Typewriter Talk / Repainting Olympia SG1 carriage

**Posted by sirius** 10-6-2019 07:31:45

Hi everyone,

I'm halfway in repainting my Olympia SG1. I already removed all metal plates on the base and am preparing them for repainting, but removing those from the carriage gives me headache. I'm not after a perfect repaint as the machine is only for my personal use, so I don't think I need a full disassembly to also paint the carriage's inside.

Specifically, take a look at the following pictures. How do I remove the metal plates 1 (left outside plate), 2 (paper rest), and 3 (right outside plate)? I started with the right plate (3) and tried to unscrew the levers, but the metallic one that moves the carriage (above circle 3) does not come off. Any help is appreciated.

**Posted by Fleetwing** 10-6-2019 21:48:11

I would love to know how to remove this lever myself -- the ball bearing detent for the line spacing mechanism popped out of one of my SG1s, and I need to remove the left side cover in order to get at the mechanism to reinstall the bearing. But the carriage release lever simply won't budge. The screw comes off, but the lever doesn't. Very frustrating.

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 11-6-2019 02:58:15

The lever is held to a tapered shaft by the end screw. My guess is that the taper has rusted. You can try : soaking in penetrating oil for a couple of days and then wiggling, since the cover is to be repainted anyway, heat from a blowlamp to release the rust (don't blue the chrome or melt any plastic parts), A sharp blow to the top of the lever with a wooden/plastic/rubber mallet to dislodge the taper. We didn't have too much trouble with these when they were used in offices, but of course many typewriters have now been stored in damp places and it is a whole different ball-game

**Posted by naolslager** 11-6-2019 21:02:54

How do you remove the platten? I cannot figure it out on my SG-1. Thanks

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 12-6-2019 02:04:37

To remove the platen on an Olympia SG-1, unscrew the right hand platen knob and pull it outwards. Unscrew the left hand platen knob - this will stay put in the machine. Pull the platen to the right off the end of the left platen knob shaft. Lift the right hand side of the platen up and out of the machine with the carriage drawn to the right to prevent damage to the line scales.

**Posted by Fleetwing** 12-6-2019 06:32:41

thetypewriterman wrote:
The lever is held to a tapered shaft by the end screw. My guess is that the taper has rusted. You can try : soaking in penetrating oil for a couple of days and then wiggling, since the cover is to be repainted anyway, heat from a blowlamp to release the rust (don't blue the chrome or melt any plastic parts), A sharp blow to the top of the lever with a wooden/plastic/rubber mallet to dislodge the taper. We didn't have too much trouble with these when they were used in offices, but of course many typewriters have now been stored in damp places and it is a whole different ball-game

Very helpful, Tom. I was wondering about the "sharp blow" part of your advice, though -- seems as though the lever is at a very specific angle, which makes me think there's some sort of slot/key that provides the correct alignment. So is whacking it at good idea?

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 12-6-2019 13:22:07

Re: Carriage Relese Levers, Olympia SG-1. Yes, you would think that there must be a slot or keyway. It would make perfect sense. But actually there isn't ! The lever has an internal taper which sits on an external taper on the shaft. In fact, when re-fitting, you need to offer the lever up into the correct position and then tighten the end screw to draw the lever back onto the shaft. Honestly, you would not be breaking a key off inside by doing what I suggest. BUT don't go too mad whacking the top of the lever. It is the speed of the blow which breaks the joint, not how hard you hit. Also, the taper may well be rusted - which as I said, would be a whole different ball-game !

**Posted by sirius** 13-6-2019 06:34:29

Thank you very much, thetypewriterman! I managed to remove the lever now by applying more force when pulling. I didn't do that before because I didn't want to damage any possible inner mechanics.

I don't have time to mess with the paper rest at the moment, but if anyone of you has tips on how to approach it, I'm still glad to hear. Thanks everyone so far!

For anyone who wants to later try this, here are pictures of how the scene looks with the lever removed. It's really as simple as thetypewriterman said: the lever has a hole and it is simply sticked on top of the little bar with the screwhole inside it that comes out of the plate. Forgive my imperfect description, but I'm not a native English speaker. Refer to thetypewriterman's explanations for more exact information.

**Posted by naolslager** 14-6-2019 17:25:51

thetypewriterman wrote:
To remove the platen on an Olympia SG-1, unscrew the right hand platen knob and pull it outwards. Unscrew the left hand platen knob - this will stay put in the machine. Pull the platen to the right off the end of the left platen knob shaft. Lift the right hand side of the platen up and out of the machine with the carriage drawn to the right to prevent damage to the line scales.

Remove the tiny screw holding the right knob on? Or do I remove the 17mm nut? I've tried both but decided to quit before I messed something up.

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 15-6-2019 02:42:51

Re: Removal of Olypia SG-1 Platen. Simply Unscrew the whole knob using your hand. You do not have to remove any nuts or screws.