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Maintenance & Repairs » A haunted IBM electric typewriter - what can I do? » 25-10-2014 15:02:14

MikeChavez
Replies: 3

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I have an 1960s IBM model D typebar electric machine. It has a large cylinder underneath. the cylinder is the one in charge of activating the typebars when you press a key. If your machine was built similarly, I'd check under it to see the adjustment of that main roller. This is a big rubber-coated cylinder activated by the electric motor, which runs permanently under the machine when it's powered on. When you press a key, the key lever gets in contact with the cylinder, which in turn throws the corresponding typebar to the platen. By adjusting this roller you can fine-tune how hard the typebars hit the platen.

By the looks of the video, I would assume that the cylinder is in a too high position, which means it connects with the key levers even when they are not being pressed, thus sending all the typebars to the anvil.

Out of curiosity, does your machine have a knob somewhere marked something like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc? In the Model D that knob is located to the left of the machine, under the keyboard frame, and it controls the location of the motor roller and thus how hard the typebars hit the platen. It was used when manifolding: the more copies you were making, the higher the number in that selector you chose. If your machine has that knob, try setting it to the LOWEST number and see what happens.

Early Typewriters » ?? Calligraph typewriter ?? » 15-9-2014 11:55:16

MikeChavez
Replies: 2

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Very interesting. That's a very early, "blind" typewriter with two sets of typebars - one for lowercase, one for uppercase. Designwise it is very interesting, but it looks like it was partially submerged for a while, or at least stored in a very damp basement. There's a lot of surface rust and corrosion everywhere; it's definitely not in the best of shapes. By the looks of it, it is a pre-1900 machine.

Type Talk » Replacing Ribbon for Regular Use » 13-9-2014 20:32:30

MikeChavez
Replies: 7

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I'd recommend to re-use the metal spools with the new ribbon, definitely.

Type Talk » Replacing Ribbon for Regular Use » 12-9-2014 20:09:20

MikeChavez
Replies: 7

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Hello!

I would advice you to keep the metal spools. Some older typewriters use specific spool designs and the new, generic plastic replacements won't work on those machines; besides, by keeping the metal spools you keep your machines with a more original look. Besides, they are sturdier than the plastic ones.
 

Standard Typewriters » 1931 Woodstock No. 5 » 06-9-2014 23:18:36

MikeChavez
Replies: 19

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Uwe wrote:

It would be great if you could post a photo of Remigton's version of the rebuilt decal...

Sorry for the delay. I checked the machine and it actually has TWO decals stating it was rebuilt in the Remington factory. The more conspicuous one is on the front panel, and is a rather large proposition; but there's also a really small decal on the back of the machine. I'm attaching photos of both.






 

Standard Typewriters » 1935 Royal Model 10 KH » 06-9-2014 20:51:02

MikeChavez
Replies: 13

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This is true for any collectible: the value of any given piece is what the seller and buyer agree it is. There are lots of psychological factors that influence the buying of a collectible, and thus the relative value of the same piece will vary from person to person, depending on how much each buyer wants to get that particular object. So don't despair; the prices we've mentioned are merely a reference based on what we, as collectors, have bought / sold typewriters for a while; but that doesn't mean  you can't sell a typewriter for more. It just won't be a quick sale, because you'll have to find a buyer willing to pay your price.

This is also why most collectors refrain from giving "appraisals" online.

Standard Typewriters » 1935 Royal Model 10 KH » 02-9-2014 05:31:29

MikeChavez
Replies: 13

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Some 186,000 between the models H and KH, according to the same source. Compare to, say, the year 1906, when only 1,000 typewriters were made.

Standard Typewriters » 1935 Royal Model 10 KH » 01-9-2014 21:01:23

MikeChavez
Replies: 13

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Very nice machine! It reminds me a bit of the Royal 10 of the 1920s.

I agree with Uwe, the asking prices you saw are too high for a typewriter mass-produced by a very well-known manufacturer like Royal. That would be the kind of price you'd ask for something quite older and rarer, like, say, a Ford typewriter from the late 1890s. Again, everything boils down to supply and demand, and there were plenty of typewriters made from the 1910s onwards, so there are still a lot of old machines around.

The other machine in the photos is indeed a 1947 - 1948 Royal Quiet De Luxe. I have one like that, and I can tell you, that's one beautiful machine to work with!

Standard Typewriters » 1931 Woodstock No. 5 » 28-8-2014 03:07:49

MikeChavez
Replies: 19

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Nice big machine!

Uwe, rebuilt machines were not rare. Particularly during the Depression, when a new one was a very expensive piece of equipment.

I have a nice Remington 12 which proudly proclaims to have been "Rebuilt in Remington factory", in big, bold gold letters all across the front panel. Its original serial number was removed and I haven't found a new serial anywhere, but it has some features that lead me to believe it was retrofitted with some newer features when it was rebuilt, namely, this machine has the carriage return/paper advance lever located on the left of the carriage, like in the Remington 16, instead of the right, as seen in most every photo of the Remington 12 I've come across. And it also has a paper table very similar to the one on the model 16. Now, since I haven't found any serial numbers yet, I can't date exactly when this machine was made or rebuilt, but I estimate, considering the differences in the carriage, that this machine could have been rebuilt, at least, during the 1930s, when the Remington 16 was the current model offered by Remington; but of course it could have been rebuilt at a later date.

I don't know what was the price diferential between a new and a refurbished typewriter, but I would not be surprised if a rebuilt machine was no more than a fraction of the price of a new model. And at that price, those would have been a real bargain: sure, they were older models, but they had been reconditioned at the factory, with all worn parts replaced, perhaps with some new parts retrofitted, most likely repainted, and perhaps even sold with a limited guarantee of sorts. They are clear signs of their times, and could be a symbol of the harsh economic realities of the era; but they're also a sign of the great value a typewriter had in the '30s, '40s, even '50s, when it was profitably for manufacturers to refurbish and resale their older models.

 

Type Talk » Odd sized ribbons and or re-inking » 27-8-2014 22:47:16

MikeChavez
Replies: 18

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There's a group of people (myself included) who have successfully used WD-40 oil to rejuvenate old ribbons. You just spray a bit of oil on a rag cloth, then rub the cloth on the ribbon, moisturizing it with the oil. This particular formula seems to dissolve the ink and bring it back to the surface of the ribbon, or at least make it fluid enough to be able to transfer to the paper when you hit the ribbon with the typebars.

This seems to be the only safe use of WD-40 around typewriters, by the way.

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