Typewriter Talk / Smith Premier #4 Restoration Progress

**Posted by colrehogan** 16-6-2017 23:45:10

Well, I searched on You Tube and found a video about how to remove the platen. It showed me what the ribbon looked like when properly fed. It will take me a while to clean the keys on this machine properly. But, it does type and function. The platen is hard and full of impressions. The feed roller has a big flat spot, and the paper fingers are made of rolled up tape.

**Posted by Meccanoid** 25-7-2017 14:40:56

This is a very beautiful machine and a well done restoration.

**Posted by colrehogan** 28-8-2017 15:00:43

Mine is getting closer to working except for the piece of metal beneath the line space lever which is still broken. Back to the shop it went this morning.

**Posted by echan** 26-9-2017 23:56:26

I am so impressed with all your work on restoring these Smith Premier up-strike machines. I got a no. 1 in rough shape, and have been busy scrubbing it. The escapement was jammed up, and so I had to pop off the back. Welp, now I don't know how to get it back in. Any advice on getting all the rods into the pegs again? Also, I'm in the market for a replacement ribbon (who makes them these days?) and some feet as well.
I feel like I may have started something I can't finish . . .
-Eric

**Posted by Markmotown** 30-9-2017 10:50:03

I picked up some of the wide ribbon for the Smith Premier from DeBarth. Luckily, their shop is only about a half hour drive for me. (And if you're in NJ, it could be a quick trip for you, too!) Otherwise, you can look them up online... http://www.debarth.org/IndexForVintageClassicTypewriterRibbons.htm

**Posted by SoucekFan** 30-9-2017 22:59:24

Markmotown wrote:
I picked up some of the wide ribbon for the Smith Premier from DeBarth.

The wide ribbon you bought that he sells for antique machines, like the Smith Premier, does it look like it was manufactured in that width or is it cut from something like time clock ribbon? I am not sure if you can tell by looking at it, or if you happen to know. Does it fray at all on the sides?

**Posted by Markmotown** 02-10-2017 06:45:06

It is manufactured in that width. They have like eight (immaculate) functioning Smith Premiers in the store, so I got to experience how the ribbon works on a machine more clean and complete than mine.

**Posted by SoucekFan** 02-10-2017 11:41:05

Thanks for the info. I think I may opt for that when I get around to changing the ribbon in my #2.

**Posted by mre12ax7** 02-10-2017 14:52:03

echan wrote:
I am so impressed with all your work on restoring these Smith Premier up-strike machines. I got a no. 1 in rough shape, and have been busy scrubbing it. The escapement was jammed up, and so I had to pop off the back. Welp, now I don't know how to get it back in. Any advice on getting all the rods into the pegs again? Also, I'm in the market for a replacement ribbon (who makes them these days?) and some feet as well.
I feel like I may have started something I can't finish . . .
-Eric

The first thing that anyone learns about the Smith Premier is to never take apart the keyboard. This is what you have done. It is a very hard process to reassemble the keyboard on Smith Premiers but TypewriterGuy here on the forum has done it before and I think that he has a method.

**Posted by echan** 04-10-2017 23:47:08

Yes, I am in a world of pain now I kind of had to take off the back though, since the escapement (if you can call it that) was entirely jammed. One of the arms was rusted solid, and the carriage would not advance. Solved that problem (with evaporust, steel wool, synthetic oil, persistence) and now I have another one. I think I'm going to fashion some spacers to hold the bars in the correct position so I can slide the back on. Another problem is that some of the springs have popped free. I suppose the only way to get those back in place is to use the equivalent of dental tools?
It's nice to have a support group that is working on more or less the same machine. Thanks for the tip about ribbons!
-Eric