1 of 1- Traviswf
- New Member
Offline - Registered: 09-5-2017
- Posts: 4
Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum, so please forgive my ignorance. I've tried searching for this issue everywhere I could - but with no luck. I recently bought an Olympia SM3 in fairly good condition. I've done some cleaning on it, and I've been learning how it all works. When I originally got the machine, it had an old ribbon installed. I messed around with it and it worked well, except that the letters were somewhat light because the ribbon was older.
I took the ribbon out to do some cleaning and ordered a new ribbon from Amazon. After installing that - whenever I hit shift for capital letters - the ribbon would get caught on the connections for the plastic guides (the things with the pencil holes) - and bunch up. I'd then have to reach in and fix it. I thought maybe it was that the ribbon wasn't tight enough, but messing with the spools didn't seem to fix it. I did notice that the new ribbon was looser, as the older ribbon was tight from what I assume is age.
I then put the older ribbon back in and while that was better - I now had the problem with it as well. For some reason I didn't seem to have the problem before I replaced the ribbon - and now I do.
Does anyone know what might be the issue, is there a common fix I haven't found. Or is there somewhere I can look for this? Any help would be much appreciated and thanks for having me!
-Travis
- skywatcher
- Moderator
Offline
- From: The Prairies of Alberta
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 712
Re: Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
Hi Travis
Is the top or the bottom edge of the ribbon getting caught on the type guide? does the ribbon catch when the color selector is set to red (lifts the ribbon higher)? Make sure the ribbon is threaded correctly between the two pins on each side of the ribbon reverse mechanism and then does what I call the omega loop through the ribbon vibrator.
My digital camera has gone on the fritz, otherwise I would post a picture of the ribbon routing. Also, have you had the type-guides off to clean them? if so, are they seated all the way back down on their retaining screws? Just a few thoughts to consider. All the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Traviswf
- New Member
Offline
- Registered: 09-5-2017
- Posts: 4
Re: Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
I have to admit ignorance on the names of the different parts of the SM3. I bought the new bible on it, along with the basic typewriter one. But they haven't arrived yet! So I'm not sure about the type guides. It's something I'd like to check. I did a thorough cleaning today with compressed air and alcohol swabs, and thing seem a little better. If it gets bunched up it generally slides back down. But the other setting - where the ribbon goes higher for the key to strike the lower part of the ribbon - that definitely catches and bunches up every time.
As to your question about the feeding of the ribbon. I am not sure! I have been looking for a Youtube video or other example about how this would look - but I don't have any kind of loop that it seems you're talking about. Once you're able, I'd love to see the picture - because that could very well be the culprit...
Thanks for your help!
- •
Thread Starter- beak
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
Hello
I'm going to guess that it is simply a matter of an incorrectly installed ribbon. Here is a web page showing the matter. Good luck.
Sincerely,
beak.
- Fleetwing
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline
- From: Hartford, CT USA
- Registered: 30-6-2015
- Posts: 1,006
Re: Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
This has happened to me before with SMs. Ribbon installation on these machines is very easy and straightforward, so threading the ribbon isn't the issue, I think. But double check to be sure it's properly threaded.
You don't specify where the bunching occurs -- is it on the side of the ribbon that's being pulled? (That is, the ribbon is moving toward the spool on the other side of the vibrator mechanism? I wonder whether there is an adjustment to the ribbon advance mechanism that moves the ribbon a shorter distance with each advance of the carriage -- that might lessen the amount of slack. Check your "bible" for the SM to see if this is addressed anywhere. (Of course, why it doesn't occur with the old ribbon, I can't explain, unless its increased stiffness minimizes the problem.)
- Traviswf
- New Member
Offline
- Registered: 09-5-2017
- Posts: 4
Re: Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
While I appreciate your faith in my abilities to grasp something "easy and straightforward" - it turns out beak was right! It was a threading issue - which explains why it worked when I got it, and didn't go wrong until I had changed the ribbon. It actually took me a bit of looking at that photo in the link to get it. This whole world is new (again) to me!
Thanks for your help and suggestions! It works perfectly now.
- •
Thread Starter- beak
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Olympia SM3 Ribbon problem
Magic!
Sincerely,
beak.
