- Pinch
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Offline - Registered: 10-9-2016
- Posts: 13
Re: Carriage sluggush
Hey Sky, I noticed one bit of weirdness this afternoon. If you type all the way until the bell rings and keep going the carriage does not quite reach the margin stop. It stops about a space short and will keep typing over the same letter. If you exert a little pressure on the right side of the carriage, it moves to the margin stop and you can no longer type. Is this normal? What do you think?
- skywatcher
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- Registered: 14-3-2013
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Re: Carriage sluggush
Hi Pinch
Here's where we call out to those with more experience an knowledge of terms, like the proper name for the system that locks out the type bars when the carriage has reached the right hand margin stop. I would say you likely have one of two problems. 1, this mechanism is sticky, or 2, the main spring needs a little bit mote tension. Does anyone know the correct mainspring tension for the Studio 44. Thanks and all the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Lucas Dul
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Re: Carriage sluggush
The Royal typewriter company calls this the “line lock,” and it’s purpose is to prevent character stacking.
If you’ve oiled the escapent pinion and starwheel, and oiled the carriage rails (as recommended by the manuals) then I would recommend tightening the mainspring a dot. Don’t wind it all the way around, instead, locate the spring drum detent. It’s a little ratchet gear with a locking pinion. Turn the screw in the center of the drum to tighten, and make sure the pin locks the gear back into place. Try going a tooth or two and see how it works (after oiling of course. A drop is all you need.)
Typewriter Service Tech (and avid nerd)
- skywatcher
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Re: Carriage sluggush
Hi Lucas and Pinch
Lucas, thanks for the correct term for the Line-Lock. The mainspring of my Studio-44 does not have the same ratchet mechanism as the Royals. Looking at mine, I'd say that with the cover off, take a medium sized flat blade screw driver and the correct size wrench (spanner). Being made in Europe, it will be metric, so 6mm, 7mm or 8mm. Insert the flat blade screw driver into the center screw on the mainspring, but don't try to turn it yet. Take your wrench and loosen the nut ¼ turn, be sure to hold the screw driver firmly as it will likely try to turn as soon as the nut is loosened. Now turn the screw ¼ turn against the spring tension and tighten the nut to lock the screw. Try typing again and see if the line-lock works properly. Repeat this process again if necessary.
Once you have the typewriter working as it should, check to make sure the mainspring isn't too tight. I would do this by moving the carriage all the way to the right past the margin stop. Now see if the mainspring drum will turn at least another ½ turn without the spring deadheading (just make sure the draw cord doesn't skip off the mainspring drum while you're doing this). This is how I make sure the recoil spring of a pull start on a chain saw isn't too tight. If the spring deadheads before the starter cord, the spring will either break or get torn out of its anchor. In other words, you want to make sure the carriage (or the starter cord) deadheads before the spring. This way, you won't run the risk of breaking the mainspring. Hope this helps,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Lucas Dul
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- Registered: 01-1-2018
- Posts: 250
Re: Carriage sluggush
Certainly helps answer my question of how far’s too far in regards to mainspring tension.
Typewriter Service Tech (and avid nerd)
- Pinch
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- Posts: 13
Re: Carriage sluggush
Thank you guys! I'll do this asap.
- •
Thread Starter- skywatcher
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Re: Carriage sluggush
Hi Pinch
Another thought crossed my mind last night. If you acquired this machine used and it's bee this way since you got it, it is possible that the draw cord has skipped off the mainspring drum once already. If this is the case, it may be worth adding one full turn of pretension onto the mainspring. This can be done without removing the main cover, but can be a little fiddly.
Move the carriage all the way to the right so you can see the drum and draw cord. Pull up on the draw cord until you can see where the draw cord attaches to the drum. Now using your fingers, rotate the drum one full turn allowing the cord to go sideways past the back side of the drum. Once the attachment point is up on top again, gently release the drum making sure the cord winds onto the drum and see how the machine works.
I just did a quick draw check on my 44, using a small spring balance and holding the tab key down to disengage the escapement rack, it takes just under 1 kg of pull at mid point to move the carriage to the right against the mainspring. Let us know if this helps,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Pinch
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- Posts: 13
Re: Carriage sluggush
Well that helped a lot. It was tricky to do. What I ended up doing was detaching the cord, winding the drum one full turn, and reattaching it. Thanks again!
- •
Thread Starter- Fleetwing
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Re: Carriage sluggush
Good job -- yes, that is tricky to do. A third hand is very useful!
