With the slide set as above, values convenient for splitting up into suitable wheels are readily obtainable. Thus, (1600)/(1300); (2400)/(1950); (4000)/(3250); (4800)/(3900) are a few suggestive values which may be readily factorised. SLIDE RULES FOR SCREW-CUTTING CALCULATIONS.—Special circular and straight slide rules for screw-cutting gear calculations have long been employed. For compound gears these usually entail the use of six scales, two on each of the two slides and two on the stock. The upper scale on the stock may be a scale of threads per inch to be cut, the adjacent scale (on the upper slide) a scale of threads per inch in the guide screw. Setting the guide screw-graduation to the threads to be cut, the lower slide is adjusted until a convenient pair of drivers is found in coincidence on the central pair of scales, while a pair of driven wheels are in coincidence on the two lower scales. Some years ago, a slide rule was introduced by which compound gears could be obtained with a single slide. Assuming the set of wheels usually provided—20 to 120 teeth advancing by 5 teeth—the products of 20 × 25, 20 × 30, etc., up to 115 × 120 were calculated. These products were laid out along each of the two lower scales. The upper scales were a scale of threads per inch to be cut and a scale of the threads per inch of various guide screws. Setting the guide screw-graduation to the threads to be cut, any coinciding graduations on the lower scales gave the required pairs of drivers and driven wheels. FRACTIONAL PITCH CALCULATIONS.—The author has long advocated the use of the slide rule for determining the wheels necessary for cutting fractional pitch threads, and it is gratifying to find its value in this connection is now being appreciated. For the best results a good 20 in. rule is desirable, but with care very close approximations can be found with an accurate 10 in. rule. In any case a magnifying cursor or a hand reading-glass is of great assistance. EX.—Find wheels to cut a thread of 0·70909 in. pitch; guide screw, 2 threads per inch. To 0·70909 on D, set 0·5 (guide screw pitch in inches) on C. To make this setting as accurately as possible, the method described on page 112 may be used. Set 10 on C to about 91 on D, and note that the interval 77–78 on C represents 0·91 of the interval 70–71 on D. Set the cursor to 78 on C and bring 5 to the cursor. The slide is then set so that 5 on C agrees with 7·091 on D. Inspection of the two scales shows various coinciding factors in the ratio required. The most accurate is seen to be (55 on C)/(78 on D). These values may be split up into (55 × 50)/(65 × 60) to form a suitable compound train of gears. GAUGE POINTS AND SIGNS ON SLIDE RULES.