1 - treefaller
- Touch Typist
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- From: The Dalles, Oregon, USA
- Registered: 24-9-2015
- Posts: 153
1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
I found an early 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model at the local ReStore here in The Dalles, Oregon this morning with a price tag of $35 on it. It is pretty rough and is missing the main art-deco mechanicals cover which gives it so much character. It's also been sitting in a barn so things are very stiff and grungy, but I don't see much rust. This is the model with the "thrust action" mechanicals so it's kind of interesting to me.
I think I'm going back there this afternoon with my camera to take some pics to post on the TW data base site and I'll see if I can get a serial number. The carriage might be frozen so I might not be able to get that, however.
I don't know how long it'll last there. I doubt it'll move very quickly because I don't think there are very many typer collectors in this town. The ReStore guy knows me by sight and he's never mentioned anyone else coming by specifically asking about old typers like I do.
I'm not interested in it for myself; I'm a "user" of typers, and I don't really need a display shelf typer, but maybe someone else has interest in preserving the antique rarities and might find a use for some parts. If you are interested in it let me know and I can go make the guy an offer and then I can box it up and ship it.
I'll post some pics when I get back later this afternoon.
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
Does anyone know why the covers on those noiseless models are always missing?
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- treefaller
- Touch Typist
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- From: The Dalles, Oregon, USA
- Registered: 24-9-2015
- Posts: 153
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
Here are some small pics - I have larger versions if wanted.
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
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Thread Starter- colrehogan
- Key Master
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- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 612
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
I saw an Underwood Noiseless in great shape at the antique store. Headed over to the booth and someone had attached a lamp to the back of the machine. I don't know if the typewriter itself is functional.
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
Eek! I was actually just given one of these and I thought it was in pretty bad shape. A coworker of my husband gave it to me in the hopes I would be able to get it working again. I haven't had time to do much except just a small amount of cleaning and I don't know if I'm going to be able to get it working or not. The noiseless connections seem complicated. There are a few on the one I was given that aren't quite working and I have no idea where to even begin. It does have the cover though.
- treefaller
- Touch Typist
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- From: The Dalles, Oregon, USA
- Registered: 24-9-2015
- Posts: 153
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
I spent some free time this weekend browsing the Ames service manual on these noiseless machines. And they are completely different than anything else I've seen. It would be almost like a sub-specialty in the typewriter repair field to really get comfortable fixing these things. Nothing you learned from other typers would help you with one of these.
Still, I've got an itch to go and offer the guy $25 for this one just so I could get it home and start tracing out how the keypress is translated into that "thrust" motion. I'd love to get it working, just to hear if it really is quieter than a regular typer. And getting it working would be the only goal since it will never be a display model (the cover is missing and the decals are so worn they are barely readable)
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
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Thread Starter- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
Hey $25 isn't too bad. Worst comes to worst, if you can't fix it, just use it as a parts machine for your next Noiseless.
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- treefaller
- Touch Typist
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- From: The Dalles, Oregon, USA
- Registered: 24-9-2015
- Posts: 153
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
Well, I broke down and bought the thing. I got it for $20 when I combined it with a very nice R.C.Allen desk machine for $30 that they had just put out. It's a project for my garage, which I probably won't even get to until the Spring since my garage is too cold in the winter. But I need to find out, from someone, where the darn serial number is located? I still haven't found it, though the carriage is rusted and won't move so it might be under there somewhere. Fascinating engineering, though, even if I never get this one working again.
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,410
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
The serial number should be located around the 10:00 position when looking down on the right ribbon spool.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- treefaller
- Touch Typist
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- From: The Dalles, Oregon, USA
- Registered: 24-9-2015
- Posts: 153
Re: 1930's Underwood Noiseless desk model
Okay, that's kind of what I figured. I'll have another close look in that location, and now that I've got it home maybe I can remove something to get a peek at it. Thanks, Uwe, for moving this thread to Standard Typewriters. It goes better in this category now that I've bought it myself.
(PS - maybe a topic for another thread, but what are you all using for those excellent close-up photos? I've got a Canon A520 digital, but it won't get that close. An extra lens? or should I just buy another camera that does close-ups better?)
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
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Thread Starter