Hi Merry-up

I accidently deleted your application to Typewriter-Talk. Please re-apply at your earliest convenience. Thank you,

Sky

Hi Olivier

The word 'Flux' when used in physics means 'Flow'. The root word is the Latin word 'Fluxus' from which comes 'Magnetic Flux' and 'Luminous Flux'. In our mechanical application of soldering, flux paste allows the melted solder to flow into the gap between the type bar and the type slug creating a strong bond between the two components.

Flux paste for lead alloy soldering comes in 2 forms, active and passive, or acid and rosin. For soldering a steel type slug onto a steel type bar, active or acid flux is required. The acid in the flux chemically removes oxidation from the surfaces to be joined allowing the solder to make a strong mechanical bond between the metals to be joined.

Passive or rosin flux is used in electrical and electronics as the acid in an active flux would eventually eat through the copper of the wires after the repairs have been done causing the repair to fail. Passive flux paste is therefore required for electrical and electronics as it will not rot the wiring. Hope this gives you the basic idea. All the best,

Sky

Hi Once Again Ren

Pete had mentioned the shipping cost was a little high, shipping cost will depend on where abouts you are in the country. Just for interest, I plugged zip code 48105 which is somewhere in Anne Arbor, Michigan into the shipping calculator and shipping came back at $43.98 UPS Ground which seams quite reasonable. All the best,

Sky
 

Hi Ren

Good question. You will likely get many different answers as members here find that different machines fit different people. Your geographical location will influence what brands of typewriters are available to you. For a reliable portable typewriter with an easy touch for everyday use here in North America, I would suggest a 5- series Smith-Corona. There were lots of them made and many parts are interchangeable between the Clipper, Sterling and the Silent models should you need to have one repaired.

For a child with small hands, the first machine that comes to mind is the Olivetti Lettera-32. Again, lots of them made and quite easily serviceable. I would recommend looking for a machine from a reputable seller who cleans, services and reconditions the machines he/she sells. Hope this points you in the right direction, and feel free to ask lots more questions. Don't forget to add your location to your profile, city, state, county or province is close enough to give other members an idea of what will likely be available in your area. All the best,

Sky

Hi Rob and Laurenz

The 1.5mm typeface works out to 17 cpi. A Type-Pal member in the USA has an Olympia SG-1 with 1.5mm (17 cpi) and I received a letter typed on that machine. A good pair of reading glasses is a must for me to be able to read that type. However, wouldn't that have been a great machine for typing on those Aerogram letters? You would be able to get a lot of information on the 3-fold correspondence. All the best,

Sky