg double scale on top)? It would be that variant - I like this one - and the back side is 'clean' again...

And, I am already thinking about the tongue's backside (used by simply sticking it the other way in) - this time a squared one, that would allow maille weight calculations, etc. But that idea is in a very embryonic state at the moment, and I am a bit unsure how to do it. But I already know that it is possible, because volume and weight are proportional to ring diameter multiplied by squared wire diameter. Maybe I do it, but it also depends on YOUR feedback...

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

Here the latest version - this time as PDF - print it in any scale you want (I propose a letter or A4 format)

Just click on the

icon to open the PDF with your Acrobat Reader (or use "save target as..." to make a local copy on your disk).

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

Thanks for the roses - it is a bit work in this item.
But the lack of comments (bad as well as good ones - or questions) lets me believe a bit, that nobody really acknowledges, what a mighty but easy and quick to use tool the AR calculator has become. It's a pity...

Maybe I should include the user's manual on the backside? What do you think?

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

@zjef: Try it - you'll like it - and stick with it. Especially as you can use it as a unit converter awg - swg - metric - inch (fractional and decimal), and having the ability to do all necessary ring calculations with just ONE operation and then simply read the result - AND you don't need to be near a PC to do that.

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me

[Gallery Assistant]

Question: For the purpose of getting more precise results the scales of that aspect ratio calculator shift stick should be stretched, imho.

Would there be interest for a version that has only the AR range from two to twelve - and so the gauge range from around 12 to 24 and diameter range from circa 0.1 to 0.6 inches?

Or would it be preferrable just to rotate the calculator, so that it becomes slimmer, but gets a scale stretch can be achieved by this way?

Or should I seek a solution inbetween by rotating AND trimming the scale ends a bit (but not as much as in solution one)?

Or 4: Isn't there any need for additional rework?

-ZiLi-

---

Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi

Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me