1 of 1- Repartee
- Key Master
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- From: Brooklyn
- Registered: 12-10-2015
- Posts: 683
Bouncing Type
This has been puzzling me, and I think I've seen this on multiple machines. Here is the issue on a 1960 SG1:
I've left the image over-sized to show detail. Beside needing cleaning, when I strike the "a" or the "z" with sufficient force it seems to bounce, coming down a second time after the carriage has started to move. It does not seem to happen on all the keys, I can strike a "b" as hard as I like and I just get a deeper impression, and it does not seem to have to do with my pinkie in particular, though these are both pinkie letters, since I can reproduce it using an index finger on these keys. I thought it was either a defect in my pinkie or an over-compensation for a weak left pinkie, but neither seems to be the case.
What's going on here? Is this a normal effect on the outlying keys? It's not as if I'm hammering the keys with hunt and peck - just typing the way I normally type on computer keyboards.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton".
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Bouncing Type
I think it just means a hard platen. Im not sure though. It does that on my Remington 10.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Repartee
- Key Master
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- From: Brooklyn
- Registered: 12-10-2015
- Posts: 683
Re: Bouncing Type
"The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English..."
I didn't like the spelling "pinkie", but the spell check which seems to have just appeared in the post editor did not like "pinky", and I did not argue with it. A Scottish English spell checker? Oy vey ist mir!
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton".
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Thread Starter- Repartee
- Key Master
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- From: Brooklyn
- Registered: 12-10-2015
- Posts: 683
Re: Bouncing Type
TypewriterGuy wrote:
I think it just means a hard platen. Im not sure though. It does that on my Remington 10.
OK. I just tried again, and my pinky definitely did seem to be implicated - this time I could reproduce it on the "b" with my pinky, but could not reproduce it on the "z" with my index finger. So what's up with my pinky? It's not velocity, seemingly, since I can hit the key plenty hard - could it be release? Yes! It's release! If I make a special effort to strike the key staccato it stops bouncing!
Problem solved! 
Manual typewriters are indeed like acoustic musical instruments, and need actual muscular technique to play well. I'm going to practice some scales now.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton".
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Thread Starter