1 - beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
Picked this up yesterday for the price of two packets of cigs - seller couldn't understand why I wanted it.
Clearly it's roughly WWII vintage, but I can't track down the model name or number; there are many close; Monarch, Remette and so on, but this one never seems to be mentioned. Any ideas?
Also looking for a serial number, but can't find it. Carriage lock? - can't find that either!
The ribbon is there but so thin you can see through it, and I don't know if it's threaded correctly; there are a few places it could go over or under, behind or in front of, but which is it? If I knew the model, I may be able to track down an instruction booklet to tell me these things.
Anyway, here's some shots for you experts...
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
PS: It types really well - the lightest action I've ever used.
Last edited by beak (20-4-2013 05:33:43)
Sincerely,
beak.
- ProfessorC30
- Platen Punisher
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- From: Arkansas, USA
- Registered: 20-4-2013
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Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
I don't know much about these, but I think it's a Remington Portable #3. A serial # would greatly help.
Here's the info I found on Richard Polt's site about the carriage lock:
Locking and unlocking the carriage
When you find a Remington portable, the carriage may appear to be frozen. It has been locked in place for carrying. Try to release the carriage by holding the carriage with your left hand and pulling out on the right platen knob with your right hand. If that doesn't work, there should be a small upright lever on the left end of the platen that will release the carriage if you pull it slightly to the left and then to the back. In order to relock the carriage, find a lever on either the left or the right end of the carriage which, when pulled forward, lets the carriage slide freely into the middle of the typewriter and "click" there; you can then usually push the right platen knob into the platen in order to lock the carriage.
Lots of info on Remington portables on his site here:
site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/rem-portables (dot) htm
Clark
- Shangas
- Speed Champion
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- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
- Posts: 298
Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
I agree. It's a Remington 3 Portable. A very smart machine and most likely no older than the early 1940s Possibly, even older than that.
Remington Portables came in a wide, wide, WIDE variety of styles and colours and finishes. I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of the machines which isn't on the list.
I would say that it is almost CERTAINLY a Model 3 Remington portable. As such, instruction-manuals should be fairly easy to find.
"Not Yet Published" - My History Blog
"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
THANKS. Now I can hunt better. Seems to be something of a simplified version; odd refinements missing - no indent TAB key on the right, and no silver knob on the top left of the fascia; war-time economy production, I wonder? Shall slowly clean and bring back to best order.
ETA
Right platen knob does go in and out, but there seems to be no associated lock for the carriage; all that happens is that the line-spacing lever is disabled by the other end as it sticks out to the left. I'll keep looking! Still no serial number found.
Last edited by beak (21-4-2013 07:39:19)
Sincerely,
beak.
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Thread Starter- ProfessorC30
- Platen Punisher
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- From: Arkansas, USA
- Registered: 20-4-2013
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Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
I would suspect that you'll find the serial number when you get the carriage unlocked. I noticed that your machine didn't have the tab key, but I wondered if that was an option as you mention (economy model).
I don't know much about these, but after some further searching, I find that there are two models that resemble the #3 that don't have the tab key. They are the Envoy and the Deluxe Junior. There is a possibility your machine has been refurbished which accounts for the gray crinkle finish and no model decals. The Envoy model seems to be mainly for non-US markets.
Here's the pictures and info that I found:
Last edited by ProfessorC30 (21-4-2013 08:49:20)
Clark
- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
ProfessorC30 wrote:
I would suspect that you'll find the serial number when you get the carriage unlocked. I noticed that your machine didn't have the tab key, but I wondered if that was an option as you mention (economy model).
It is and always was unlocked - can't see how to lock it. I've tried to research where to find a serial number, but no info found yet - anyone know where it should be?
Last edited by beak (21-4-2013 08:40:40)
Sincerely,
beak.
- •
Thread Starter- ProfessorC30
- Platen Punisher
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- From: Arkansas, USA
- Registered: 20-4-2013
- Posts: 75
Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
Here's Richard Polt's advice on where to find the serial number on Remington Portables:
Look for the serial number by moving the carriage to the left and right and looking in the rear corners. Failing that, look in the upper right corner of the slotted comb from which the keyboard emerges.
Clark
- Shangas
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- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
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Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
If you don't mind my asking, Beak, what was paid for this machine?
"Not Yet Published" - My History Blog
"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
Here's Richard Polt's advice on where to find the serial number on Remington Portables:
Look for the serial number by moving the carriage to the left and right and looking in the rear corners. Failing that, look in the upper right corner of the slotted comb from which the keyboard emerges.
Thanks so much - this not only finds the number (SD 27 64 23) but identifies it as a variant of the Remington Junior - almost identical to the no.3, in fact. Funny that Remington described this as suitable for children's homework and social letter writing- for it seems well up to to the mark to me.
This one has the backspace key and the ribbon colour selector.
Last edited by beak (21-4-2013 21:55:01)
Sincerely,
beak.
- •
Thread Starter- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Old Remington portable; I could use some help.
If you don't mind my asking, Beak, what was paid for this machine?
$30 - which I was happy with.
Sincerely,
beak.
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Thread Starter