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07-1-2017 08:28:30  #1


Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Hi all,

I couldn't find a post on this, or online.

My Olympia SM4 has a broken silencer spring which fits around the escapement wheel, not an easy part to fit. A very kind and generous soul donated the part from a spares machine.

I think the easiest thing is to remove the carriage rather than trying to get the escapement out.

I think the SM4 series can be detached via the rails saving me having to worry about ball bearings coming out.

Does anyone have any experience with removing the carriage on this particular machine?

Any tips?

Thanks in advance

Richard

 

07-1-2017 10:01:17  #2


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

The back carriage is part of the machine so cannot be detached sadly

     Thread Starter
 

07-1-2017 17:45:24  #3


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Being a carriage shift, it isn't likely to be the same kind of setup as, say, an SG or SGE.  This is one typewriter I haven't seen too many of, perhaps because they are highly prized and they all seem to work so well and they love their owners and their owners love them and so forth and so on.  What I would do is to see if there is a way to remove the outer shell to see if there is an easier way to access the mechanism from the back of the machine, or if there is a way to remove the platen.  I here there is a site you can go to to guide you through it.  I can't because, again, these critters love their owners, they're reliable, and they've always been too darned expensive--at least the rare one or two I have seen in person.  SG, now those things are EVERYWHERE.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

08-1-2017 03:21:35  #4


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Thanks TypewriterKing, I'll do that.  I know as you say theres a site about platen removal, in fact, I think I did it once, it might be that once the platen and paper pan is removed I might be able to access it from above, or as you say removing the shell might help.

Thanks, I'll keep you posted.

Richard

     Thread Starter
 

08-1-2017 14:03:14  #5


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Hi all,

Well, after several hours of toil and frustration, I can finally confirm it is entirely possible to replace a broken Olympia SM4 escapement silencer.

For anybody who doesn't know what it does, it pulls the dog/pawl out of the way of the star wheel on the escapement when you use the carriage return lever to move the carriage to the right.  It prevents you hearing that awful rasping sound which some pre 1950's machines had.  The larger spring that you can see when you look down on the escapement when viewed from underneath is the supplementary spring which is attached to the back of the pawl, this helps to aid the silencer spring I believe. 

Richard Polt wrote an excellent article on making adjustments to the supplementary spring if your machine is rasping but he makes the point that you first spring, the silencer spring, must work in the first instance. He also writes about his adventures replacing the silencer spring on a Smith-Corona and jokingly referring to this as the Polt SilencerTM.

Luckily, the Smith-Corona portables make it much easier to access the escapement as they are exposed and visible from the rear and underside of the machine.

Personally, and after seeking advice, I could see no way of getting to the SM4 escapement underneath, although maybe it is possible.

Essentially, you remove the platen, corrections table, paper tray and various nuts and bolts,  you don't need to remove any casings or take the actual carriage off.  There is a small window of work area that allows you to slip the spring into position but as I say, its very tricky and took several attempts, in fact, when I got the spring in place, it didn't work straight away because the spring had stretched 1) with being put in and out several times to get the right position 2) with being stretched around the circumference of the escapement so I had to tighten it in situ afterwards.

Now, with a homemade supplementary spring from a donor machine,  and the kindly donated silencer spring, I have a perfectly quiet SM4. Although now it makes me want to change the rock hard platen!

If anybody wants me to write up a blog with full instructions (or at least as much as I remember ((I did type up most notes as I went)) ), please let me know and I will add a link to my blog because this might just benefit someone.

Many thanks

Richard



 

     Thread Starter
 

08-1-2017 14:49:44  #6


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Excellent hard work and "stick-to-it-ness"! I for one would love to have a blog link to this repair. 

 

09-1-2017 01:39:39  #7


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Thank you

     Thread Starter
 

09-1-2017 15:44:38  #8


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Hi all,

I have completed a blog of my repair replacing the Olympia SM4 silencer spring, hopefully, one day it might be useful to someone.

Please don't be too hard on me, I've tried not to make typos and grammar mistakes, but I'm sure I have.

The URL address might refer to one of my other blogs, I've not quite got the hang of starting a new blog without it doing this, it just seems to make a new extension, but the link should be correct.

http://silveretteseiko.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/replacing-silencer-spring-on-olympia-sm4.html

Would someone be kind enough to confirm if my blog article and two pictures appears?

Many thanks

     Thread Starter
 

10-1-2017 00:08:36  #9


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Yes, I see them.


Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
 

10-1-2017 08:01:52  #10


Re: Removing carriage from Olympia SM4

Thanks Speed Champion 
 

     Thread Starter
 

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