Typewriter Talk / Facit Privat and wheel

**Posted by thetypewriter** 22-12-2022 15:18:25

Hi everyone,

I bought a Facit Privat recently to have a a project. The main problem is that the carriage is not moving so I've been doing a thorough cleaning. But today, I discovered another thing, The right wheel is not spinning when typing.

The "connection" between the spring and when are too wide. It's like you'd need to push the wheel closer to the spring that moves it. Plus the right one is hard as a rock, but the left one is not.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

Best regards,
Tobias

**Posted by skywatcher** 22-12-2022 17:59:24

Hi TTW

Your typewriter appears to be working correctly. The wheel to which you refer is the ribbon spool platform and is part of the ribbon advance system. In your short video, the system is effectively moving the ribbon from right to left. Only the take-up spool turns when keys are pressed, the other spool is allowed to rotate freely to feed ribbon off to the take-up spool.

If you look just above the spool platforms, you will see what looks like a small fork. The ribbon passes through both of these forks as it travels from one side to the other. The ribbon for these machines should be fitted with an eyelet about 6" from each end. When the eyelet reaches the fork, the fork is pushed sideways changing the direction of ribbon travel. Move the right fork towards the left until it clicks over (about ½") and try typing again. You should find that the right spool platform turns clockwise and the left spool spins freely. Hope this points you in the right direction,

Sky

**Posted by Pete E.** 22-12-2022 18:02:31

Tobias,

It is also possible that your left-side spool gear mechanism is "frozen" in place with the old Facit factory grease that turns into candle-wax with age. Good cleaning of that might free it up.
.

**Posted by Pete E.** 22-12-2022 18:12:52

Three (3) photos to follow :

Photo # 1 - Left-side spool is selected to be the active (i.e. the driving) mechanism.

Photo # 2 - Shows the 2 small levers that interact with the toothed sprocket. This is "at rest" when a key top is not pressed. See position of the top lever (circled in green) and the bottom lever (circled in red). The top lever is clear of the sprocket teeth and the bottom lever is engaged with the teeth.

Photo # 3 - Shows the position of both of these small levers when a key-top is activated and striking the platen. The top lever is now engaged with the sprocket teeth and the bottom lever is now clear of the teeth.
.

**Posted by thetypewriter** 23-12-2022 04:42:53

I found a switch yesterday that made the left one work. But is one of the wheels supposed to be hard as a rock and one moving freely? Or are both of them supposed to be spinning freely?

Many thanks for your help and pardon my rookieness!

**Posted by Pete E.** 23-12-2022 08:43:15

Hi Tobias,

The "active" spool should still move freely but with some resistance as it ratchets through the toothed sprocket. The other spool should free-wheel.

And when the ribbon is reversed, the spinning action of the two spools should just switch to the opposite.

If you have one that is "hard as rock"...start with deep cleaning that one. I suspect it is frozen up with the old candle-wax...

That lever you discovered is the "manual" way of reversing ribbon direction...in case an owner does not want to use ribbons with metal eyelets. There should be a similar lever near the opposite spool as well. And if you look closely under the front of the segment...you will see a connecting rod tying those two lever mechanisms together.

**Posted by Pete E.** 23-12-2022 08:58:57

For really stubborn "candle wax" that my normal use of denatured alcohol will not clean out, I will carefully use some lacquer thinner. As that is a much more aggressive cleaning solvent.

But you have to be really careful with lacquer thinner as it likes to dissolve paint and eat plastic parts...so keep it away from those.

I apply lacquer thinner with a needle dispenser bottle...so I can control how much I apply and to where I want to apply it.

I get both of these solvents in quart cans in the paint department of my local hardware store.
.

**Posted by Pete E.** 23-12-2022 17:03:59

Tobias,

This YouTube video by Duane Jensen of Phoenix Typewriters in Arizona State might be of help, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs1eY231iKQ

**Posted by robmck** 24-12-2022 00:27:23

Pete, What size bottles are those? They look like 1oz or so.

**Posted by Pete E.** 24-12-2022 08:38:18

Hi Rob,

Yes...they're 1 oz. size. I only use them for lacquer thinner and another for synthetic oil.

I do empty out the one with lacquer thinner when I am done...as I think it will eventually attack the PE plastic. I may try to get a big,fat glass syringe for the lacquer thinner, eventually.

For denatured alcohol, I use bigger ones which do not have a "needle tip" applicator, though. They are 120 ml in size. And even a 250 ml or 500 ml all plastic spout for much bigger jobs.

All I got on eBay.
.