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 slip

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.