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You can console yourself with the thought that the machine probably had a rock-hard platen, which would be difficult or expensive to get re-rubbered in Australia. These machines had natuarally hard platens when they left the factory, and more than 50 years on, most are so hard that they will cut holes in the paper when you type.
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An original Bing desk and chair with Bing No. 2 typewriter
Has anyone ever seen something like this? A desk and chair made specifically for use with a specific typewriter? Is this rare?
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Very cool.
However, the desk looks like a typical, small-size typewriter desk. I wonder if it was really made just for the Bing; my guess is that it was just part of a marketing campaign in which they pre-mounted the typewriter to a desk and slapped a special label on it. Regardless, I like it and have never seen one before, and if I was a little closer to the seller I'd be tempted to have a look at it.
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thetypewriterman wrote:
You can console yourself with the thought that the machine probably had a rock-hard platen, which would be difficult or expensive to get re-rubbered in Australia. These machines had natuarally hard platens when they left the factory, and more than 50 years on, most are so hard that they will cut holes in the paper when you type.
And not just a rock-hard platen, but platen knobs made of very brittle plastic that shatter very easily -- and are very hard to replace, since they're molded onto the shaft.
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I’m considering this Olympia Splendid 99. It’s reportedly functional in every respect, but I noticed the clear plastic guard is broken on the left, and missing on the right side. Does anyone know how interchangeable these are between models, and how likely I would be able to find them as parts, to make it a complete machine? Thanks.
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I don't know if the 99 is local to you, or how much the asking price is, both would be factors that I'd consider before buying any machine with missing or broken parts. The aligning scale is interchangeable; however, earlier SF models used a metal scale, which means your donor machine would have to be a later model variant. Also, in theory you would need to find a machine that was in even worse condition, and that was cheap enough to justify buying it just for the aligning scales. In my experience it's been difficult to scavenge machines for parts when most often they were themselves repairable and could be returned to active duty.
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Thanks, Uwe. Your last sentence rings true. I don’t think I want to end up in the situation where I have parts machines sitting around, even if I could find one. So, it becomes more a question of whether I want this machine as is? I’ve got a taste for these little Olympias, and would like to collect a machine to cover each typeface. The black is quite fetching, but I think your other previous advice is applicable.... patience. Having bought the other two SF De Luxes for $20 and $35, in relatively good, complete, and working condition, it makes me question spending very much on anything.
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My dad's visiting my grandma and she has an Espon elite 100. He says it works and I'm sure it's hardly been used. But I don't have a lot of space right now (trying to sell one of my other typewriters) and I'm not sure if I'd even like using an electric typewriter. Does anyone have one and do you like it? Would anyone want to buy it?
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SquireDante wrote:
My dad's visiting my grandma and she has an Espon elite 100. He says it works and I'm sure it's hardly been used. But I don't have a lot of space right now (trying to sell one of my other typewriters) and I'm not sure if I'd even like using an electric typewriter. Does anyone have one and do you like it? Would anyone want to buy it?
Just to clarify for those unfamiliar with it, the Epson Elite 100 is an electronic typewriter, not an electric one. ... an essential difference. I can't tell whether it's a daisywheel or thermal, though.
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It's a daisywheel. And thank you for correcting me; I didn't know there was a difference between electric and electronic.