1 of 1- Frog
- New Member
Offline - Registered: 10-4-2021
- Posts: 2
Olympia SM9 Carriage Problem
I just bought a 1965 Olympia sm9 for twenty dollars, and it has a lot of issues (as expected, I wanted something to practice on before attempting to fix my Royal).
So, the problem is that the carriage/roller will not get the paper to a point where you can type on it. It goes down a few inches, but then stops rolling and just makes a squeaky noise. When I take it out, the paper has a thin black line all the way across it. However, when I insert the paper on the left side of the machine, it works just fine, no black line or anything. Any idea how to fix this, or what this problem would be called?
Thanks in advance.
- skywatcher
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- From: The Prairies of Alberta
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 737
Re: Olympia SM9 Carriage Problem
Hi Frog and Welcome to the Forum
This is definitely a platen (roller) out to see what's in there job. It's been quite a while since I lifted the platen out of my SM-9, but I'm sure there are other members here who will be happy to talk you through removing the platen, feed rollers and paper tray.
I wouldn't think an SM-9 would have flattened feed rolls yet, so I'm guessing there's probably a piece of paper or something stuck between the platen and the feed rolls or jamming things up in the paper tray. Check back in a day or so and we should have some more answers for you. 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)
- Phil_F_NM
- Speed Champion
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Re: Olympia SM9 Carriage Problem
Release the roller tension as if you were going to straighten out a piece of paper. You can set the line space lever to 0 so there is no detent. Lift the paper bail and firmly grab each of the platen knobs. Unscrew one, they are both right hand threads. I've found that the right knob often comes off first, then you have to move the carriage all the way right then firmly grasp the platen itself and turn the left side knob. A few rubber bands help for gripping the knob and platen. The platen simply lifts straight out but there could be a collar at the end with a grub screw to space the platen from the carriage end as well as ensure the knob does not come loose. That will have to be loosened, of course. As you pull the carriage knobs out, do so slowly to ensure you don't lose any fine washers which may be acting as spacers/shims to prevent the platen from shifting side to side during operation. Once the platen knobs with the short spindles are out, the platen simply lifts straight out.
Phil Forrest
- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
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- Registered: 29-5-2013
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Re: Olympia SM9 Carriage Problem
The obstruction is almost certainly a sticky address label that has got stuck to the paper pan (deflector plate for American readers) The best way to remove this is with White Spirits (Mineral Spirits). I always used to advise typists in offices that if you make a mistake on an address label on a roll, just roll forward to the next one and discard it. It is when you roll the label back into the machine to make a correction that they stick themselves to the paper pan !
- Frog
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- Registered: 10-4-2021
- Posts: 2
Re: Olympia SM9 Carriage Problem
Thank you for all the suggestions! I'll definitely try these things out. I'm glad to hear that there seems to be a fix for all of this.
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