- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline 
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Richard Polt has the Olympia SKE Report Electric user-manual up for free down-loads...
- fountainpensplus
- Touch Typist
Offline
- From: Eugene, OR, USA
- Registered: 11-10-2021
- Posts: 148
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Thanks for doing that Pete. Great job creating the pdf and was missing from my machine references.
George
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Hi George,
Glad you could use the pdf-file.
Every time I have my SKE out for 1-2 days, I fall in love with it all over again. They are such great little machines and much easier to lug around than my Olympia SGE-35...which is the star of my 11 electrics.
As my hands get tried and sore, I really love the electrics.
.
- •
Thread Starter- fountainpensplus
- Touch Typist
Offline
- From: Eugene, OR, USA
- Registered: 11-10-2021
- Posts: 148
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Pete, it might be a somewhat silly notion on my part but I'm hesitant to use most of my electrics. I wonder how many more times the carriage can be power-returned without doing irreparable damage. The Report SKE is my favorite typebar electric and it also powers back the hardest. I have a manual return S-C Electra 120 but I do not like having to choose between single space or double space only. I prefer a space and a half for line spacing. When I had my Hermes 10 in Matt McCormick's shop this summer he replaced whatever the brake material is and maybe the SKE needs some TLC as well. When I went back to Portland to pickup the H10 I mentioned to Matt that I would like to have a working Hermes Ambassador. He said that they were/are great machines but that spare parts are essentially non-existent. So now I only take out an electric occasionally to write a letter and to keep the moving parts moving. Each time I wonder how many more pages they have to type before catastrophic failure. When I want to do a lot of electric typing I fire up the IBM WheelWriter 10, a machine by the way that Matt also has on his desk.
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
George,
I know well what you mean.
After numerous hours and another $ 50 on spare parts, I finally got my nice IMB Model D (non-executive) 100% sorted out.
Then a few weeks later while I was using it, the power return, when activated, sounded like it was eating itself apart.
Removing the main cowling...I found the main plastic power return gearing mechanism had come apart in about 20-30 pieces.
I gave up and traded the IBM to a local fellow who parts out IBM machines for a nice Olympia SM7 parts machine he had that was missing its man-spring and its main cowling. It was a straight swap with no money involved.
I have 2 SM7's and figured some spare parts in reserve would be useful.
But I did feel badly about loosing the battle with the IBM...
.
- •
Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Beware of this Olympia Report Electric now running on eBay.
Buy-it-now price is good but shipping is high,
Seller even has a link to a YouTube video so you can see the machine in action.
PROBLEM is...the seller is careful to not show the use the space-bar, the use the power-return, and the use the power back-space. I assume none of those work.
YET...he states it all seems to work fine.
Of course...NO RETURNS ALLOWED.
If I were looking for parts, the BIN price is worth it...but not with the seller's requested shipping/handling cost.
.
- •
Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Cursive-script machine running on eBay this week out of PA State.
Price and shipping seems fair and seller offers a 30-day return.
Type-out sample showing the cursive-script provided in the sales ad, as well
( Not affiliated with the sale... )
.
- •
Thread Starter- Paul1986
- Platen Punisher
Offline
- Registered: 22-12-2019
- Posts: 57
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Hi Pete. You mentioned "copeland" belts for your Report. What exactly are they? And where did you get them from? I'm asking because right now I'm eyeballing an Olympia SGE and might need those. Thanks
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Hi Paul,
"Copeland" was a maker of small drive/v belts years ago. Not sure if they are still in business, anymore, for such small belts.
For my Olympia SKE, I measured the total outside diameter of the existing belts, their width, and the "pitch" of the spacing of the "teeth" on the belts. Used a USA on-line supplier for replacements.
If I did not have the existing belts, I would have measured the distances between the drive pulleys to come up with a guess-timate of the total belt diameter I would need and may order 2-3 sizes close to each other. Width of the pulley and distance between the "teeth" on the pulley would get me the other measurements.
I did similar for my SGE-35. It also takes 2 belts, each of a different size.
.
- •
Thread Starter- Paul1986
- Platen Punisher
Offline
- Registered: 22-12-2019
- Posts: 57
Re: Olympia Report Electric...In-Coming
Hi Pete. Good to know. Do these US suppliers have a website? Thanks
