https://www.facebook.com/groups/olympiasg1/posts/1506621080656301/

also:

Greg Riutzel:<br /> That's how I see it. I measured it once. I put the ribbon in stencil, typed a lower case "h" and marked approx where the top of the type slug was on the paper. Then repeated with an upper case "H". The marks were just a tad over 7.5 mm apart checking with a rule. No precision of course but close.

The number printed on the ring in the basket of Olympia typewriters, just above and to the left of the word "De Luxe" is the distance from the baseline of the bottom slug character to the baseline of the top slug character.

In many instances it will be 7.6. I'm curious what other typefaces show and if this thesis holds?

The slugs are the metal pieces at the ends of the assemblies that start at the tops of the keys and go through the key levers attach to the segment (the semi-circular metal comb-like part in the "basket") via the typebars. The slugs are the ones that have the backward characters on them and when they hit the ribbon cause the letters to be applied to the paper. Over time the small loops of the characters can get filled with dust, dirt, ink, and bits of ribbon and as a result the type on your page isn't as crisp and good looking as you'd like.

Here's a handful of videos with a variety of methods for cleaning one's slugs: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s8tE6P0YMQ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgSAS45WGI0 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGipBLA5Eo

You'll notice that for the day-to-day cleaning that people are using kneadable erasers, silly putty, or products like Bergeon Rodico 6033-1 as cleaning compounds for pulling ink and dust out quickly.

There are some good basics and a great glossary in Hints for a Happy Typewriter: https://typewriterdatabase.com/1983-Hints4HappyTypewriter.index.manual

I've also collected some great mid-century short films on use and basic maintenance here: https://boffosocko.com/2025/06/06/typewriter-use-and-maintenance-for-beginning-to-intermediate-typists/

Other resources you might find interesting: https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/

reply to u/DatLonerGirl at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1o33p7n/when_was_the_last_time_you_cleaned_your_slugs/

Soldering Typeface to Typebar & Use of Type Gauge S-221<br /> by [[Ted Munk]]<br /> accessed on 2025-08-05T07:58:31

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ko6mbi/olivetti_typefaces/

Hulse Manufacturing Co.<br /> 15 Lewis Street<br /> Geneva, NY

manufactured steel type for typewriters, adding machines, check protectors, etc.

https://discord.com/channels/639936208734126107/639939010541649951/1288998274916683886

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