1 of 1- Guess I'll Try
- Platen Punisher
Offline - Registered: 09-5-2014
- Posts: 76
Adjusting a font
I have a mid 50's standard Reimington with the "b" font riding a little high. I would like to adjust it and bring it lower. Can I do that by loosening the solder in the font, moving it down and letting it set. Will that work? I would loosen the solder with a butaine torch. The existing solder would not be silver solder would it?
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 625
Re: Adjusting a font
Wait. Wait! Unsoldering typeslugs is opening a professional can of worms. Since they don't just slip down through the solder on their own, the easier, better fix is to correct what actually did go wrong. Unless someone before you melted the solder, it's much more likely that something just got bent and the most likely part is the typebar itself, the lever that the slug is soldered to. Examine it carefully and also in comparison to the nearby typebars to see if you can see any variation that could account for the "b" hitting high. And does the "B" hit high, too? A picture of the problem would be interesting to see. The thing is, that properly aligning a typeslug in hot solder without a jig is really difficult.
- Guess I'll Try
- Platen Punisher
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- Registered: 09-5-2014
- Posts: 76
Re: Adjusting a font
Thank you for the tip. I will look over the typebar. Looking at the slug, it does look like it hasen't been messed with, the solder across the top is even as the other slugs. I did try to align some typebars on another typewriter that had uneven letters, and boy, those typebars are strong! I can't imagine how a bar like that can get bent.
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Thread Starter- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 625
Re: Adjusting a font
Well, I'm not insisting that the typebar is bent, just suggesting that that is more likely than a slipping solder connection. There may well be something else wrong. Can we get some pics? The solder across the top looks even with the others; does all the rest of the link and orientation of the faces of the slugs line up, too? (And BTW, we're not talking about a "font" here. The font is basically the design, not the physical pieces. This part that is out of line is the slug or typeslug.)
Yes, the typebars are strong and a good thing, too. You said you found strong typebars on another machine but unless it is the same make and model and a similar year, you can't expect these to be the same toughness. As for how it might have gotten bent, I have no idea---sometimes kids abuse these things in fantastic ways. In normal operation they don't get out of line at all. And yet here I am telling you to fix it by reversing what caused it to go wrong. Well, this is where the detective work comes in.
Be aware that typewriter technicians have special tools for bending things, so it's harder if you have to figure out what to do plus how to do it. BTW, if you're at this long enough, you'll have guys telling you that we don't "bend" parts---we "form" them. Just play along with such people.
- Guess I'll Try
- Platen Punisher
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- Registered: 09-5-2014
- Posts: 76
Re: Adjusting a font
Sorry for the delay on the slug thing. Well, I looked the thypebars over and saw not irrigularities. Then I noticed that the other upper case slugs were riding high too, the B was just light on the top so more noticeable. Taking the side panels off I saw linkage rocker arms for upper and lower case settings, with several adjustment nuts and screws holding them in place. I found that turning the nuts changed the placement of the type on the platten. Before long I got the font imprint on the paper going every which way. Then the battle began to straighten the thype out. Three hours later at about 11:30 pm, I had the type leveled out again--it wasn't the slug out of place at all, it was an adjustment problem. At the rear most adjustment nut I found the way to align the type on the center of the platen--the nut raises and lowers the platten for the lower case type.
I have adjusted the upper case letters inline with the lower case on other machines, so I looked for something similar. There through the side inline with the basket I believe I saw the adjustment screw and holding nut. That raises and lowers the basket for alignment of the upper case letters. It is harder to get at as it is inside and not accessable from the bottom. One must losten the nut from the side, and adjust the screw with a long thin screwdriver from the top. I haven't done it yet but that will be the next job. I got a picture of the side of the machine but have not posted it yet--that is a little new to me and may take some figuring. Stay tuned.
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Thread Starter- Guess I'll Try
- Platen Punisher
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- Registered: 09-5-2014
- Posts: 76
Re: Adjusting a font
So many adjustments for the letter alignment, about 6. Almost had it, but one adjustment depends on another. Still working on it.
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Thread Starter- Guess I'll Try
- Platen Punisher
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- Registered: 09-5-2014
- Posts: 76
Re: Adjusting a font
I finally got it by adjusting the side nuts slowly and in order from front to back. Each nut made a subtle change. They must have been changing the slant of the carriage.
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Thread Starter