SCM Electric Typewriters by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Tips for cleaning the Smith-Corona 6 series electric typewriters and details about how they work.

S-C also made this series of typewriter for both Sears and Singer under their branding. (including the Singer Electric in this video.)

The belts on the electric motor and cams was originally a rubber 'V' belt which is no longer manufactured. Using 1/8" round cross-section o-rings of appropriate sizes (for water cannister applications) is the recommended replacement, however one may need to slightly move the drive motor down a bit so that the belt doesn't hit the frame of the typewriter and thereby destroying it over time.

Cleaning and lubricating the drive motors and moving pieces before using may help before trying out a typewriter which has been sitting for long periods of time.

Some later models had an electric return, which can tend to be violent. Electro 220 and Coronet Automatic 12 have an additional clutch and draw band (and lack of return lever on the carriage) for their electric returns.

Smith Corona Typewriter Type Bar Link Clevis Repair Broken Key by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

The long, thin spring-loaded metal flap labeled the "paper conductor" on the SM3 and SM4 and labeled the "erasing table" on the SM2 are all the same part. They serve a few functions.

They can be used for erasing mistakes certainly and help to keep dust and debris from going into the carriage and rollers.

The "paper conductor" description sounds like a fun translation of something from German into English, but this part also prevents the paper which goes under the paper bail and forces it up and back to the paper table and the paper support. Presumably without it, a slightly curved piece of paper might be misrouted to go right back into the platen a second time as the paper advances.

This sort of paper conductor/dust shield can also be found on some later 1960s+ Smith-Corona (SCM) machines. For example, see the Galaxie II which calls that part the erasure table.

Correcting Bad Typing Habits with the Smith Corona Electric Typewriter 63024 by [[PeriscopeFilm]]

Motion should happen only at the level of the fingers and not at the wrist or even the arms. Type only with your fingers and not your wrists or arms.

Allow the carriage to glide to complete the carriage return rather than wasting addition time and energy on pushing it all the way. Let the momentum do the work.

Use the paper release when removing letters to reduce wear on your rollers and prevent ripping of the paper.

See also at https://stock.periscopefilm.com/63024-correcting-bad-typing-habits-with-the-smith-corona-electric-typewriter/

Drop the paper into the top of the platen and against the paper guide to improve alignment can save time.

Setting the right hand margin will help save huge amounts of time from the transcriptionist looking back and forth to get proper margins otherwise.

Using correct typing for numerals will speed up typing numbers as well.

For the top tabulator, use your index fingers alternately instead of hitting it with your entire hand.

Hugging the keys with your fingers allows you to type faster, much like a drummer keeps the sticks closer to the drumhead when drumming quickly.

For the Electra Series of Smith-Corona typewriters, the Electra 120 and 220 had 12" platens while the Electra 110 and 210 had 10" platens. Similarly the 110 and 120 had manual carriage returns while the 210 and 220 had automatic carriage returns. (00:53)

Jeweled main bearing on the escapement is what Smith-Corona is talking about in their branded "Jeweled escapements". (2:26)

Smith-Corona electric typewriters were designed to be turned on and run all day. As a result, old machines which have v-belts with odd grooves in them from sitting so long will sometimes have a recurring thump sound. This can be remedied by running the machine for several hours at which point the belt will warm up and remove the crease. Naturally, one might also remove the belt, warm it up using other means as a method of removing age-related creasing.

Smith-Corona Electra 220 Typewriter Review by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Some details about the internal motor workings of SCM electric typewriters.

reply to u/Ill_Tear8308

Not so much that they're proprietary, but the Zephyr, Skyriter, and later Corsairs used the 1 5/8" diameter spools, which fit about 12 yards of ribbon versus the more common universal 2" spools which will hold 16 yards of ribbon.

1/2" wide ribbon should work on this. Sellers include: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-faq.html#q1

If you wind it onto pre-existing spools keep in mind that Smith-Coronas typically used eyelets in the ribbon to effect the auto-ribbon reverse, though you could certainly do it manually if you needed to.

There aren't a lot of examples of Empire-Coronas in the typewriter database, so be sure to include your example with photos:

https://typewriterdatabase.com/empire.24.typewriter-serial-number-database

https://typewriterdatabase.com/Empire.-Corona+Skyriter.24.bmys

reply to u/HenRoRo61

Earlier today, in a now-deleted post, someone had posted a question about identifying one of Helen Keller's typewriters based on this video in her archive.

Having done some initial digging, I thought I'd share some of the details I've found for those who may find it interesting.

According to researcher Richard Polt, Helen Keller was known to use both a Hammond and an L.C. Smith no. 5.

As for the Remington Noiseless, it definitely appears to be a mid-century Noiseless Standard with a tabulator. To know the year, you'd need either the specific serial number (to cross check https://typewriterdatabase.com/remington.42.typewriter-serial-number-database) or you'd need many more examples than the Typewriter Database currently has listed under the generic Remington Noiseless.

If you're careful at looking at the design choices and changes in some of the Remington Portables from that time period which would have likely tracked the design changes of their desktop standards, you might be able to extrapolate a closer dating based on the styling, but this will still only give you a dating within a year or so.

The tabulator was at the top of the keyboard by 1937, so you can probably presume it was a model from that point or thereafter until 1954. Most American typewriter manufacturers didn't make machines from '41-45 due to WWII, so you can discard those dates. Remington had moved into thicker/taller plastic keys by the early 1950s, so I would guess her machine was more likely from the late 1940s.

Looking more closely at the Remington Noiseless 10, I'd suggest that this is the most likely set of candidates, particularly in the timeframe of 1946-1947. Hers obviously had the openings in the rear and had the metal covers on the sides (as opposed to glass found on some models). Comparing hers in the film to some of these individual galleries may help to narrow things down with respect to dating.

Perhaps others with more Remington Standard experience, may be able to narrow things down here.

The appraisal of her Remington Noiseless in 1957 was $135.00.

One might find some close noiseless models in the $20-40 range + shipping (these are about 30 pounds and will cost about $35 for shipping) via ShopGoodwill.com. Here are some recent sales for comparison. Based on the video you'll want the bigger, heavier ones (25+ pounds) rather than the smaller portables with cases (usually under 20 pounds). Generally machines purchased this way are reasonably functional, but usually need some cleaning and work to be restored to full functionality.

Unless you're sure they're being sold by repair shops and have been cleaned and are fully functional, don't overspend on potential exemplars on sites like Etsy or eBay which are likely to be only marginally better (aka dusted off) than ShopGoodwill machines, but at 5-10x the price.

Hellen Keller's brailler: https://www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive?a=d&d=A-HK08-B049-183&e=-------en-20--1--txt--typewriter------3-7-6-5-3--------------0-1

She apparently owned a \~1938 or 1939 Corona Silent as well: https://www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive?a=d&d=A-HK08-B045-184.1.1&srpos=19&e=-------en-20--1--txt--typewriter------3-7-6-5-3--------------0-1

One might have some luck trying to find a Corona Silent typewriter from that era, but the unique color is going to put a machine like it into the $100-200 range (at a minimum and potentially going up from there depending on the condition) unless you get lucky at a garage sale somewhere.

[Repo Men (2010) - Death by Typewriter Scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnq1Q0JMfS8

https://www.mortati.com/glusker/marchant/scmstory/p3.htm

In the video for Walk on Water (2017), a song about art, aging, self-doubt, insecurity, criticism, and creativity, Eminem and his various clones use SMC Classic 12 typewriters to type random words in a nod to Émile Borel's 1913 analogy of dactylographic monkeys with respect to statistical mechanics.

The video closes with Eminem showing typed evidence of his creative genius: "So me and you are not alike / Bitch, I wrote 'Stan'".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryr75N0nki0

Notice the overlap of the dactylographic monkey idea and the creation of combinatorial creativity in Eminem's zettelkasten practice. The fact that he's brilliant enough to have created Stan (2000) is evidence that he's not just a random monkey, but that there is some directed thought and creativity which he has tacitly created during his career. https://boffosocko.com/2021/08/10/55794555/

Smith-Corona typewriters generally have either Hulse or RaRo slugs.

Both used the number "1" as their code for their Standard Pica typefaces.

Hulse slug pattern:

RaRo slug pattern:

via Pelicram at https://discord.com/channels/639936208734126107/639939010541649951/1289001269712916595

If the "Hanks Effect" was really so prominent, then we should see the commensurate rise in price of 5 Series Smith Coronas and particularly the Clipper and the Silent which he's also mentioned several times. In fact, he's said these would be the typewriter he'd keep if he had to get rid of all others. Given this fact, it has to be, in part, a variety of other factors which inflates the prices.

Personally I think that it's a combination of the fact that they were manufactured at the peak of typewriter use and manufacturing and before companies began using more plastic and cheaper manufacturing methods, but were also done in a later timeperiod when exterior design and color were on the rise as a differentiator in the marketplace. Quality, form, and function become part of a trifecta which drive desire and collectability.

Smith Corona Manual Vintage Typewriter Main Spring Removal Flush and Re-Lube Draw Band Attached by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Duane puts a few drops of red oil on the mainspring of typewriters as a lubricant before blowing it out to thin it down.

Here he demonstrates how to re-tension the mainspring of a Smith-Corona typewriter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074SV5WTX

Drive belts u/NisKildegaard recommends for SMC electric typewriters. via https://new.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1f7mhz6/comment/llb1peu/

Song: Carmelita<br /> By: Warren Zevon<br /> 1976-05-18

https://genius.com/Warren-zevon-carmelita-lyrics

Smith Corona Vintage Typewriter 5 Series Draw Band Install Mainspring Connection Wind Tighten by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Smith-Corona 5 series drawband and mainstring attachment and tightening.

https://willowcreektypewriters.com/products/jeweled-escapement-sticker

Around 1960 Smith-Corona bought out British Typewriters Ltd. (aka Empire) in West Bromwich, England and used the plant to make a version of the Smith-Corona Skyriter which they sold under the Empire name.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/09/11/playing-with-ire/

1968 – Smith-Corona SCM Typewriter Typestyles and Keyboards by [[Theodore Munk]]

1954 Smith-Corona (SCM) Typewriter Type Styles and Keyboards Catalog – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

Smith-Corona (SCM) Font Styles – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

My first "ultra-portable" (Skyriter 1955) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

55 had an integral cover versus later versions which had bags.

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 143: Rocket Versus Skyriter by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 121: SCM Skyriter by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Joe likes this better than the Hermes Rocket. Solid ultra portable.

Most Smith-Coronas in the 40s and 50s have similar ribbon set ups. Hopefully this photo and description will help:

(Alt Text) Smith-Corona typewriter ribbon thread sample. A view into the type basket with the hood of the typewriter raised showing the ribbon coming out of a spool on the left, through a black ribbon guide (which actuates the autoswitch when the eyelet at the end of a spool gets stuck between it and the spool) next to the spool cup, and then into the two metal guides of the ribbon vibrator on either side of the the typing point. A silver pen's tip is pointing to the ribbon guide next to the spool cup at about the point where an eyelet clipped onto the middle of the end of a length of a ribbon would trip the ribbon auto switch.

If your ribbon auto-switch isn't working one can usually switch the direction manually with the ribbon reverse lever usually found on the front left side of most machines.

To speed up changing the ribbon on many machines, it can often help to switch the color selector to the red setting and then simultaneously press the G and H keys gently so that they're stuck together almost at the typing point which will raise the ribbon vibrator and make accessing the slots for threading the ribbon easier. Once the ribbon is installed, release the G and H typebars and select the correct color setting for the portion of the ribbon you want to use.

Patti Smith used a late 60s or early 70s Smith-Corona (SCM) portable typewriter.

Source: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

link to: https://hypothes.is/a/e-zWRgHOEe-cIEt7dzry5A

https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2022/06/searing-cutlass-typewriter-in-taylor.html

https://typewriterdatabase.com/smithcorona.86.typewriter-serial-number-database

Friday<br /> 7 July <br /> 2017

Lee,

You are a wise and brave man. This 1930's era Smith- corona Clipper will last you for the ages..

Happy to have served you...<br /> /s<br /> Tom Hanks

Hanks wrote this letter to an interviewer who purchased one. Lost here on the viewer is the fact that the Clipper wasn't manufactured until 1946...

This is what I would suggest: if you wanted the perfect typewriter that will last forever that would be a great conversation piece, I'd say get the Smith-Corona Clipper. That will be as satisfying a typing experience as you will ever have. —Tom Hanks on CBS Sunday Morning: "Tom Hanks, Typewriter Enthusiast" at 07:30

—Tom Hanks in TribLive 2020-05-22 at https://web.archive.org/web/20200522085215/https://archive.triblive.com/aande/books/tom-hanks-on-his-love-of-typewriters-and-the-free-press/

I've seen several sites and listings for Smith-Corona typewriters which mention this interview quote.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1947-smith-corona-clipper.15249.typewriter