1 - thetypewriter
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Offline - From: Sweden
- Registered: 05-11-2022
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Facit Privat and a rookie
Hello everyone,
I’ve been on the lookout for a typewriter and yesterday, I happened to get a hold of one! It’s a Facit Privat which I know is a classic brand within the world of typewriters. But here comes the problem: that’s all I know.
Since I’m a beginner, there’re many questions that I’d love to get an answer to. The first one is the ribbon. Which one should I get and how do I put it in?
The next question is the moving part (don't know the English word) when you're writing before it makes a noice to pull it back. It's not moving at all when trying to type. Do I need a ribbon or is it suppose to move even when it's not there? A bad description I know so please see the added video 
Any more information (series, year of manufacturing, tips etc) would also be nice. But that’s mostly because I’m a nerd.
Photo gallery:
Video when writing:
Best regards.
Tobias
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
We might ask one of our Moderators to move this post to the "Portables" section, as this Facit is not really a Standard model.
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
Hi Tobias,
1. You might review this section of the TWDB (Typewriter Data Base) and look under the sub-section for "Facit Portable" to find your machine's serial number and year of manufacture. The Privat is most like the Model TP2.
2. One very common problem with the Facit machines is that factory oil/grease turns to candle-wax over the years and can prevent the escapement mechanism from moving freely and the typical symptom is that the carriage does not move when a key-top or space bar is struck. Deep cleaning with a solvent like denatured alcohol and blowing out the dissolved "gunk" repeatedly will most likely solve this problem. Do a search for the term "cleaning" on the Forum and you will get lots of good information.
3. Here are a couple of free user-manuals you can save to your computer for the Model TP2 :
- Pete E.
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
If you have original metal spools on your typewriter, now, you can just buy any 1/2" wide ribbon on plastic spools and rewind the new ribbon on your old, metal spools.
Ribbon comes in cotton, nylon, and silk material. I like using silk on my typewriters for darkness of print and the fine detail of the print-out. A full spool or ribbon is typically 18 yards long. Many sellers on Amazon and eBay sell ribbons that are only 10-12 yards long. But the shorter lengths will still work...they will just not fill-up the metal spool 100%, though but will not last as long as the longer 18 yard long ribbons.
- Pete E.
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
Sorry...in my Post # 3 above, I had a typo for the link to the TWDB,
It is here for Facit typewriters :
- Pete E.
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
And for how to change the ribbon...
This user-manual for the older Model TP1 explains how to do it and how to properly wind the ribbon in the ribbon vibrator.
It is the same method to use on the Model TP2 and your Privat model.
- Pete E.
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
Tobias,
Belatedly I noticed you may not have any spools for your Privat.
This YouTube video by Mr. Duane Jensen of Phoenix Typewriters (here in the USA) shows you how to quickly modify the ribbon spool spindles on a Facit machine so you can use the plastic "universal" ribbon spool on your machine and you would not need to search for the metal Facit spools which have a bigger hole in each metal spool.
- thetypewriter
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- From: Sweden
- Registered: 05-11-2022
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
Hey Pete,
Thank you for the information. I'll take a closer look at it! 
- •
Thread Starter- Pete E.
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- Registered: 23-6-2020
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Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
Tobias,
I get these larger-sized plastic squirt bottles from eBay and use them to hold denatured alcohol for cleaning.
And these "micro" squirt bottles with metal tips to store and apply machine oil and/or lacquer thinner for parts that do not clean up well enough with denatured alcohol. But you have to be careful using lacquer thinner as it can damage paint and plastic parts. These metal tipped bottles prevent you to applying too much oil.
.
- thetypewriter
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- From: Sweden
- Registered: 05-11-2022
- Posts: 20
Re: Facit Privat and a rookie
Pete E. wrote:
Tobias,
Belatedly I noticed you may not have any spools for your Privat.
This YouTube video by Mr. Duane Jensen of Phoenix Typewriters (here in the USA) shows you how to quickly modify the ribbon spool spindles on a Facit machine so you can use the plastic "universal" ribbon spool on your machine and you would not need to search for the metal Facit spools which have a bigger hole in each metal spool.
It looks like my typewriter has a kind of "adapter" similiar to the one in the video but mine is made out of metal. I will take a closer look at it next week but up until then, I need to check for ribbons. Preferably black only.
To make things easier for a total beginner, can someone send me some links for the type that will fit (w/o the adapter) so I know what I'm looking for
- •
Thread Starter