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29-3-2019 10:23:22  #1


larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Twice in the last few days I have seen mention of some Olympia SM9s that have larger diameter spool spindles than the usual 4mm one that fits "universal" spools. I have never encountered this before in over a dozen years of paying attention to typewriters. Is this a thing that is known in the typosphere---some Olympias with larger spool spindles? It's similar to some Olivettis needing a larger hole in the spool, not only for the occasional large spindle, but sometimes to accommodate the shouldered spool nut. What is known about this variation among Olympias?

 

29-3-2019 17:04:22  #2


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Every single Olympia that I have seen in the UK has a 5mm diameter spindle.  This is to take the standard German 'DIN 2103' spools that fits almost every German-made typewriter since long before the Second World War.  The Germans standardised their typewriter spools between different makes very early on.  As an aside, this spool was adopted by an increasing number of non-German manufacturers throughout the 1950's and 1960's and was in danger of becoming a world standard until fashions changed and mechanical typewriters fell from favour.  Olivetti, of course, always went their own way.  From what I have read on the internet, I have deduced that Olympia (and Truimph-Adler I suspect) fitted special 4mm spindles for the American market, so that their machines could take the widely-available Underwood-style spool.  Clearly Hermes changed over to using this style of spool after the war to capture more of the US market, and both Brother and Silver-Reed (who were copying the Hermes Baby/Rocket to an extent) also adopted this spool for the same reason.  So it nearly became a second world standard.  It says a lot that the three styles of typewriter spool that are still in production in China are DIN 2103, Underwood, and the Olivetti spool.

 

29-3-2019 18:28:21  #3


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Thanks, Typewriterman. What a gobsmack! Olympia made different spindles for the UK and the US? I just measured a sample of Olympias here and they are all 4mm, even an SG3. Now there's not that much difference between 4m and 5mm so what do you make of thus guy's predicament? https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/b6nxxz/ribbon_issue_olympia_sm9_1966/ 
 

     Thread Starter
 

30-3-2019 03:53:08  #4


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Re: Reddit  Yes that is exactly the problem.  The guy has spindles set up for the DIN 2103 spool and has been supplied with Underwood-style spools.  A previous owner has crammed an Underwood spool onto the left spindle and broken it.  The suggestion of an Olivetti spool wouldn't help.  That one has a 6mm hole, so would be too slack !

 

30-3-2019 08:06:41  #5


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Well, this opens up a new world to me. It may be that this has never bit me before because spools generally available here will fit a 5mm spool and I just never noticed, except for the obvious Olivettis. I have seen plastic spools actually marked 4mm, and haven't paid attention to any other markings. Some older Royals and Remingtons I have here measure 4.5mm or even 5mm but they all came with their own metal spools and I just rewind onto them. 
So, your takeaway is that the reddit guy needs a spool specifically specced to DIN 2103? Are these so marked? 

     Thread Starter
 

31-3-2019 03:17:47  #6


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

The DIN spools used to be marked, then the Germans changed the DIN number to DIN 32755 - so some spools are marked like that.  The Chinese spools, and many others, have no markings at all.  All have a 5mm certre hole and three drive holes.  The Underwood-style spools have a 4mm centre hole and four drive holes.

 

31-3-2019 15:00:57  #7


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Now this is really interesting information. I quickly discovered that my Olivetti typewriter needs other spools than all my other machines, but I couldn't make something of the spool with the four holes in it that I still had around. Now I just checked, and it's central hole is indeed 4mm and thus 1mm smaller than my numerous Olympia spools. Must be an Underwood-style spool, then. An uncommon sight here in Germany.

 

31-3-2019 17:12:58  #8


Re: larger spool spindles on some Olympias?

Not neccessarily.  This spools fits Hermes, Brother and Silver-Reed.  I'm sure that these must have been imported to Germany at some stage.

 

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