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- Tjmack99
- New Member
Offline - Registered: 17-4-2015
- Posts: 11
Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
I recently purchased an Adler J3 and it suffered some damage during shipment. It was packed in its case, which was packed in a cardboard box, and that box was packed inside another box. No bubble pack though. Some damage was obvious, the plastic tips on the adjustment levers were broken off. "Before" pictures from the listing showed no such damage. Operationally, it's not as clear where I should look for damage. I'n not very familiar with what the innards "should" look like, so when I inspect it, nothing looks obviously wrong. One exception is the spacebar linkage. The rod moves when I press the space bar, but the other end is not attached to anything, so nothing further happens when it's pressed. Additionally, the carriage does not advance when typing (but will move back the other way) and the shift key does not raise the carriage. The drawband is in place and not loose. The seller states that it was fully functional before shipping.My questions is: Are there key ares that I should focus my attention on when trying to repair? Meaning, would the damage I describe lead you to focus on a specific area? Maybe something just came out of alignment when it was dropped? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
- KatLondon
- Key Master
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- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
Hi, TJMack. I really suggest you go to the Type Talk section of this forum and read the long thread called 'Another typewriter destroyed in the post'. This is a big, longstanding issue with just about everyone here.
- Tjmack99
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- Posts: 11
Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
Thanks, I did read the thread. It's disheartening to see how common this is. On the upside, I would imagine that with this many events, the most common areas of damage would also be well know to the forum. All I'm looking for is a small head start with where I should focus my attention when looking for the source of the damage I've described.
Thanks again
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Thread Starter- KatLondon
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Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
Hi, well to me it sounds as if you have identified the areas of damage: the escapement is trashed, like what happened on my SM5. The escapement is the very delicate - and full of sharp edges - system of gears that makes the carriage go along. The space bar and shift key, as you say, are somehow disconnected, or jammed, or maybe just immobilised by whatever it is that's jammed or bent or sheared off or whatever.
It is indeed very depressing, and several typewriter repairmen have told me that the number one cause of broken typewriters is eBay sellers not packing them adequately. I try to stick to local (ish) sellers whenever possible.
The best system of action I can suggest on your part, given how utterly inadequately the machine was packed, would be to try and get a refund. This is the conclusion that that long thread came to, too. It isn't sounding like something you can fix yourself, and even a repairman may only be able to do it if he has access to the right replacement parts, and it will be a lot more expensive than just buying another Adler.
Last edited by KatLondon (20-4-2015 18:01:11)
- malole
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- From: East Anglia, UK
- Registered: 02-6-2014
- Posts: 330
Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
I think I would go down the refund route as well. That was seriously sloppy packing, even if it was "double boxed". Disheartening to unpack a trashed machine, but when get another Adler - and in good nick, you won't mind so much about this one. Do you have any other typewriters? I hope this wasn't your first - and if it was, that it won't put you off.
- Tjmack99
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Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
Thanks to everyone for the responses, condolances, etc. I really should have known better, having previously been a collector (accumulator, really) of old telephones. Proper packing was always an issue there as well. The Adler was my first typewriter since ~1980, when we had a nondescript electric model at home. I had actually just bid on an Olympia SM3 when the Adler arrived, so I had just enough time to ask the seller to please pack it properly. It arrived with bubble wrap over the top of the machine, in its case. It was in a box that was packed with bubble wrap, and that was in another box also packed with bubble wrap. So, far so good!
Cheers
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Thread Starter- KatLondon
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- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
And the SM3 is a really wonderful machine. How's it going now? Picture?
- Tjmack99
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- Registered: 17-4-2015
- Posts: 11
Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
So far so good, thanks for asking. Everything seems functional, now I just need to clean the dickens out of it!
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Thread Starter- KatLondon
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- Registered: 11-10-2014
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Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
Ah, very pretty! If I had to choose which one of these two would arrive in good condition I'd definitely choose this one. It'll be lovely.
- KatLondon
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Re: Adler dropped during shipping - what damage to look for?
(Careful cleaning that crinkle paint, but I guess you know that...)
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