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25-4-2017 14:58:05  #1


Super-Speed Letter Alignment

Just picked up a 1946 Smith-Corona Super-Speed, and it works quite well. I still need to clean it some more and it will be even better. But one thing I notice is that the letters are not aligned too well vertically, i.e. they aren't all right on the typing line. The a seems consistently a little below, for instance.

These machines do not have the traditional slotted segment, but rather, each typebar has its own set of bearings, as I understand it. It also appears that each typebar, or pair, has a screw that holds in in place. Does anyone know whether those screws are the way to adjust the alignment? It would seem to me to be a pretty tedious process, since it would require 1) actually getting to the screws (under the typebars) and then 2) by trial and error gently tweaking the typebars up or down by a fraction of a millimeter. Or is there another way?

I will say that I have a S-M Deluxe Secretarial of maybe ten years' later vintage, which has the more common slotted segment, and it has the same issue. (Both machines have elite font, if that makes a difference.) Maybe this is just typical for a well-used S-M standard of 60-70 years ago? 

 

26-4-2017 19:46:27  #2


Re: Super-Speed Letter Alignment

If you type the same letter over and over, for example, the uppercase "N", does it keep a straight baseline, or does the baseline go up and down?


Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
 

27-4-2017 09:25:40  #3


Re: Super-Speed Letter Alignment

I have not done that specifically; I have noticed some consistency with the letters. But that's a good idea -- I'll report back.

     Thread Starter
 

27-4-2017 13:04:08  #4


Re: Super-Speed Letter Alignment

Alignment tests here and here.


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

27-4-2017 19:42:27  #5


Re: Super-Speed Letter Alignment

treefaller wrote:

If you type the same letter over and over, for example, the uppercase "N", does it keep a straight baseline, or does the baseline go up and down?

The baseline does vary, some letters more than others. There is a slight misalignment between caps and lower case so at some point I'll need to attend to that, but based on the armed forces maintenance manual, that adjustment is very hard to get at (under the typebars, and you need angled wrenches).

     Thread Starter
 

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