SHOP TALK!! adjusting type alignment for Torpedo portable typewriters by [[Typewriter Justice]]

reply to u/Rabbits16 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1df7o2t/request_type_writer_suggestion_please/

For that budget range, pick up something cleaned and fully serviced from a nearby shop https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html

Too many resellers are pushing overpriced machines that say "works" or "may need servicing" on some online shops like ebay or Etsy for top end pricing when you can get something truly spectacular and ready for the next 50 years from a serious pro that needs the support for the same price.

As for particular machines to look at, I can't find much to fault in Joe's advice here https://youtu.be/aKMt-aCHZZk?si=CGPduwA4A3HPDm3u

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TypewriterDecalShop

Run by Paul Robert

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwMhC_klUByVGdnTTIFP6XmVdLPYwW3mC

Joe Van Cleave typewriter maintenance and repair playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtHauPh529XYHI5QNj5w9PUdi89pOXsS

Typewriter 101

Five Fairly Fun Fixes For Free by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Advice for typewriter ribbon printing, especially as silk ribbons age and more quickly gunk up the loops or letters like "e" or "a". Nylon ribbon and a thin plastic backing sheet can be helpfu.

Use of bookbinder's glue on fabric of typewriter cases, then layers of shoe polish.

General advice for replacing feet on typewriter cases.

Small incremental improvements to your typewriter can be easier and more sustainable than trying to do everything at once.

Smith-Corona 5-Series Touch Adjustment by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Royal Model "O" Typewriter Adjust Ribbon Lift for each Type Bar Lever, Works on Quite Deluxe too. by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Forming individual type bars, particularly for capital letters to get the tops to print evenly when they're more faint than other similar typefaces.

Royal QDL Quiet Deluxe Typewriter, Left Margin Stop, Alignment Adjustment, Repaired uneven edge by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

How to adjust the margin stops on a Royal Quiet De Luxe and related portable models.

If you've got heavy impressions going to the level of the backing sheet or things like your period cutting holes directly through your paper, then it's not really so much an issue of typing too hard, but your carriage is slightly out of alignment with respect to your type bars.

Your typeface shouldn't actually hit the platen when pressed (or held forward), but should just kiss the ribbon which then places the imprint onto the paper. Holding your typeslug forward against the type guide you should have just enough space to slip a piece of paper between your slug and the platen. If there isn't a tiny bit of space, your typeface will chew up your ribbon and paper over time. The typing thunk sound that typewriters make isn't the slug hitting the platen (aka cylinder), but the typebar hitting the anvil (aka ring).

The proper adjustment for fixing this is thus commonly called a ring and cylinder adjustment and how it's effected depends on whether you have a segment shift or a carriage shift machine. On many machines it requires adjusting two screws on either side of the machine. It changes the distance of platen from typeface and can prevent your making holes in the paper and/or ribbon, which isn't good. Sometimes using a simple backing sheet can remedy a bit of this distance problem, especially on platens which have hardened or shrunk slightly over time. Searching YouTube for your make/model (or similar models) will usually show you the adjustment you'll need to make to remedy these problems.

See also: https://hypothes.is/a/AegRziHnEe-Ud_stVcPQLA

Reply to u/Bitter_Rent_141 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1dnnh2n/is_this_normal/

Test typing and adjustments

• Ring and Cylinder adjustment (distance of platen from typeface; the type shouldn't touch the platen or you'll find you're imprinting on your paper, making holes in the paper and/or ribbon, which isn't good) [Interestingly Dul doesn't mention this particular adjustment]
• evenness of the letters (on feet)
• alignment between capital and lower case (motion)
• margin consistency
• line scale height
• adjust escapement "so that it's moving the proper distance both up and down to prevent skipping or missing spaces"
• adjust the height of the ribbon, this is done to make sure the entire letter is printed (and presumably so the bichrome is properly usable when available)

How A Rusty 1930s Royal Typewriter Is Professionally Restored | Refurbished | Insider

Done by Lucas Dul. Some particularly interesting portions on adjustments after restoration. He generally touches on the order of adjustments he makes, but in brief rather than completely.

https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/nabokov.jpeg via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

This photo, similar to others in the Carl Mydans series for LIFE Magazine is surely from his September 1958 photo series, though I couldn't find an original from the LIFE archive.

Nabokov, reading off of index cards in his zettelkasten, dictates to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

Notice metal strip on the back of the typewriter with small rectangular blocks. This is the Royal's tabulator set up which distinguishes the Quiet De Luxe model from the Arrow model.

The body styling of this typewriter changed in 1950 from Dreyfuss' original 1948 design. Because it's light gray it has to be from '49 or '50 as the '48 original was a black body with dark gray highlights and didn't have chrome across the front as this one does in an alternate angle.

https://images.google.com/hosted/life/2bff56953d14c9d9.html

Nabokov, reflected in a mirror off camera, dictating his writing from index cards to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

Notice the chrome on the front of the machine which is sitting in its bottom case shell.

https://images.google.com/hosted/life/c835f121c2b6ce79.html

Nabokov dictating his writing from index cards to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

https://images.google.com/hosted/life/8d0b2f02ac27973e.html

Nabokov dictating his writing from index cards to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

https://typewriterchicago.com/

Run by Lucas Dul

Typewriter 101: The ULTIMATE TYPEFACE Guide (ft. Typewriter Chicago) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

featuring Typewriter Chicago's Lucas Dul

https://www.phillytypewriter.com/parts-mfg.html#/

James Norris does 3D printing of replacement parts for typewriter restoration projects.

https://www.phillytypewriter.com/#/

https://typewriters.co.uk/

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1335701

The typewriter used on Murder, She Wrote, starring Angela Landsbury, was a black Royal standard, probably a 1940s KMM.

https://www.classictypewriter.com/typewriter-manuals

The benefits of using a typewriter to write novels and poetry. by [[Classic Typewriter]]

If Sundberg's first design was for IBM in 1955, how is he influential to Dreyfuss' 1948 typewriter design for Royal?

Carl Sundberg’s European-made Remington Portable Typewriters by [[Robert Messenger]]

https://tsesaraheverett3.wixsite.com/justmytypewriter/team-4

https://www.bullydozer-typewriters.com/en/

These have been selling at auction sites over the past several months for $45-$75 plus shipping based only on pictures and without any information at all about their working condition, so all-in you probably got a great deal. I'm just finishing up work on cleaning up a 1951 2Y series Skyriter myself, and I really like its typing action. Don't throw away the spools if it came with them as they're non-standard and slightly smaller than the ubiquitous universal spools. This being said you can buy the standard 1/2" ribbon and manually spool new ribbon onto your existing spools. Mine didn't have spools at all, but I found some replacements (with ribbon) at https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/. Take note that it's not a bichrome machine, so you can buy a single color ribbon.

There are two screws that hold the chassis of these into the bottom of their case. They're hiding just underneath the carriage. Once removed, the typewriter lifts back and up and out of the base. You'll find the serial number on the right hand side of the frame underneath the platen and can use it to date your machine with the database: https://typewriterdatabase.com/smithcorona.86.typewriter-serial-number-database. Based on appearance alone, I'd place it as a 1960 3Y series based on the color, the badging and the white keys. You can look at others' individual models and notes at https://typewriterdatabase.com/Smith+Corona.Skyriter.86.bmys. If I'm right about the date, Richard Polt has online manuals available for the 1960 as well as others at: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjumGF9NFE8 is a pretty solid cleaning primer. Searching YouTube will uncover some potential additional advice in addition to what you can find at https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html or in his book. I will say that in cleaning mine, the mineral spirits dissolved the glue holding the felt on underneath the typebars, but it was in terrible shape anyway and needed replacing. The foam strip underneath that felt came out unscathed without much effort on my part to be careful with it.

Most of the mechanics are pretty basic and easy to clean/service. Unless there's something dramatically wrong with it, you could very likely clean and service it yourself. (As an example, I had to re-slot the mechanism for the margin release which was almost too easy.) Even the mid-level repair issues for it can be easily found on YouTube if you're handy with a screwdriver (Joe Van Cleave and Phoenix Typewriter in particular have several model specific videos on the Skyriter). The platen and rollers come out fairly easy with a small screwdriver and removing one half of a spring on the back of the paper tray. This gives you great access to clean the escapement from above as well as to potentially send them off to JJ Short Associates for replacement via https://www.jjshort.com/typewriter-platen-repair.php. If you're less handy, Polt's website has a list of repair shops around the world that could clean/repair it for you.

Good luck with it. I hope you like yours as much as I like mine. They're one of the most solid and sought after ultra-portables out there.

A Tale of Two Toy Typewriters..... by [[Just My Typewriter]]

The Marx Dial Typewriter (and the Trouble with Patents) by Our Own Devices

You can certainly keep them out on shelves and rely on occasional dusting.

If they're in a dustier-than-typical room or you have compounding factors, like the presence of cats or dogs (like my German Shedder, I meant German Shepherd), and don't want to go the route of traditional fabric-like dust covers, you might consider doing a thicker plastic/acrylic cover which will give you a clear plastic layer of protection, but still show off your machines.

I live in Los Angeles and there are half a dozen places that do this sort of custom plastic work all the time for very reasonable rates. Searching for "plastic fabricator memorabilia case" along with variations of plastics (acrylic, lucite, plexiglass) should get you what you want locally. (Here's a few examples I've used in Los Angeles before to give you an idea: https://solterplastics.com/, https://www.plasticfactoryinc.com/, https://www.customacrylicproducts.com/, https://plexidisplays.com/). Search for something similar in your area for easier communication and cheaper pick up/shipping.

If you search around for companies that make plastic displays, particularly for memorabilia (baseball bats, baseball cards, etc.), you can have them design and make a custom sized clear plastic box/enclosure that will keep the dust and dirt out, but still allow you to see the machine inside. If done well it may actually make them appear more precious because you've taken the additional precaution.

Enclosed glass shelving is also a potential solution as well, but requires a larger investment and also requires more work to rotate machines out for regular use.

Most of my machines get daily use, so I'm not really using them for display or presentation purposes (except for one machine which sits on our library card catalog, but even then, it is frequently used as a standing desk, for occasional poetry by everyone in the family, or for guests who want to try their hand). I go through lots of index cards, so I'll usually temporarily protect against dust, dirt, and fur by slipping an index card on top of the hood or slightly into it to protect the segment.

But at the end of the day, as long as you haven't used WD-40 or some other lubricant on your segment and typebars (and what typewriter monster would do such barbaric things?), you should easily be able to go long periods between dustings and still have a highly functional machine. After all, who hasn't bought a machine full of dirt, dust, White Out, and eraser shavings/crumbs that still works like a dream?

It may bear brief mention for those who display their machines and forget, that you might also disengage the paper lock/paper release lever which will release the tension on your rubber rollers against the platen so that they don't go "flat" or become misshapen when not in use for long periods.

Expansion of https://hypothes.is/a/NjoVMA1REe-f47d0T4ZOkg

Reply to u/Styr0foam at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1djgjv2/how_to_display_typewriters_properly/

The Manual Library<br /> https://archive.org/details/manuals?tab=collection&query=typewriters

Typewriters:<br /> https://archive.org/search?query=%28typewriter%29+AND+-title%3A%28reading+room%29+AND+collection%3A%28manuals%29&page=2

https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html

Removing rust from typewriters

Steel wool can be useful for removing rust from keylevers and other parts on typewriters, but can leave dust/slag behind which can be a bear to clean up especially when used on typebars.

De-rusters like Evaporust can be useful, but should be tested against causing harm to other parts of a machine. Some rust removal chemicals can strip galvanization from machine parts. Olympia typewriters in particular are infamous for galvanized steel parts.

Another option can be to use a rotary tool (like a Dremel) with a wire brush head to remove rust.

Take care and be sure to use proper eye protection against dirt, dust, and chemicals when doing this sort of work. Also make sure you have proper ventilation and/or a mask to avoid breathing in dust and toxic chemicals.

Richard Polt's site has additional resources for typewriter restoration: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html

Reply to https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1da2zg6/how_do_i_remove_rust/

reply to u/baxter1207 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1da0voq/repairsclean_ups/l7jg8nl/

I'm pretty sure those exact words have escaped my lips...

Her: "I know you've got five typewriters already, and I'm not counting the one I know you're hiding underneath the bed. Which ones are you going to sell??"

Me (in my head): Where am I going to stash the 12th machine when it arrives later today? At least it's an ultraportable, so it won't take up as much space. Why is my least favorite machine that I want to sell her favorite machine? Will selling it upset the delicate typewriter balance in the house? I can always say that the typewriter coming on Tuesday is a parts machine that I'm using to repair two of the others so I can sell them. Is this how all typewriter repair shops began?

Me: I'm trying to finish up refinishing the two executive tanker desks and the filing cabinet in the garage first so I can get them out and make some space.

😁

Not sure if it may help your Typewriter Typefaces Bible project or not, but I'll mention that Marcin Wichary used the Internet Archive to collect a lot of the materials for his massive 3 volume 2023 book "Shift Happens: A Book About Keyboards": https://archive.org/details/wicharytypewriter

In addition to lots of material which he found and collected on the Archive, he added a huge number of resources, catalogs, and books which are either rare or incredibly difficult to find by uploading them to the Archive for others to potentially find and use. You and others may find it valuable and or useful to follow his pattern of uploading and storage there.

syndication link

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]]

https://munk.org/typecast/?s=fonts

The Story of Vertical Script (AKA: “Script 46 Ra”, “Oxford Script”) – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

colloquial advice

unreferenced here, so treat as colloquial

A field guide to hunting down script typewriters. by [[May Tobias-Papa]]

David McCullough’s ode to slow (and a tribute to the typewriter) by [[Steve Leveen]] on 2009-12-03

too many people want to attribute the accolades stemming from the work of a person and their process to the tools they use....

I love the setting of a "late-night garret"....

One to get rid of<br /> by [[Richard Polt]]

For yellowed glass keys on typewriters, there's usually a key top covered by a piece of paper with the key glyph on it which is sandwiched in with a small piece of glass and a metal ring that holds it down with several metal tabs underneath the key to hold it all in place. There are custom keyring pliers for quickly removing and replacing the papers which needs care not to crack the glass. Otherwise you can manually bend the metal tabs on all your key rings to remove them and replace the papers. (This is generally a LOT of work either way.) See: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1csni4d/neat_find_on_clients_kmg/

I prefer the yellowed patina of the older key papers, so I tend to leave them versus spending the time and effort to replace them.

https://www.usbtypewriter.com/products/bluetooth-usb-typewriter-conversion-kit

https://typespec.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCqcWwg5hDXgYMLRQZR3gRg

Run by https://www.reddit.com/user/Doctor_Will_Zayvus/

https://www.amsterdamtypewriter.com/en-us

https://torontotypewriters.com/

Owner? Chris?

https://reeselectronics.com/typewriter-service-department/

Helmut is an amazing engineer/repairman via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/w8viia/comment/ihrw7cg/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrobright

This process can be used to whiten yellowed plastics.

Replace the carriage string in your 1950’s Smith-Corona Silent by [[Theodore Munk]]

Removing the Platen on Mid-Century Olivetti Typewriters. by [[Dr. Typewriter - Venneburg Typewriters]]

The MASSIVE Olivetti Linea 98 (1972) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1950-remington-allnew.18856.typewriter

via Glen Crookston at https://typewriterdatabase.com/1949-remington-allnew.17706.typewriter

Adding to the Typewriter collection with a bit of first aid<br /> by [[Midcentury Clive]]

Typewriter Backing Sheets by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Backing sheets for typewriters on Meade standard typing paper.

• Construction paper - Joe's favorite
• 4 mil thick polyethylene film
• Thin typing paper
• 20lb resume paper
• 1/64" synthetic rubber sheet
• 168gsm Evolon (polyester and nylon) paper

To be more specific on solvents for beginners, potentially try mineral spirits (white spirit in UK), paint thinner, naphtha (lighter fluid), kerosene, varnish remover, PB B'laster, or carburetor or brake cleaner. Be careful as many of these are flammable and some can remove paint or decals; use all of them in a well ventilated area. You may see some recommend household variations of alcohol, but these do contain water and generally aren't very effective solvents for the types of oil/grease/dust you'll probably want to remove; professional typewriter repair shops would not use alcohol on a machine. And for those in the back, no one but a psychopath would use WD-40 on a machine's internals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjumGF9NFE8 is a pretty solid cleaning primer. Searching YouTube will uncover some potential additional advice in addition to what you can find at https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html

Good luck. That's a lovely machine!

Smith Corona 5 Series Typewriter Keyboard Adjustment for Lighter Touch Silent Super by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Taming The Tinny Typing Sound of a Brother JP-1 Typewriter (Part 3 – the Finale?) by [[Theodore Munk]]

Adjusting Ring & Cylinder on a Brother JP-1 by [[Theodore Munk]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/21zpri/what_you_should_know_before_cleaning_your/

Note the stated 33 year experience as typewriter repairman

Due to the nature of online communication, it may often be the case that typewriter collectors and their colloquial advice may drown out the more experienced and professional typewriter repair people.

Most typewriter shops did not use alcohol as it was ineffective and contained water. Industrial alcohols contained keytones and acetones that will melt plastic and remove paint.

Solvents for typewriters used in repair shops: - White mineral spirits with a squeeze bottle. (Sometimes also called Varsol, Stoddard's Formula, and possibly Inhibisol) - Naphtha (aka lighter fluid; used in Zippo lighters, and frequently seen in Europe). PB B'laster is essentially pressurized naphtha in a can. - Auto carb and brake cleaners, usually pressurized in a can. These usually have acetone in them and will melt plastic. Will remove WD-40 if accidentally used on a typewriter.

For cleaning typeslugs, one can use naphtha or mineral spirits with a brass bristle brush.

For platen cleaning try mineral spirits or fedron.

Only oil the carriage rails for the bearings or trucks.

(This is all colloquial advice, albeit with experience, so check specific facts about what certain products contain.)

should find a better reference

Example of a typewriter repairman calling a 1954 model a Royal Dreyfuss Quiet De Luxe.

While they did have some of the general design elements of Henry Dreyfuss' 1948 redesign, would one really still call them a Dreyfuss?

Ames Segment Pick, an Artisan Tool – For Sale $24.95 by Paul of Bremerton Office Machine Company

Is it telling that a typewriter shop around since 1947 only has one segment pick?

Everyone mentioned most of the usual tricks, but one.

To get your sticky typewriter keys working again, while you're flushing out the segment with your solvent of choice (lacquer thinner, paint thinner, mineral spirits, alcohol, etc.), actually move the typebars using the keys or by other means. This will help to get them moving and allow the solvent and subsequently compressed air to help flush the oil, dust, hair, etc. out of your machine. You've already got a mechanical cleaning device of sorts (the typebar itself) inside the segment, so move it while you're flushing it out!

It may take a few repeated treatments/attempts to get it all clear for all the keys, but it's far easier than taking everything apart.

reply to u/nogaesallowed at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cp75ln/how_do_you_clean_a_1mm_gap/

People were recommending all sorts of ideas and solvents here, including folded card stock, tooth brushes, floss, toothpicks, interdental brushes, wood cuticle sticks, Swiss Army knife tweezers, microbrushes, and even an ultrasonic cleaner.

https://amzn.to/3ywkwm1

Speedy Inks with typewriter ribbon with DIN spools for European typewriter spools (eg: Adler, Olympia, Adler, Facit, etc.).

12 pack for about $10.

Recommended by Joe Van Cleave

Typewriter Video Series Episode 244: Ribbon Winder by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266277055176

Typewritermuse's "Speedy Spooler"

How to Change the Platen and Feed Rollers on a Typewriter - The Smith-Corona Skyriter, Part One by [[CreateX3]]

https://www.bedlamcreations.com/custom-waterslide-decals/custom-restoration-waterslide-decals/

https://www.typewriter.wiki/index.php/Main_Page

https://www.swintec.com/

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 175: Skipping Skyriter<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Watch Phoenix Typewriter in Remington Quiet-Riter Typewriter, Skipping Letters, Adjust Escapement, Type Bar Trip

https://www.vintagetypewritershoppe.com/vintage_typewriters_21.html

https://typewriterreview.com/typewriter-marketplace/

Thank the Ribbons! by [[Daniel Marleau]]

via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-faq.html

Baco Ribbons by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

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.

Typewriter Video Series Episode 407: Remington Ten Forty by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Joe Van Cleave has used an index card with his typewriter to hold up the back of his typewriter paper on machines (the Ten Forty, for example) which lack a metal support on the back of the paper table.

The Remington Ten Forty typewriter is a half-space machine. This means that when one presses a key, for example the spacebar, the carriage advances a half space and then advances the other half space when released.

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 100: Loosen Up, Brother! by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Aligning a Montgomery Ward (Brother) Signature 511 by Bill M.

Congratulations on that beautiful machine!

Don't listen to the nay-sayers who likely have very different priorities and esthetics. If this is your machine, and you love it, then "own it".

It does look like a standard (as opposed to portable) typewriter. (Standards are often better and more robust typers due to their size and design.) Likely a Model 1 or Model 2, but I don't have specific knowledge beyond a cursory glance at the typewriter database. You can start by looking at examples of machine types and bodies at https://typewriterdatabase.com/smithcorona.86.typewriter-serial-number-database.

From there, the Model 1 says "Electric Serial Numbers Concurrent with Standard", so scroll down the page and see if you can identify a year based on a serial number you should be able to find underneath the hood. You can try https://typewriterdatabase.com/Smith+Corona.Standard.86.bmys, but I don't see any later models there, so perhaps no one has documented one before and you could be the first.

Then start with Richard Polt's site https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/ where you may likely find a manual and if you're lucky a repair manual. Surely there will be a few manuals for similar 50s standard S-C manual typewriters which should at least get you started. His site has a wealth of other information to give you pointers. His book The Typewriter Revolution (2015) has good intro chapters on cleaning, basic repair, and restoration. YouTube may have some useful videos as well. The typewriter database will have some later model S-C electric machines which you might try searching for on YouTube as well and it's highly likely that the design changes weren't so drastic that those may help you significantly.

For basic cleaning, try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjumGF9NFE8 which has some solid advice. Obviously take care with respect to getting the electrical portion of your machine wet.

I've not done any electric machines before, but if I recall, I seem to have read/heard (maybe from Tom Hanks who I know has a 50s electric Smith-Corona) that the early electrics only went as far as doing power for the keys, so it should be reasonably repairable if it doesn't work out of the box.

I'm sure you'll love it. With any luck, you'll also get some serious enjoyment and sense of accomplishment out of cleaning it up. If nothing else, it'll give you a wealth of experience in making the attempt and you can apply that to other machines if you continue collecting and typing. Some of my first machines weren't immediate "successes" until after I'd been able to tinker with others and was able to come back to them with a more experienced hand.

Have fun with it!

reply to https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cuzy04/please_can_someone_identify_this/

http://www.totallyyourtype.com/2014/01/new-handles-on-cheap.html

I've looked and looked for such a template and printer method to no avail myself. Your best bet here is probably either Avery Multi-use labels (maybe 5418 or 5428 depending on your card tabs) which have templates you can print a sheet at a time, or buying a labeler like the Brother P-touch which has a variety of different colored labels available. A third method is to line up multiple tabbed cards in your typewriter and do 3-4 at a time.

Tabbed cards are significantly more expensive than standard index cards, so if you're all in on this, I'd recommend contacting one of the manufacturers directly and buying in bulk to drive the price down. Alibaba can also be your friend here for a bulk order too. Last year I got a bulk order of 15,000 4x6" index cards for well under $0.005 per card, while the current going rate on Amazon or most office supply stores is $0.02 - $0.03/card.

Let me know if you find someone manufacturing inexpensive tabbed dividers in 1/5, 1/6, 1/7, or even 1/8 cut tabs. I'd love to buy a couple thousand of these in bulk as well.

Knowing the extra work involved in this method, I HIGHLY recommend you try it out by hand for a bit to see if it's something you'll do for more than a few months before going all-in. I've read some of Joseph Voros' work, which I understood to be theoretical only. Did he ever fully implement it himself? Before you try, you might want to read up on others' earlier work like that of Paul Otlet, Mortimer J. Adler, et al. Many here will lionize Luhmann's method, but recall that S. D. Goitein managed to take a 1/3 of the notes that Luhmann did while creating a published output a 1/3 larger than Luhmann all while using a method similar to that of Adler and company which is also very close to the method recommended by almost all academics from Jacques Barzun to Umberto Eco.

Definitely think about what you're hoping to accomplish before going straight down the rabbit hole too far.

If you do go all-in, then buying a big storage box upfront can save you a lot of time and expense, try https://boffosocko.com/2022/12/26/the-ultimate-guide-to-zettelkasten-index-card-storage/ for some ideas. My daily driver now is a 60,000+ card index from Steelcase that I picked up on the used market for $125.

LIFE. “The 102 Great Ideas: Scholars Complete a Monumental Catalog.” January 26, 1948.

Eco, Umberto. How to Write a Thesis. Translated by Caterina Mongiat Farina and Geoff Farina. 1977. Reprint, Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, 2015.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. The Modern Researcher. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2004.

Reply to u/SpacePatrician at https://www.reddit.com/r/Zettelkasten/comments/1ctsu78/blank_tabbed_4x6_cards/

It's a great thing to waste time. The secret of life is to waste time in ways that you like. —Jerry Seinfeld 6:18

Typewriter 101: THE CLEANING GUIDE! by [[Just My Typewriter]]

A solid primer for cleaning typewriters

https://typewriterfeet.com/

You can cross check the data in the typewriter database for most of the big US and European brands to see the slow merging and dying out of the typewriter through the late 60s and early 70s onward. See, for example, Royal: https://typewriterdatabase.com/royal.72.typewriter-serial-number-database which has buyouts and mergers listed at the top. The database also has a huge volume of references for how it was compiled which will give you additional history.

The early 70s saw a lot of plastic entering the space where more durable steel used to be. Most major US firms were shifting to electric after IBM in roughly 1961. Post war manufacture of machines picked up significantly in Italy, Spain, Holland, and even Wales which displaced some of the manufacturing in the US, where solid machines of the prior generation still worked and only needed servicing rather than outright replacement. (Planned obsolescence wasn't as much of a thing during the 30s and 40s, and in fact, [maintenance was heavily highlighted during the war](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocdxgkxKAKo) when most US manufacturers ceased production of most models.) Eventually Japan displaced the business followed by India (which ceased in 2009) and China. Wrexham, Wales ceased manufacture of electronic Brother typewriters in 2012.

Ever decreasing costs of materials and manufacturing, improved manufacturing technology, increased competition in the space, combined with containerized shipping, competition from computers, etc. all contributed to the cheapening of the typewriter and hastened the death of manufacturing (though not the use) of manual typewriters.

Richard Polt's The Typewriter Revolution (2015) has a "microhistory" of typewriters in chapter 2 with references to some addition histories if you're interested.

Your question about Olympia manufacture dates (and more) can be found via: https://typewriterdatabase.com/olympia.61.typewriter-serial-number-database

x over it has a good two part series about the evolution of Olympias at:

https://xoverit.blogspot.com/2015/02/olympia-sm-series-part-1-1948-1964.html

https://xoverit.blogspot.com/2015/04/olympia-sm-series-part-2-1964-1980s.html

Toaster-Typewriter – An investigation of humor in design by [[CreativeApplications.Net]]

A cross between a typewriter and a toaster that writes by toasting bread.

The toaster-typewriter is the work of [Ritika Kedia], and it forms part of her thesis in product design at the Parsons School of Design, New York. It’s written up very much from an artistic rather than a tech perspective, but it’s no less ingenious for that in the way it uses letters formed from hot wire on a clay substrate, mounted on the end of the typewriter arms in front of a toaster.<br /> —This Typewriter Types Toast by Jenny List

Bruder, Jessica. “Click, Clack, Ding! Sigh ...” The New York Times, March 30, 2011, sec. Fashion. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/fashion/31Typewriter.html.

J.J. Short Associates, Inc for Typewriter Platens, Feed Rollers, Bail Rollers, Finger Rollers, and Power Rollers https://www.jjshort.com/typewriter-platen-repair.php