12 Matching Annotations
  1. Oct 2024
    1. Royal KMM KMG Typewriter Feet Spacers Original Smashed Rubber Replaced by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

      Squished rubber feet spacers on the Royal standard typewriters can cause interfere with the universal bar and when they do, they'll need replacement.

      This is the same sort of interference seen on Olympia SM3s due to their squished/flattened rubber gaskets, though the symptoms are different.


      "Phoenix typewriter. Have a Royal day!" <br /> A slightly different sign off from Duane's usual... :)

    1. I’ve currently only fixed the platen and reconnected the space bar. Issue I’m having is the letters are really faint and cut off almost half way through.

      Often after you resurface a platen, it slightly changes the configuration of the platen with respect to the typeface. As a result one usually may need to do three adjustments in a specific order to get things to align properly again. These can definitely be done at home with some patience.

      Usually the order for tweaking is: * 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). 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. * On Feet adjustment (vertical adjustment so that letters are bright and clear and neither top or bottom of characters are too light/faint) Repair shops will often type /// or a variety of characters with longer ascenders/descenders to make sure that the type is clear from top to bottom. * Motion adjustment (the lower and upper case letters are at the same level with respect to each other) The best way to test this is to type a center character like HHHhhhHHH to see if they line up on the bottom (the last three Hs are usually done with the Shift Lock on to make sure that's properly set).

      You can search YouTube videos for your model (or related models) and these words which may uncover someone doing a similar repair, so you have a better idea of what you're doing and where to make the adjustments.

      Here's Joe Van Cleave describing some of it in one of his early videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0AozF2Jfo0

      The general principles for most typewriters are roughly the same with slight variations depending on whether your machine is a segment shift or a carriage shift. You should roughly be able to puzzle out which screws to adjust on your particular model to get the general outcome you want.

      Related blogposts: * https://munk.org/typecast/2022/01/23/adjusting-ring-cylinder-on-a-brother-jp-1/<br /> * https://munk.org/typecast/2013/07/30/typewriter-repair-101-adjusting-vertical-typeface-alignment-segmentbasket-shift-typewriters/

      You might find a related repair manual for your machine with more detail and diagrams for these adjustments via the Typewriter Database or on Richard Polt's typewriter site.

      For those not mechanically inclined you may be better off taking it onto a repair shop for a quick adjustment. https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html 

      Reply to u/Acethease at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1d76ygx/got_a_as_a_gift_corona_3_recentlyish_and_i_need/

  2. Jul 2024
    1. Adjustment screw for the Olympia SM3 on feet shift set up is just to the side of the ribbon spool/cup. Gerren indicates that he's never been able to do this adjustment properly with the typewriter body on, so it's much easier to do with it off.

      The bottom adjustment point (through the side of the frame) allows one to set the base line for the on foot for the lower case letters while the top one sets the upper case.


      Gerren credits Phoenix Typewriter for most of the material he's learned in terms of fixing typewriters.

      Bill at Philly Typewriter has an apprentice program, but there aren't many shops that do this. (Gerren makes a joke that it's free (child) labor.)


      Trip point adjustments

      The trip point is the point at which the typebar trips the movement of the escapement.

      The adjustment point for it is reachable by removing the small protecting plate on the bottom at the back of the machine. The escapement trigger is just underneath it.

      The lower one (top if the machine is upside down) is for the lower case; the top one is for the upper case.

      Screwing the screw in will cause the trip to occur sooner.


      Spacebar adjustment mechanisms [13:00]

      There are two, one set in the front of the bottom of the typewriter and two screws in the back, right near the escapement.

      If the spacebar is hit too many times while cleaning and repairing, the spacebar won't work properly and will need some minor adjustment when the body is put back on.


      He shows at the end how to remove the keytops of the individual keys.


      The final check is the shift lock mechanism to make sure its aligned properly.

  3. May 2024
  4. Apr 2024
    1. If you plan on setting on your desk, unscrew the bottom plate and scrape off the hardened rubber feet and super glue some new ones on. I get the clear rubber kind from Ace Hardware (Part No. 5182381).

      Hermes Rocket feet repair advice.

  5. Mar 2024