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Skywatcher,
Originally from just outside Bristol but I did spend a few years in the wonderful suburb of Perry Barr, and in and around Walsall during the original Bull Ring years before it went all upmarket. Moved out here 13 years ago.
--Phil
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I’m Steve, from near Seat
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Darn, typing this on my iPad and my pinky finger hit the submit button, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to edit or delete posts..
Starting over... I’m Steve, from near Seattle, the handle ‘wormey’ is from when I was in electronics trade school nearly 50 years ago. I’m retired now, and have started playing with my typewriter collection, to get them all running properly. I have:
Royal FPE
Royal HHE
Smith-Corona 6LEA Coronet Super 12
IBM Mag Card II Selectric
IBM Selectric ||| Correcting
Speaking of the Mag Card, does anyone know where I can find keybuttons for it? I had inadvertently put a solvent-soaked rag on the keyboard and damaged the left third of the buttons. Some I can replace by buying a set of buttons off ebay, but other buttons have notations for running the mag card reader/writer. And a group of buttons to the left of the keyboard that only the Mag Card has. Thanks.
-Steve
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Hello all,
I'm yet another Phil, in Philadelphia, PA. I grew up in New Mexico and learned how to type on an IBM Selectric in Junior High and High School then moved to computers after 10th grade. I never appreciated typing class back then, always wanting things faster and more efficient, as I thought a computer could do.
I served in the Navy for 8 years from 1997-2005, the first 5 years as a "weather guesser" then the last 3 as a combat photographer. I've been using computers daily since 1998. After I got out of the Navy, I moved to Philadelphia in 2006, got my BA in journalism and beat my head against the newsgathering industry for 10 years. I've always fallen back on my mechanical ability for work that pays the bills, and I've worked at bicycle shops part or full time for most of my life since 1994.
I'm currently a graduate student at Drexel University, doing yet another career change, and becoming a mental health clinician with art therapy as my modality. In this field, we are encouraged to engage in "self-care" activities to keep us mentally healthy. My self-care is working on fine mechanical devices, such as cameras, and internally geared bicycle hubs (Sturmey Archer AW and SW.)
Now that basically 100% of my life is online, or tied to computers, I have made a pact to firmly stake my claim in the fully analog world of the mechanical. I've had a hobby of repairing and building my own mechanical cameras for over a decade, and moving to typewriters is in a similar vein. I love the fact that I can just simply write. No bright screen, no touch-pad, no mouse, no tabs with multiple pages of distraction open.
In this time of social distancing I've had to do all of my classes for graduate school online which is awful. I don't like sitting in front of a computer, pushing electrons into the ether, only to be forgotten by myself moments later. Disposable thought.
So, I distracted myself from the electronic world by acquiring a few manual typewriters, inexpensive and in need of repair. I bought a few Super 5 Smith Coronas (and Towers) for pennies and a couple Royaliltes to work on as self-care.
I'm looking forward to doing more writing on the 1949 SC Silent that I feel is my nicest machine. Also looking forward to participating in this community.
Stay healthy and safe, all.
Phil Forrest
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Greetings all,
Just a quick 'Hello' to introduce myself.
Typewriter user for many a year but new to this online forum thing .
Also a prolific user of fountain pens (as is the rest of my family).
Only my daughter has the typewriter bug though.
She owns, and uses daily, a 1936 Imperial Good Companion.
I own and use a 1957 Olympia SM3 as well as a 1969 Traveller.
Very recently I purchased an Olympia Splendid 66 and a 99 although I only, really, require one for travel (my SM3 stays home).
I will have to be rehoming my current travel companion, an Olympia Traveller, to keep the peace at home .
Hal, my Traveller, has been an excellent companion but I prefer the design aesthetics of the 'Splendid' models and have saved enough to finally get one (although in this case I purchased two . Please don't ask, it was a spur of the moment rush of blood to the brain, or from the brain, thing).
Well that is about it.
Good to find a site with like minded peeps.
That's all.
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First time poster........have a problem with an Electric portable Silver Reed typewriter. It won't start when plugged in or switch turned on. I've found the 125v 3w fuse and replaced it but nothing. Anyone
Work on this specific model and have an idea?
Grandmamaybelle@gmail.com
I'm one of those that likes to find a treasure and I then tear into it to fix. I have better luck
With Keurigs than typewriters!
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All Silver-Reed electric portables (electric, not electronic - electric has a moving carriage like a manual typewriter) use a rubber drive belt between the motor at the back of the machine and the power shaft in the middle. If you can hear the motor humming but nothing is happening, the chances are that the drive belt has stretched and come off. The bad news is that there are no new ones available.
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Welcome to the forum prairiebell (and belated greetings to Steve, Phil, and GreyFriar)!
If you do tackle that Silver-Reed, prairiebell, and need continued assistance, please feel free to post questions in the Maintenance & Repairs sub-forum.
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Hi Prairiebell
Welcome to the forum and a word of caution. This forum is very popular and is frequently visited by spambots searching for e-mail addresses and other contact information. Giving your e-mail address in a post is not a good idea, far safer to say "Private Message or PM me to talk directly". All the best,
Sky