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This is my typewriter. Its label reads Olympia SG3, but it has some SG3S features. Differently to other SG3 that I have seen on the web, it says Made in Mexico. It has a Spanish keyboard and I got it a few days ago, when my grandfather was doing some cleaning and came to me and said... Do you want to keep it? It works almost perfectly and it's in superb condition, but the metal element that raises the ribbon sometimes gets stuck on the uppermost positionand doesn't want to come down again until I manually push it.
Could you guys help me on telling me what do I exactly have? How can I clean its intimates? Where can I get new ribbons?
Thank you very much
PS: I will post images later as the system doesn't allow me to include any links yet.
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Jose, the SG3 is a fantastic typewriter that is highly respected by many collectors. I have a Mexican-made SG3 too and love using it. Since yours has probably been sitting for a while it will need a little cleaning to get it in perfect typing condition. The vibrator (the part that moves the ribbon up and down) might just need to be cleaned. I use mineral spirits, but any product designed to clean and degrease metal parts will work too (read the instructions and be careful - some products might damage paint or plastics). Make sure the slide portion of the vibrator is clean, and then work your way through all of its linkages cleaning each pivot point.
Ribbon is readily available - in your area maybe even from an office supply store - but if you're stuck you can order ribbon from eBay or from 'typewriterman' who is a member here and sells ribbon too. All you need is standard typewriter ribbon (13 mm), but make sure you keep the spools that are on your machine right now. Some replacement ribbon spools might not properly fit your machine.
Here's my SG3 (and an SM9 to compare the size difference between a portable and standard machine):
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Here you are the promised photos
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Nice machine. Decimal tabulator and a paper injector are nice features. Let us know how you make out with the repairs.
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What a nice typewriter! Were you able to have success in finding a ribbon and getting the machine going?