28 March 2021
It’s been a long time since I last posted on my blog. However, during the Typewriter Talk Live that is held each Sunday, I pulled down a typewriter from one of the shelves in my living room and started fiddling with it. The machine in question is a Smith Premier No. 5. I bought it from another collector several years ago and for some reason, never put a ribbon in it or even tried to get a type sample from it.
During the pandemic, I have learned more about the typewriters that I own and want to get each machine back to the point where I can at least get a type sample.
Back to the SP5, I decided to see if I could get it going. I pulled the entire ribbon off the spool. The ribbon is 1 3/8″ wide. No problem. (I can see users of more modern machines raising their brows at this statement). I have one or two of the larger ribbons when I am ready to put on a new one. Today was just to take a look at it and figure out how (or if) I could get the old ribbon back on and type something.
I removed the platen and saw, you guessed it, LOTS OF DUST!!! I can hear the narrator in the 1943 video, titled, Maintenance of Office Machines, say, “The three deadly enemies of machinery. Dust, dirt, and carelessness.”
While the discussion was ongoing, I brushed out the dust that could be reached with a dry brush. Then, it was time to figure out how to get the ribbon back on the spools and fed properly through the machine.
The Typewriter Talk Live had ended by the time I got the old ribbon attached to both spools and threaded. I was able to generate the following type sample:
I was thrilled to be able to get any text from the old ribbon!
If typewriters could talk, what stories would they tell? In any case, wouldn’t they say, “Please use me to send a letter. Let me fulfill my purpose.” or even, “Thank you.”? But, alas, typewriters cannot talk.
Diane
p.s. Thank you Joe Van Cleave for your video about how you put together your blog for different devices.
