Is there a sort of terminology overload going on? This picture clearly shows the lever that controls the margin re-sets as well as the little green button which is 'carriage return', not 'margin release', but which I thought we were agreed was the one we were talking about...

Pressing the margin release button itself usually has a fairly predictable result, and the result Spazmelda reports is not it! If it isn't just something in the margin mechanism, could it be on the rails, would the good old Q Tip cure maybe help?

Somewhere, under observation, there will be something that's working funny, or stuck, or just not right. Tbh I have no idea how you even get the shell off one of these things. Solidarity!

Well, it turns out that the metal bit is supposed to be there.  It's part of the carriage system, and is not jamming anything up (I don't think). I've gotten the carriage to move somewhat.  I have to jam a tool (crochet hook) down to press the bar that the carriage release moves. Either the carriage release isn't moving it far enough or something is blocking it that the carriage release bar has to clear in order to move.  I don't think I can fix whatever is going on, but I'll mess with it some more. 

When I press that bar and push the carriage will move a bit, then I have to change the area where I am putting pressure on that bar (move the crochet hook to the right side of the bar) and I can get the carriage to move a bit further.  Keeping going like that, I can get it to move all the way to the left, bit by bit.  Then, I can easily slide the carriage over to the right again, and do my poke prod method to get it back to the left.  No position of the carriage is allowing me to type. The slugs aren't hitting the platen. Something is locked or jammed.  Taking a break because my headache has come back, lol.

I'd take a video of this, but I need extra hands. My son would do it, but it would make us all seasick to watch his camera technique.

Last edited by Spazmelda (15-7-2015 11:28:02)

I've just skimmed this... sounds hopeful, why not try the Q tips - you might get some dust out that's jamming everything up. If it's moving a little bit, can you hear or feel a place where the resistance or jam might be happening?

Good luck!

I just texted my husband to see if they have any of those in the lab.  It's worth a try.

My text to him didn't make it before he left work, so he didn't bring any swabs.  I did make some progress, I think. After racquetball this morning, I think the endorphins got to me and I decided to just take the &@#% carriage off.  I had found a blog that indicated where the screws to do this were.  I loosened the left side screw, but I could not get the right side screw loosened.  However... I did discover that just raising the left side of the carriage from the body, just a bit, allows the carriage to move freely when I press the carriage release button, and it allows the keys to strike the platen (which they weren't doing before). So, I think if I can somehow figure out how to raise the carriage just a smidge from the body I will be on the way to figuring this out.  I don't know if there is an adjustment to do that, or if I need to put some washers or some sort of shim in there.  It is progress though! I'm sure it is.