1 of 1- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
I have been neglecting my LC Smith #8 for the past five months. It's been sitting on my floor with some of it's parts in a plastic bag in its typebasket ever since I gave up on trying to fix the mainspring. The universal bar that trips the mainspring is also broken now too. It's breakin' my heart everytime I look at it, which is 5 times a day. I even tripped over it a few times. The worst part is that it's all my fault. So now I have decided to give it another chance and fix it. But since everything is in a hard to reach spot, I have to take everything apart. Well just the carriage and the top part of the machine. What are some reccomendations for keeping track of everything and making sure that I can actually put it back together?
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 640
Re: Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
If the video is too difficult, what with having only two hands or having to move a tripod all the time, take still pics in good focus of all detail places that you work on.
Work over a large, soft, white surface so dropped screws, balls, and springs won't bounce too far and are easy to see.
When removing a part, immediately put the screws back in their original holes.
If it is impractical to replace screws in their holes, punch them into a piece of cardboard in rough relationship to the locations they came out of or if they are too small to punch into cardboard then tape them down, in both cases with written notes about where they go or what they do. Keep the smaller springs on tape.
As pieces come off, lay them in a clear space on your workspace in the order that they came off so you will be comfortable about putting them back in correct order.
Avoid large or loose cuffs or bracelets on your arms so they don't brush parts out of order or on to the floor.
Be sure that the screwdrivers fit securely; it's best to use machinists' or gunsmiths' hollow ground screwdrivers rather than household or carpenters' wedge-shaped ones.
Some other stuff that I'm not thinking of right now....
Last edited by M. Höhne (21-7-2015 10:13:26)
- ztyper
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
Well folks, I've got some sad news.
I finally got access to the mainspring and the spring itself is broken. The part that connected to the drum has snapped off and I can't really pull it out quite yet.
Should I just keep the machine for parts, or try to drill a new hole to reattach the spring?
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- •
Thread Starter- malole
- Inactive Account
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- From: East Anglia, UK
- Registered: 02-6-2014
- Posts: 330
Re: Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
Ach, sorry to hear that. Having just spent a day with a recalcitrant machine, I know how infuriating that must be. But don't give up. If you do drill a hole, I'd get a second pair of hands to tackle it - actually, I'd ask someone else to please do it for me. But it's not a totally impossible task. Says she, never having done it. Good luck, Bonne Chance!
- Mech
- Touch Typist
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- From: California
- Registered: 06-4-2015
- Posts: 109
Re: Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
M. Höhne wrote:
Work over a large, soft, white surface so dropped screws, balls, and springs won't bounce too far and are easy to see.
This is great advice - I may have to find something soft and white to put under my work bench.
- Mech
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- Registered: 06-4-2015
- Posts: 109
Re: Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
Should I just keep the machine for parts, or try to drill a new hole to reattach the spring?
I would try to fix it. It could be an interesting project.
I fixed a mainspring on an Oliver and it wasn't bad because of the mainspring's accessibility and anchoring set up. The LC Smith is probably a bit more tricky.
Also, depending on how your universal bar is broken, you may be able to use JB Weld Steelstik for the repair. I have had good, permanent results with it if I've prepared the broken pieces properly (sanding and cleaning thoroughly).
If you need reference photos, I have a mostly functional LC Smith 8.
Last edited by Mech (24-7-2015 12:30:13)
- thetypewriterman
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- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 925
Re: Partial large dis-assembly of an LC Smith
Drilling a new hole in the mainspring is not a problem. However, you will need to soften the end of the spring before you can drill it. Put the last inch of the spring into a flame (blowlamp or similar) until it begins to glow a dull red. Remove the spring slowly so that the temperature drops slowly and allow it to cool down. Do not quench the spring in water etc. - it will re-harden if you do. It will now be soft enough to make a mark with a centre punch where you want the hole to be. An automatic centre punch is good for this if you have one - it saves you needing three hands to hold the spring down, hold the punch and hit it with a hammer all at the same time. I recommend drilling the hole with a very small drill bit and a hand drill so that you can stop and check your progress easily. Enlarge the hole with progressively larger drill bits until you get the size you want. If you need to produce a square hole, use a needle file to shape the round hole. Compare with the broken-off spring end to make sure that it is the same. Good Luck !
