Weapon of Choice: 1978 Brother Charger 11 #K83712885 Typewriter Club LIVE: 2022-01-23 Time to make some notes in your JP-1 Repair Bible. You make notes in your Bible, right? The following pages are from the Silver-Seiko 700 Series Repair Bible, and they have a clearer explanation of the process of Ring & Cylinder/Platen Parallel and […]
On Typecaster’s Margins…
Weapon of Choice: “Cadwallader” 1963 Olympia SM7 #2335640 Weapon of Choice: “Adwoa” 1961 Swissa Junior #6102535 Weapon of Choice: 1971 Royal (Silver-Seiko) Sprite #NM 1113791 Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 4” 1968 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #C8899610 Weapon of Choice: 1925 Underwood Portable 3 Bank #147487
Typewriterdatabase Temporarily down thanks to Enom :P
NEWEST: Whoop! looks like the main “typewriterdatabase.com” domain is resolving again – due to a “short-term fix” implemented by Enom. When they verify that they have a “permanent fix” in place, I’ll switch the site’s config back to use the root domain again. (: ############# UPDATE: Site’s been down for 36 hours now, and I’ve […]
1971 Sears T.L.S – My Favorite All-Manual, All-Metal Brick Camera
Weapon of Choice: 1971 Sears T.L.S (Ricoh Singlex TLS) (M42 mount) #265613 The Sears T.L.S was a camera I had read about before finding one at the local Deseret thrift store for the standard $10 that they were charging for SLRs back a few years ago. Very well spoken of for the rock-solid metal Copal […]
Happy New Year, Typosphere Friends!
Weapon of Choice: 1978 Brother Charger 11 #K83712885
Smith-Corona Electric 5TE Typewriter Serial Numbers Updated!
Weapon of Choice: 1957 Tower Commander #5AT635929 The Previous 5TE Serial List: See: News timeline (mostly by: John Coleman, Peter Weil) https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/permalink/10158187046324678/ New York Times, Atlanta Constitution – October 10, 1956 (announcement) October 21-28, 1956 (stores begin offering limited inventory) January 27, 1957 Brazeal Typewriter Co in Springfield, MO (has one at least for display) […]
UJTU: Postcards and bustin’ out the timelapse setup
Weapon of Choice: “Joanie”: 1964 Hermes 3000 #3246554. Currently working on postcards I already owe peeps…. Finally sourced a gallon of Econ 80, so time to make more typewriter feet! This stuff has been tough to get ahold of lately thanks to supply chain issues. Typin’ up my TRS-80 T-200 Timelapse program by hand again, […]
30% Off Typewriter Repair Bibles!
I found a 30% coupon code on orders of print products at Lulu, including Typewriter Repair Bibles! Use Coupon Code: “SAVE30“. Coupon codes are case-sensitive. Ends November 29th 30th at Midnight. Stock up now! :D
The Path of Least Resistance…
Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 3” 1966 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #D6216161 Dishonorable Discharge: “Bubbles” 1960 Smith Corona Galaxie #6T 292996X Dusted off the old Tiki Lava Lamp and the 2009 Levenger David McCullough Royal KMM, liven up my Zoom backdrop :D
Fresh Feets for My 1940’s Royal Portables!
Weapon of Choice: “Moneypenny” 1948 Royal Quiet De Luxe #A-1551567 The old ones were so squished that it was hard to get the machine out of its case – the feet would get stuck in the lid detatchment mechanism. Weapon of Choice: 1940 Royal Aristocrat #B-957437 Gettin’ good use out of the tool we made […]
An OCR-A Typeface Adler and Let’s Make Our Own Royal Portable Foot Screwdriver!
Weapon of Choice: “Moroni” 1975 Adler Universal 200 #9668314 Another identical LDS-owned OCR-A Adler U200 is in the TWDB, 18,818 serials off from mine – apparently the Mormons bought a bunch of these data entry typers in 1975. 1975 Adler Universal 200 #9649496 My original purpose for going to MTE was to borrow Bill’s Royal […]
Thank you, most sincerely…
Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 3” 1966 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #D6216161 Background Typer (with newly started letter in it): “Thunderbird 4” 1968 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #C8899610 Yes, I’m still in love with my 440Ts :D New feet for Hermes HP2-58 and HP2-66, part of an order destined for a typewriter shop in Colorado. Doin’ […]
Adjusting Ribbon Lift on Hermes Rocket & Baby & Empire Aristocrat
Weapon of Choice: “Monster Scouts Field Typewriter Mark 1” 1956 Empire Aristocrat #S2/268670 Typewriter Club LIVE – Sep 26, 2021 The Hermes Baby and Rocket Typewriter Repair Bible [Printed, Coil-Bound Book] [PDF] The Service Manual covers the Left-Hand lift Bichrome mechanism, but my Aristocrat is a Right-hand single-color lift mechanism. Arrows point to the relevant […]
Asked Joe Van Cleave!
Weapon of Choice: 1962 Groma Kolibri N #N43143 Ask Joe Van Cleave 2021-09-19:
Electra Bearcat III Scanner user manual
Weapon of Choice: “Eugene”, 1970 Webster XL-747 #L0944386 I was typing a letter to Gregory during TCL this week, but he’s not getting it, at least not the physical manifestation thereof, ’till I see his next volley. Instead it does double-duty as an OTP submission… TCL – Sep 12, 2021: My 1979 Ace Scout (2b) […]
The Prism of the Mind
Weapon of Choice: “Mothra”, 1972 IBM Selectric Composer #5016537 Remember, it’s “PRISM” not “PRISON”! :D
How to Remove the Left Platen Knob on a Smith-Corona 5-Series Floating Shift
How to Remove the Left Platen Knob on a Smith-Corona 5-Series Floating Shift A TCL friend asked if I had a left platen knob for an SCM 5-Series in my spare parts, and it happened I did, but it was not especially clear to me how to remove it from my parts machine – even […]
The Mojibake Waltz…
Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 3” 1966 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #D6216161
An Unboxing That Became A Frankenstein Fix-It (Canon InnovaBook CD360 Hinge Repair)
Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 3”, 1966 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #D6216161 Using the P-Touch that Joe sent me to Label my Laptop Collection, and also the power bricks belonging to each. When you have a dozen or so, they can get mixed up. *CRACK!* *SHATTER!* *SNAP!* Yuh, a stiff hinge + 25-Year-Old PVC = CRUMBLE. […]
Answers! :D
So we did the first of TCL’s “Ask” series, and it went pretty well, I think. Next week, it’s Joe Van Cleave, so git yer questions ready! Here’s my answers:
Ask Theodore Munk
Ask Theodore Munk
Monster Scouts Field Typewriter Mark 1 With Tripod
Weapon of Choice: “Nick Charles” 1956 Empire Aristocrat #S2/268670 Redubbed: “Monster Scouts Field Typewriter Mark 1 With Tripod” Previously known as the Empire Aristocrat Tripod Field Typewriter. Tripod Mount project Part 1 – Part 2 Be sure to tape off the buttons! (: Cleaning the machine with white gas (Coleman Fuel), then blow it out, […]
Let’s make an Alphasmart 3000 better and review it!
Weapon of Choice: 2007 Alphasmart 3000. She throbs with the anticipation of your touch! Sometimes you’ll find fun silk screening easter eggs on the internal circuit boards in a device – the Alphasmart 3000 has this one! There are few things as satisfying as being surprised by a machine that you’d previously dismissed, and I […]
This Typecast Brought to You by the Letters: P-8-M
Weapon of Choice: “Mothra” 1972 IBM Selectric Composer #5016537 I’m currently writing a reply to Thom Cholowski over at Rebel Typewriter in Saskatoon, in reply to this *handmade* Airmail Telegram. Museum-quality fabrication and aging, which is no surprise, as I believe that this one of the things Thom does professionally, other than fixing typewriters. I […]
This Typecast Brought to You by the Letters: J-8-M
Weapon of Choice: “Mothra” 1972 IBM Selectric Composer #5016537
What’s Happenin’ Now?
Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 3” 1966 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #D6216161 Weapon of Choice: 2008 Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook Diamondville Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache) 2gb DDR2 RAM, 8gb PATA SSD, 1200×600 8.9″ screen Intel US15W Express Running: AntiX Linux 19 I know, a tiny machine with a single-core processor is hardly […]
New Rubber for the Corona 4 Case Lid and Snapshots from a Letter-Writing Session
There are 3 little clippy brackets installed in the case lid of the Corona 4 that originally held little rubber bumpers that clamp onto the platen when the case is closed, and serve as part of securing the carriage while the machine is in the case. On El Diablo‘s case these bumpers were somewhat intact, […]
Paper 101 – Part 5: Let’s Talk About Wood!
Hookey with a Typewriter on International Typewriter Day!
Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 3” 1966 Montgomery Ward Signature 440T #D6216161 Installing the silencer spring (thanks Typewriter Minutes!) – this is the “twisty” spring, and it goes pointy end down into the bottom ratchet wheel groove, so its travel back and forth is limited in the cutout below the loose dog. This is the disengaged […]
UJTU: Three Typewriters Improved In One Evening!
Weapon of Choice: “Starbuck” 1964 Hermes Rocket #6027915 Mmmmmmm, the fresh-baked smell of new typewriter feets! Installation Instructions: Hermes HD2-64 Feets. The original feet? Hard as rocks, crumbly and downright crispy, and still had to be pried off with a screwdriver. Oh, glorious, fresh grippy feets! Weapon of Choice: “Thunderbird 2” 1968 Montgomery Ward Signature […]
A Silenced 747, New Boots for the Paymaster & Mr. Whittles’ typewriter.
Weapon of Choice: 1978 Brother Charger 11 #K83712885 Weapon of Choice: 1970 Webster XL-747 #L0944386 Don’t forget to replace the bumper pads for the space bar and autospacer keys! 1963 Royal Century #RTP 5440198 The original feet were riveted in, so I drilled those out, then realized I had no fasteners suitable for the feet. […]
Paper 101 – Part 4: Formulas for Estimators
Paper 101 – Part 3: Paper Types
And to Joe VC: note rule #8 above – this is why cutting 11″x17″ paper in half results in 8.5″x11″ paper that goes around a typewriter platen real easy. Factory-cut, wrapped reams are *always* long grain for the given size, so cutting them in half results in short-grain paper. Thus, the same applies to cutting […]
Paper 101 – Part 2: Paper Arithmetic
Boy, I’ll say that paging through this old binder has awoken a lot of memories for me, and this section on Paper Arithmetic reminded me of the first paper guillotine we had at the print shop – a quarter-ton cast iron 32″ full-manually operated Challenge from the 1920’s. Wrestling that beast to cut down parent […]
Paper 101 – Part 1: Basic Sizes and Weights of Printing and Writing Papers
Hey, I found my old binder of printers tips and articles from when I was a working offset press operator in the 1990’s. I was delighted to dig this up, as it contains loads of knowledge about paper, inks, printing techniques and terminology that was invaluable back in the day when you could make a […]