Addiator sliding calculator Review / HowTo

The Arithma Addiator, from the 1970s.
This is episode 4 of my video series about calculating devices.
PDF of instruction manual: archive.org/details/addiatorm...
Chris Staecker webarea: faculty.fairfield.edu/cstaecker/

[@dlt4videos]

I love your sense of humor, but I find it disturbing that other people think like I do. Nerds really do rule world. Thanks

[@Kammie03]

I would absolutely love to use one of these things than the overpriced electronic calculators we use in High School. They seem so fun and satisfying to use!

[@XaxtonRevolution2]

You can get them for $10 each on eBay.

[@TomCarlson]

Got mine yesterday! So sweet! Came with extra goodies, three slide rules and a normal ruler. Life is good.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Niiiiice

[@Seele2015au]

My father had two of them built to the back of Faber-Castell slide rules; one identical to yours, and the other, pricier one, with a green stylus, both in green slip cases, and even as a child I used them often. Mother got rid of both of them, much to my annoyance, but I found another example of the latter with case in poor condition. I use it regularly, such as tallying up my purchases on the run, such as grocery shopping.

[@mandolinic]

I bought a similar device when I was at school in the 1960s. I recall it was really simple to use, and like you, I loved the way the carry forward worked.

[@mheermance]

In the 70s I bought the Japanese clone called a Compact Calculator. At the time four function electronic calculators cost over a $100, and those cost less than $1. That plus a slide rule and you're good to go.

[@Ferndalien]

"... you're good to go." All the way to the moon and back. And we did.

[@XaxtonRevolution2]

You'd be able to add numbers and carry at the same time if you were to add the digits from right to left instead of from left to right. For example, if you wanted to do 104+98, you could put in 104 and put the 8 in the right most column and the put the 9 in the second right most column. So the instruction manual is actually telling you a longer way to do the math problem.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Very true!

[@JohnHoranzy]

I just received one of these today from an eBay auction. It is built into the back of a 14cm Faber-Castell slide rule. Incredibly elegant and thin. No stylus but a toothpick works fine. It seems to work somewhat like a 10 bead soroban (Japanese abacus), at least in my mind. Thank you for posting the instruction manual and this video.

[@Hunar1997]

Can you provide me a search term to get that slide-rule/addiator please, i cant find it

[@JohnHoranzy]

@@Hunar1997 They are available on eBay. Many listings from Eastern Europe. The proper name is: Faber Castell 67/54R ADDIATOR The Slide Rule side is just marked Castell and the Addiator side is marked Castell Addiator. The case is marked 67/54R. The best search term would be 67/54R. The is a version with a 14 CM scale and one with 5 1/2 inch scale.

[@Hunar1997]

@@JohnHoranzy Thank you very much, they are expensive :( cant china remake this 😐

[@styleisaweapon]

Looks like the best of the adders that have nothing breakable

[@good2heart]

Thankyou for the video and pdf. Very educational!

[@ZexMaxwell]

I went down your youtube playlist rathole of all these adding machines... I liked the look of this adding machine and I wished I had it when I was in elementary school back in the 1990s. so I bought it on an ebay auction for $25.

[@jamesanakin]

If you want to precisely convey scale, you need to use an SI conforming device like a banana.

[@charleshettrick2408]

Thanks for your videos. They take me back to childhood. I am in top 3% iq, but the boy I hung out with was way, way, Way smarter. His family did not have a lot of funds. But he was always wheeling and dealing for calculating equip. It was a winter day he came running to the car with Addiator. He literally wore out the slots. He briefly had several other devices you showcase. He was saving for a Curta but HPs came within range. Note: It is possible to wear out an HP. I saw it happen. But, back then HP rebuilt it.

[@Ferndalien]

I remember we had one of those, I think my dad got it. It did less than he thought it would, I think. He gave it to us kids, I think he hoped one of us would become the next John Napier or Charles Babbage. But none of us did. My dad was an engineer and used a slide rule a lot more than an addiator. I still have my slide rule (and my father's).

[@NightlifeSux]

I bought one of these thanks to you.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Welcome to the good life!

[@mywifebeatheroin]

not really in a position to give you advice on how to run your channel but id watch a video about slide rules as well.

[@okboing]

I have one about as old, I just bought it today for only 10 dollars, the thing's in great condition, as well as having the stylus and original operation booklet!

[@haramanggapuja]

And thanks for the instruction PDF. I've been lookin' all over for one to use with mine. Sweet little doodad, ain't it?

[@greatguy2003]

Great video! Interesting machine! Thanks

[@aqdrobert]

Grandpa had one. Never knew what it was used for until this video. "Robert, put that back in my desk!" :D

[@julianalvarez5198]

Amazingly put great video

[@nefla2]

I inherited one from my grandfather. I didn't know what it is or how to use it. Thanks

[@TomCarlson]

Actually used my Addiator last Friday to add up some numbers.

[@argonwheatbelly637]

Wow, I used one of these long, long ago.

[@jacobishii6121]

I used one of these as a kid in school

[@shoofle]

I HAVE ONE OF THESE! inherited from my grandmother! I should make sure I still have it in the basement, and try to get it running. the stylus went missing at some point but I bet i could fashion a replacement. Mine is in a yellowy bronzish color.

[@robertsherman9975]

My dad owned one of these. He used it at work, lumber mill. This was in the late 60s, mid 70’s. If I remember correctly, it was brass with a brass stylus.

[@someonespadre]

I have a lumber scale my Father in Law gave me. It’s a lookup table in a slip cover with windows, it supplies the board feet of boards in all common sizes and lengths.

[@willjohnston2959]

From time 2:45 in the video, the computations he is doing are these: 17 + 15 = 32 32 + 23 = 55 55 + 87 = 142 142 + 91 = 233 233 + 45 = 278 278 + 67 = 345

[@TomCarlson]

Today I came into possession of a hexadecimal “Addiator,” the Hexadder from Hexco.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Never heard of it- now I want it!

[@JohnStodden1]

@@ChrisStaecker so do I. There must have been hundreds made. Where have they all vanished to? Please check those dusty drawers

[@MattMcIrvin]

An Addiator-type device made for computer programmers feels like the kind of interesting transitional object that could only exist at a very specific moment in history.

[@Hellefleur]

What about negative values??

[@daphneblake7889]

I have one of these, my case is a clear plastic, and is yellowed but still in tact... im surprised the instructions do not tell you anything about multiplication or division which it is capable of doing. I also have the original stylus and instructions my biggest gripe it that it does not have more digits. It would also be nice if 10s compliment numbers were printed on the face...this would make things like division much easier to perform.

[@jacksong6226]

how do you do multiplication and division on this???

[@someonespadre]

I have an idea one of these could be made with some plywood and paint sticks. I think the internal things just slide back and forth, no gears. I could be wrong.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Yes that’s right- it’s all sliding. There are teeth, but only ones that grab the stylus. A popsicle-stick additator would be a great project.

[@argonwheatbelly637]

Did you say, "gumby," for "GmbH"? It's short for "Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung", which is essentially German for "LLC".

[@someonespadre]

How many Naugas died for your Naugahyde case?

[@nataliagomes2251]

Valor p venda?

[@youtubeaccount697]

Makes a good secret santa surprise!

[@r0bhumm]

I saw on a different KZbin channel, a slide rule with one of these on the reverse side. I’m afraid I can’t remember its name.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Yes that's the Faber-Castell Addiator slide rule. I don't have one... wait a DIFFERENT KZbin channel???

[@r0bhumm]

@@ChrisStaecker don’t feel too bad I was looking for something to teach my niece how to use my fuller calculator, cylindrical, slide rule. She wants to demonstrate it in a maths class, and unfortunately my vision is too bad to let me use it.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Nice- I don't have a cylindrical but maybe some day...

[@nataliagomes2251]

Quanto vale?

[@ChrisStaecker]

$20 - $40, depending on condition

[@DanHaiduc]

Replying from the future: indeed, after inflation, the $10 is called a "dollar bill".

[@MarkEichin]

4m26s it's not that slide rules don't count as *precision*... it's that they can't *add* :-)

[@Calbeck]

Had one of these as a kid.

[@Jeffrey314159]

This is a mechanical device yes, but it is not a machine. There is no motorization, and the carry is not automatic

[@ChrisStaecker]

Depends on your definition I suppose. A screw is a machine, right?

[@jacobishii6121]

That's called leatherette

[@kuruk_war]

You're back ground music is so loud at the beginning, u can barley hear you talk

[@ChrisStaecker]

Yeah sorry about that- I’ve done better in my more recent videos.

[@hidefnick]

Arithmo=Number i n greek

[@patrickstrasser-mikhail6873]

"Gombie"/GmbH = Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung = limited livability company. In German you would pronounce it like GEH-am-beh-HAH. But sure, you can say gombie.

[@derecwilsom4546]

you need a banana for scale

[@lonkwuzhere4433]

I'm still not convinced about the size, I think we need a banana for scale here.

[@sim7190]

Stop trying to be funny

[@ChrisStaecker]

don't forget to like & subscribe!

[@sim7190]

@chris staeker, that was acc quite funny

[@sim7190]

Chris Staecker I will like and sub now

[@JohnHoranzy]

It was so dry, it was hilarious.