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  1. Last 7 days
    1. My quick typewriter purchasing crash course: <br /> Most typewriters are solid beasts and can take a serious beating and still work really well. I've got 5 now that I bought for $10-50 and mostly really only needed small tweaks to work perfectly. One has an issue that will require some more heavy work, but having gotten it for $10, it's not really much of an issue. Several of them worked incredibly well right out of the box with no work at all. Occasionally kids will pound on the keys which can cause the linkages to come undone, but a pair of needle nose pliers and some patience to look at the mechanics of what's not working underneath can usually get them repaired without any real work. Beyond this there's a wealth of online videos and help that can get you pretty far without paying for a repair shop. Some are just old and dusty and need a quick cleaning with compressed air and/or a toothbrush.

      Ebay can tend to have heavily overinflated prices because a lot of folks think that all typewriters are rare. A very small percentage of some of the oldest are, but generally as a group they're not. If you don't want to fool around with repair issues you can purchase machines from repair shops serviced in full working condition from $75-200, but at least you can expect that they're nearly perfect beyond some small blemishes due to age. Sadly, a lot of places will list broken machines in questionable shape for this much because they see others listing (great machines) for the same amount. Don't fall prey to this. Some of the best places to look for functional machines are donation shops (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) as well as yard sales or estate sales. Online sites like Facebook marketplace, https://shopgoodwill.com, or https://offerup.com can have inexpensive listings, but most are listed as untested because most folks don't know how to test them fully and are scared of them, but this is usually where you can find some great deals. You can also ask for typewriters on https://buynothingproject.org/ or a Facebook group for your particular area.

      If you're able to test things in person, it can help to have some blank paper or index cards and even a universal ribbon ($5-15, in case the old ribbon is missing or too old and dry to work) with you. Then you can put in paper, try out each key (with/without shift), and all the other buttons, knobs, and switches as well as the margin stops, and the bell. Most folks listing them are well aware they're not actually selling for prices over $50 and will be open for 10-25% discounts off of what they're listing them for. I will mention that I bought one machine as dirt cheap because someone had it on the stencil setting (rather than the usual black or red ribbon settings) and they didn't know that this meant it wouldn't type anything visible. A quick flip of the switch after purchase and I was on my way.

      r/typewriters is a wealth of information as are https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/index.html and https://typewriterdatabase.com/. Usually, you can't go too far wrong with one of the most popular models which are generally ranked at https://typewriterdatabase.com/popular.0.typewriter-models.

      Good luck!

  2. Mar 2024
    1. Typewriter Typefaces: Pica vs Elite, an explainer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCD69jUPps

      Pica machines (12 characters per inch) will usually have a scale up to about 80-84.

      Elite machines (10 characters per inch) will have a scale up to 100.

      On Olympia machines, script only comes in Elite sizes (scale to 100 on platen).

    1. The platen was quite hard to begin with, around 100 on the Shore A hardness scale, though it would feed two sheets reliably. The platen was cleaned and treated with methyl salicylate, which brought the hardness down to about 92, and has remained at that hardness for several months.
  3. Feb 2024
    1. Arber also suggests to Murray in this letter that he should use atypewriter. ‘I am quite certain’, he wrote, ‘that the only way to keep down thecost of corrections is to type-write the copy’, suggesting a model called theIdeal Caligraph, no. 2 price £18. Murray did read The Snake Dance of theMoquis of Arizona but he did not buy a typewriter.
  4. Dec 2023
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  9. May 2023
    1. Typewriters had switches to allow the typewriter to use different portions of the typewriter ribbon. Some were utilized to differentiate between colors on multi-colored ribbons (typically between black and red) while others allowed the use of the top or bottom of a ribbon to get more use (economy) out of them. Many also made the ribbon inoperative so that the type struck directly against a sheet to allow for stencil cutting.

      p. 12

    2. “The Remington Noiseless Way.” Remington Rand Inc., ca 1940. From the Peter Weil Typewriter Archives. https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/RemingtonNoiseless10.pdf.

    1. Typewriter Ribbon Sources:FJA Products: https://www.fjaproducts.com/ , and 1 - 800 - 982 - 9989.Baco Ribbons makes ribbons in many sizes, colors, and materials. Contact Charlene Oesch, Baco Ribbon & Supply Co., 1521 Carman Road, Ballwin,MO 63021, 314-835-9300, fax 636-394-5475, e-mail bacoribbon@sbcglobal.net.Ribbons Unlimited, https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/Default.asp, or write to lanie@ribbonsunlimited.comTony Casillo of TTS Business Products in Garden City, NY, carries many varieties of ribbon and can advise you on the correct spool, ribbon material, etc. Call 516-489-8300 or e-mail typebar@aol.com.Jay Respler of Advanced Business Machines Co. in New Jersey carries ribbons for virtually all typewriters: Phone 732-431-1464 after 11 AM Eastern,or e-mail jrespler@superlink.net."I offer nylon, cotton, silk, and all colors. I can get many odd sizes.I stock newer cartridges as well as older spools. I supply pictures of spools to help determine what the customer needs. We ship anywhere in the world."Earl De Barth, of www.debarth.org, telephone number 215-855-6851, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm ET, e-mail imanager@debarth.org,has the material for the 25 mm and wider ribbons. He has no spools, so requests that the purchaser send him a spool on which to wind the new ribbon. He can sometimes provide ribbons in colors other than black or black/red. Prices vary according to length, number of ribbons purchased, etc.Other US manufacturers are Fine Line Ribbon in Ennis, TX and Bushnell Ribbon in Santa Fe Springs, CA.. Other sources include Royal, Scantracker, ....Of course, someone will suggest Amazon and eBay but I would rather support the guys who do the work and need the support.
    1. Cleaning out a building and found this typewriter. Not in the best shape, the keys push but kind of get stuck on each other sometimes. Don’t know if or how I can fix it or what I can do with it. Looked it up; here’s one that looks like the same on eBay that looks about the same. Thoughts???? Wondering if this is a good find.

      It's got some serious Austin Powers 60s/70s swagger, but obviously will need some TLC and a new ribbon. Is it worth hundreds, even in good shape? Probably not, but I'll bet it could be cleaned up/repaired and bring someone lots of joy (either fixing it or using it regularly). YouTube has lots of starter videos of people cleaning/fixing older machines that will give you some ideas. If it's not your sort of hobby, pass it along to someone who might enjoy it, or sell it to your local repair shop or maybe on eBay for a few dollars. Someone could bring it back to life.

    1. 6N070 Smith Corona Clipper Typewriter Ribbon This is the ribbon you need for your Smith Corona Clipper typewriter.  1/2" nylon ribbon with eyelets on 2" diameter spools.  Available in vibrant colors and can be made in nylon, cotton, or silk.

      The replacement typewriter ribbon for my Smith-Corona Clipper is 1/2" nylon ribbon with eyelets on 2" diameter spools.

      https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/category-s/5415.htm

    1. I buy exclusively from Ribbons Unlimited since their products and service are superb. I have purchased from Amazon suppliers if I need a ribbon "pronto", but the biggest problem that I run into with their supplier's ribbons is the fact that they normally don't have reversing grommets installed at the end of the ribbons, and unless your machine can sense ribbon tension and reverse the ribbon, you have to reverse the ribbon direction manually. I purchased a grommet installation tool to try and capitalize on the cheap price of Amazon ribbons, but found that it's not really worth the effort (plus my hands got really "inky") - I always come back to Ribbons Unlimited.

      Some cheap typewriter ribbon spools don't have grommets on them to force auto-reverse of the spool. Without grommets, some machines may sense ribbon tension for reversal, otherwise one needs to switch direction manually.

      There are grommet installation tools that one can use, but this often requires getting one's hands dirty to install them.

      Ribbons Unlimited has a good reputation in the r/typewriters community for providing good sales and service.

    1. WD-40 for Crinkle Finish Typewriters — Does it work??

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz1t6QtARyI

      WD-40, which has paraffin wax as an ingredient, can be brushed onto the crinkle finish of a typewriter to clean it up and give it some shine. Use a rag to wipe off excess and take care not to get any in the segment comb. The difference on a generally clean typewriter appears to be negligible and primarily results in a WD-40 smell.

      Would something like Armor All work better? Car wax might also work as well. Powder coating polish could work, but it may act as a gentle abrasive as it is also meant to lift stains.

    1. Typewriter Cleaning and Repair Basics #3 Bell Fixed

      Keep in mind that some typewriters don't have hard mechanical margin stops, but rely on the user to hear the bell to know the margin is approaching and return the line manually.

      Bell hammer mechanisms may simply need to be cleaned to get them into functioning order. Dirt and grime may prevent the hammer mechanism from having enough force to strike the bell. Beyond this replacing the spring may be necessary.

    1. Typewriter Cleaning and Repair Basics #2 Type Bars, Case, and Crinkle Finish

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82O_iUAI5og


      Segment comb cleaning - isopropyl alcohol (gentler solvent) - odorless mineral spirits - Lacquer thinner (maybe a bit too aggressive) - naphtha (lighter fluid) take care for flammability and ventilation

      Work solvent into bearing between type bar and segment comb. To dry things out one can used compressed air when done or just air dry.

      If sticking keys not due to being gummed up, bend portions slightly for better alighment.

      Do not lubricate the segment comb.

      Only lubricate the carriage rails when necessary.

      Exterior cleaning

      Brass bristle or nylon bristle brushes (toothbrushes) can be used to clean the exterior of the typewriter and/or cases with mild detergents or other solvents. Depending on the finish, try the brush and solvent on a small portion to determine colorfastness and potential scratching first.

    1. Typewriter Cleaning and Repair Basics #1 Assessment and Testing

      Recommends against any lubrication on the key mechanism, just keep it clean. Lubrication in some cases may actually gum up the works and cause the keys to return slowly.

      He suggests Krud Kutter as a cleaner/degreaser.

  10. Apr 2023
    1. https://thetype.space/

      Sales, service and repair of typewriters. Also has some parts access according to some.

    1. Typewriter Tips: Budgeting (AKA How to get cheap typewriters!)

      • antique malls (look in unconventional places (like luggage))
      • estate sales (everything must go)
      • yard sales
      • auctions
      • facebook marketplace (negotiating)

      Hunting tips - look for cases, folks they often don't know what's in them or think they're luggage - look under things - negotiate<br /> - bundle items as a group to negotiate<br /> - Tell friends and you'll get an army looking for you

    1. How to Clean a Typewriter


      Rubbing alcohol or WD-40 for cleaning out light rust, oil, dirt and grime.

      Use Rem-Oil for oiling typewriters

      Toothpaste and toothbrush is great for cleaning crinkle paint on typewriters.

  11. Jul 2021
    1. "I always get my jokes down on pieces of paper right away—backs of matchbos, whatever. No one is allowed to throw a piece of paper out in my house, because on the back of a laundry list there may be a joke."

      For Joan Rivers scraps of paper, receipts, laundry lists, and matchbooks served the function as waste books. She would eventually transfer them to 3x5" index cards using a typewriter.

  12. Mar 2017
    1. i--W i - Wih - - - ffi m _.. _ e _ _ Wiii,i' _i --,.,q,q.,-.. _ _Iq]E - - - i F == F -| '

      Some of the claims for the revolutionary effect of computers on humanistic study have clearly been exaggerated or wrongly formulated. Seen from a certain point of viewm a computer, even one connected by modem or Ethernet to the Wolrd Wide Web, is, as many people would claim, no more than a glorified typewriter, though one should not underestimate the changes this glorification makes. An example is the new ease of revision, the facility with which things can be added, deleted, or moved from one place to another in a computer files as opposed to a typed manuscript. Such ease gradually encourages the adept in computer composition to think of what he or she writes as never being in quite finished form. Whatever is printed is alsways just one stage in a potentially endless process of revision, deletion, addition, and rearrangement.

  13. Jan 2016
    1. Harpers 1873 the telegraph, pp. 359-360

      Discusses the future importance of the telegraph in terms of its impact on knowledge: will free language from philology and allow us to make improvements on that. Mentions the beginnings of the typewriter.

      "The immense extension of the general telegraphic system, and its common use for business and social correspondence and the dissemination of public intelligence, are far more important to the community than any of these incidental applications of the system. The telegraph system is extending much more rapidly than the railroad system, and is probably exerting even a greater influence upon the mental development of the people than the railroad is exerting in respect to the material and physical prosperity of the country. It has penetrated almost every mind with a new sense of the vastnessof distance and the value of time. It is commonly said that it has annihilated time and space--and this is true in a sense; but in a deeper sense it has magnified both, for it has been the means of expanding vastly the inadequate conceptions which we form of space and distance, and of giving a significance to the idea of time which it never before had to the human mind. It lifts every man who reads its messages above his own little circle, gives him in a vivid flash, as it were, a view of vast distances, and tends by an irresistible influence to make him a citizen of his country and a fellow of the race as well as a member of his local community.

      In other respects its influence, though less obvious, will probably prove equally profound. So long as the mysterious force employed in the telegraph was only known in the mariner’s compass, or by scientific investigations, or in a few special processes of art, the knowledge of the electric or magnetic force had, so to speak, a very limited soil to grow in. By means of the telegraph many thousands of persons in this country are constantly employed in dealing with it practically--generating it, insulating it, manipulating it. The invention of Morse has engaged some one in every considerable town and village in studying its properties, watching its operation, and using it profitably. Nothing could be better calculated to attract general attention to this newfound power, and to disseminate that knowl edge of it from which new applications may be expected to result.

      The tendency of scientific pursuits to promote the love of truth and the habit of accuracy is strikingly illustrated in the zeal and fidelity with which the minute and long-continued investigations have been pursued that have led to the development of this new realm of knowledge and this new element in human affairs.

      But perhaps the most extended and important influence which the telegraph is destined to exert upon the human mind is that which it will ultimately work out through its influence upon language.

      Language is the instrument of thought. It is not merely a means of expression. A word is a tool for thinking, before the thinker uses it as a signal for communicating his thought. There is no good reason why it should not be free to be improved, as other implements are. Language has hitherto been regarded merely in a historical point of view, and even now philology is little more than a record of the differences in language which have separated mankind, and of the steps of development in it which each branch of the human family has pursued. And as a whole it may be said that the science of language in the hands of philologists is used to perpetuate the differences and irregularities of speech which prevail. The telegraph is silently introducing a new element, which, we may confidently predict, will one day present this subject in a different aspect. The invention of Morse has given beyond recall the pre-eminence to the Italian alphabet, and has secured the ultimate adoption through-out the world of that system or some improvement upon it. The community of intelligence, and the necessary convertibility of expression between difl‘erent languages, which the press through the influence of the telegraph is establishing, have commenced a process of assimilation, the results of which are already striking to those who carefully examine the subject. An important event transpiring in any part of the civilized world is concisely expressed in a dispatch which is immediately reproduced in five or ten or more different languages. A comparison of such dispatches with each other will show that in them the peculiar; and local idioms of each language are to a large extent discarded. The process sifts out, as it were, the characteristic peculiarities of each language, and it may be confidently said that nowhere in literature will be found a more remarkable parallelism of structure, and even of word forms, combined with equal purity and strength in each language, than in the telegraphic columns of the leading dailies of the capitals of Europe and America. A traveler in Europe, commencing the study of the language of the country where he may be, finds no reading which he can so easily master as the telegraphic news column. The telegraph is cosmopolitan, and is rapidly giving prominence to those modes of speech in which different languages resemble each other. When we add to this the fact that every step of advance made by science and the arts increases that which different languages have in common by reason of the tendency of men in these pursuits the world over to adopt a common nomenclature, and to think alike or in similar mental processes, we see the elements already at work which will ultimately relegate philology to its proper and useful place among the departments of history, and will free language from those restrictions which now forbid making any intentional improvements in it. With the general use of the telegraphic system other things begin to readjust themselves to its conditions. Short-hand writing is more cultivated now than ever before. The best reporter must understand both systems, and be able to take his notes of a conversation while it passes, and then by stepping into an office transmit it at, once without writing out. There is now in practical use in the city of New York a little instrument the size of a sewing-machine, having a keyboard like the printing telegraph, by which any one can write in print as legibly as this page, and almost as rapidly as a reporter in short-hand. When we consider the immense number of people that every day by writing a telegram and counting the words are taking a most efficient lesson in concise composition, we see in another way the influence of this invention on the strength of language. If the companies should ever adopt the system of computing all their charges by the number of letters instead of words, as indeed they do now for all cipher or unintelligible messages, the world would very quickly be considering the economic advantages of phonetic or other improved orthography.

      These processes are in operation all the world over, and in reference to the use of one and the same alphabet. By the principle which Darwin describes as natural selection short words are gaining the advantage of long words, direct forms of expression are gaining the advantage over indirect, words of precise meaning the advantage of the ambiguous, and local idioms are every where at a disadvantage. The doctrine of the Survival of the Fittest thus tends to the constant improvement and points to the ultimate unification of language.

      The idea of a common language of the world, therefore, however far in the future it may be, is no longer a dream of the poet nor a scheme of a conqueror. And it is significant of the spirit of the times that this idea, once so chimerical, should at the time we are writing find expression in the inaugural of our Chief Magistrate, in his declaration of the belief “ that our Great Maker is preparing the world in His own good time to become one nation, speaking one language, and when armies and navies will be no longer required.”