1 of 1- Nero
- New Member
Offline - Registered: 08-9-2013
- Posts: 1
Advice on repairing a Hermes Baby
Hello everyone,
As you'll notice as you start reading this, I am a typewriter newbie, so please bear with me. I have a 1970's Hermes Baby, made in Brazil, and it's been in the family since new. I played wit it when I was a kid, but no one's used it for some twenty years.
Both my computers fried, and I only have this cell phone to research info on a crappy 3G connection, so I wasn't able to find a manual or a diagram of it.
I found a new ribbon that was stored for decades and decided to use the machine. It worked great for a month or so but the 'carrier' began to appear stuck while pressing the 'space' key. At first I thought it was a lubrication problem, but there was no screeching sound, or any other sound, but it was dragging noticeably and it has gotten worse.
I partially disassembled it so that I could visually inspect what was going on and noticed a small part, a roller of sorts, with a very thin line coming out of it and connectingto one of the extremities of the carrier. When I pressed 'space' or any other key for that matter, this part rolls, pulling this line or wire, bringing the carrier along.
This roller seems to have some sort of spring or something that 'winds' it, but it doesn't operate as it should anymore, which loosens the line/wire which in turn fails to pull the carrier.
I've taken a few snap shots of it, but I'm still unaware of how can I post the here (hints and tips in this regard would also be enormously appreciated). So my doubts would basically be:
A) Can the problem be really that 'winding roller' or am I missing something?;
B) if it is that roller, is there any place where I can get a spare for it, or should I try to get another typewriter of the same model to canibalize for spares?
Other than that, the typewriter works wonderfully well, and prior to that happening I was even about to order new ribbons for it.
After that is, hopefully fixed I'll still disassemble it further to give it a proper cleaning, as I am definitelly going to be using it a lot.
Well, that was it. I'm sorry for not knowing the correct names of the parts, but I'm eager to learn, as I think I've been bitten by the typewriter bug myself.
Thanks
- Shangas
- Speed Champion
Offline
- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
- Posts: 298
Re: Advice on repairing a Hermes Baby
When you type, the ratchet releases the carriage, which is pulled by the CARRIAGE-BAND, by the MAINSPRING. The carriage-band wraps around the MAINSPRING DRUM.
There are two possibilities:
1. The mainspring is broken.
2. The drawband/carriage-band is broken.
Replacing the drawband is a fiddly, but do-able process. Just find a shoelace of the right length.
Replacing the mainspring is trickier. I've never done it myself, but I understand that it can be repaired fairly simply.
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"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 900
Re: Advice on repairing a Hermes Baby
When you return the carriage, the 'line' (actually a draw-cord) winds up the spring drum (which is the part you refer to as the roller I think). Inside the spring drum is a spring like the one in a wind-up clock. As you type, the stored energy in the spring drum pulls the carriage from right to left. Since your description seems to say that the draw cord is intact and connected to both the carriage and the spring drum, but is loose and floppy, it sounds as if the spring inside the spring drum is either disconnected or broken. If you do not feel confident in dismantling it yourself to find out, and assuming that there is no-one in your area who repairs typewriters, why not ask a clock and watch repairman to take a look for you. A clock spring is nealy identical, and he will have experience in handling and replacing this type of spring. He may even be able to find a clock spring in his stock to replace the one inside the spring drum, if it is actually broken.
- paulsath
- Novice Typer
Offline
- From: Charmes la Grande, France
- Registered: 14-9-2015
- Posts: 29
Re: Advice on repairing a Hermes Baby
Hi everybody,
I have exactly the same problem. I think the spring, inside the drum should simply cleaned, beacause it's not broken, as it does its work more or less. But I am not able to unscrew it. Have you got any idea ?
Thnaks!
- Typewriterlv
- Platen Punisher
Offline
- From: Los Angeles, CA
- Registered: 25-9-2015
- Posts: 90
Re: Advice on repairing a Hermes Baby
I have nothing to offer in terms of repair advice but I have a made-in-Brazil Rocket too. Only thing wrong with it is that the color selector tab is stuck. Im using a single color ribbon right now so I'm not too concerned. It's still a great little machine especially since it's cursive! Hope you are able to fix yours soon.
