Typewriter Talk / Olivetti Linea 98....In-Coming

**Posted by Pete E.** 27-6-2024 07:43:51

Have this 197x Olivetti Linea 98 on its way to our home.

This one seems to be in very good shape and the typing sample looked good as well.

Made in the UK...iirc...Glasgow - Scotland.

More photos when typewriter spa-day is completed...
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**Posted by Pete E.** 27-6-2024 08:11:27

Good read about Olivetti in Glasgow by Robert Messenger :

https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2015/05/inside-olivetti-typewriter-factory.html
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**Posted by Shamwari** 27-6-2024 14:45:53

Congratulations, that looks interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing the spa day pictures.

Thanks for the link to Robert Messenger's post on the old Glasgow factory, some wonderful photos.

**Posted by Pete E.** 03-7-2024 19:07:19

Arrived safely. Seller did an excellent job.

This is my 4th. Standard, manual typewriter.

This one weighs in at 30.8 lbs.

Compared with my others :

* Olympia SG1 -      38.3 lbs.
* Facit T2 -                  34.5 lbs.
* Olivetti Linea 98 - 30.8 lbs.
* Royal FP -    29.4 lbs.
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**Posted by Pete E.** 04-7-2024 14:47:17

Spa-day work completed in my garage today before the afternoon heat sets in.

I cleaned around it with the carriage still on the machine. I could not see an easy way to lift off the carriage...so took the hint to clean-in-place.

If anyone know how the carriage lifts-off...I would appreciate the info. More than likely will probably call this one "clean enough".

It is a great standard typewriter on which to type. Has a light & responsive feel like my Facit T2 has.
Most cowlings are metal with some bits of plastic for trim. Very solid and heavy standard for the desk. Glad I added this one to our home.

I have two keys along the right side that are still slow to return. Will go after those with some PB Blaster in the segment-slots for these keys for a day or so. I squirted their linkages and will let it sit in the garage for a day or so and will look at cleaning the segment slot for these 2 keys a bit more, then.

Items that I sorted out included : Tab bar getting stuck on its return stroke, speed spacer key-top was crooked/bent, right & left margin sets were all gummed up.

Upper/lower case alignment was perfect and needed no attention.
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**Posted by mikeytap** 04-7-2024 18:50:44

That's quite a beast! Do you have a forklift to move it around?

**Posted by mikeytap** 04-7-2024 18:52:06

Oops, I just read your earlier entry of specs and not quite so heavy after all.

**Posted by Pete E.** 07-7-2024 14:32:40

Found a street address for the Olivetti factory in Glasgow, Scotland...at the end of the User Manual pages.

115 through 207 Summerlee Street, Glasgow E.3.

Google Map-view shows the area of the complex (I added red highlighting...).

The unusual foundation/lay-out of the current building might be a "ghost" of the design/layout of the old Italian plant in Glasgow.

Can't see the Italians being happy with some boring rectangular building complex...But this is a WAG on my part.
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**Posted by Pete E.** 09-7-2024 14:56:10

After some generous dosing with PB Blaster and airing out in the garage for nearly 1 week, I gave it a last flush with denatured alcohol to flush out the PB Blaster...and now it takes its turn on my desk for 2-3 days.
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**Posted by Shamwari** 13-7-2024 12:48:13

That looks a lovely machine. The carriage arrangement looks quite different to that for the earlier Lexikon which is very easy to remove, two screws and it's off.