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31-1-2018 20:15:43  #1


New Member - My Hermes 3000 repair story

I'm a new member, new to collecting typewriters. It all started when I bought an early 70's SM9 back in October for $25 on Craigslist. It's been crazy since then...

Olympia SM9 - 1974 - Pica
Olympia SM9 - 1966 - wide carriage - Pica
Olympia SM9 - 1966 - standard carriage - Senatorial Robot
Hermes 3000 - 1966 - Techno Pica (w/clamshell case/accessories)
Hermes Rocket - late 50's - Pica (w/clamshell case)
Hermes Rocket - late 50's - Elite (w/pleather case)
Hermes Rocket - late 50's - Elite (w/pleather case)
Hermes 3000 - 1966 - Petit Pica (w/clamshell case)

The latter 3000 arrived on Monday in a box not much larger than the typewriter itself. The base had popped off, screws and feet popped off, frame bent on one side so screws for feet wouldn't hold the feet on properly. The carriage would scrape and randomly get stuck in the middle...and it wasn't the magic margins. I was going to get a refund from the seller and ship it back, but she offered me more than half of what I paid as a refund, so I decided to go for it...if only for the typeface!

First thing this morning I took it apart. It took about an hour because I couldn't figure out how to remove the carriage assembly and the outer shell. Eventually I discovered there are two hidden screws above the E and P keys.



Once I got it all dismantled, I had to keep removing and reinstalling the carriage to see what it was hanging up on.  I must have removed it a dozen times. While I was doing this, I adjusted the carriage placement (forward to backward) using the two small screws at the back (left and right) and adjusted the bell so it rang better. After several hours of tinkering I noticed a metal tab that would hang up on the center flywheel at random times. I traced that ligature wire back and the wire seemed more bent than normal as it rounded a bend in the machine. Straightening it would move the metal tab away from the flywheel and free up the carriage. Come to find out that is the backspace mechanism - it was randomly engaging because the wire was bent too much - so it would try to backspace randomly. Once straightened, I adjusted the screws that define the limits of the seesaw mechanism, replaced the carriage, and it worked perfectly! No more carriage getting stuck.


I straightened up the aluminum base, cleaned out the dust bunnies, cleaned and reassembled everything back together. Here's the result:



It now runs like clockwork, and I'm really pleased with it. It's probably my favorite typewriter in my collection right now. It's just so smooth and quick to type on and the Petit Pica (S PP) typeface is incredible and very readable.


I've found this forum helpful when trying to find out more about what to avoid and/or look for when looking for typewriters. Hopefully the above post helps someone who is dealing with a similar issue with their Hermes 3000.

Rod
 

 

31-1-2018 22:09:10  #2


Re: New Member - My Hermes 3000 repair story

Wow, that's some impressive work! Truly. And I agree that's a lovely typeface.

 

01-2-2018 07:15:42  #3


Re: New Member - My Hermes 3000 repair story

What a great story! I'm glad you chose to keep it and fix it. At best it probably would have been parted out otherwise. Nice write up with pictures also.

Steve


Time is something you can never get back, use it wisely.
 

01-2-2018 08:13:04  #4


Re: New Member - My Hermes 3000 repair story

Sad thing is, I had written it up entirely, with much more info, then went to preview mode, then hit back in the browser and lost it all.

One thing I left out is that I accidentally pulled out the hub assembly for the index assembly as detailed here: http://cambridgetypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/05/replacing-hermes-3000-platen.html

That one mistake ended up costing me about an hour of time to get it back together properly so that the platen actually worked properly. So be careful that you don't take too many things apart - you might not get them back together properly!
 

     Thread Starter
 

01-2-2018 09:55:06  #5


Re: New Member - My Hermes 3000 repair story

sys700 wrote:

 So be careful that you don't take too many things apart - you might not get them back together properly!
 

Words to live by, truly.

 

01-2-2018 11:10:08  #6


Re: New Member - My Hermes 3000 repair story

Nice job and photos.
I have an on-and-off relationship with my 3000.  Love the action, general build quality, the appearance, and the best design of carrying case I have come across, but I detest the totally inadequate paper support.
  I picture myself in retirement wearing and egg-stained cardigan, bent double over the workbench bench, my failing eyesight squinting at bits of bent metal, tinkering away trying to fiddle around with the paper support so that I can read the top of the page when I'm typing the bottom of it.
  Great machine all the same!


Sincerely,
beak.
 
 

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