Great job! The Twolympia has got to be the neatest typewirter so far. Removing type bars....That is a feat I have yet to even think about trying (well, at least for now). I may end-up taking the type bars out of my J4 if I cannot resolve the end ones re sticking after several solvent baths.
Nice background. I think there is something similar some place on my radio desk.
Now this is what I call a Sunday project. Hats off to you, Richard; doing this and actually being able to put the thing together again requires A LOT more patience, skill and eye-hand coordination than I can ever muster.
And I agree... that Twolympia is by far the best-looking Frankenstein ever!
CRIMMINY, Richard! Talk about fixing what ain't broke! You paid in spades for that transgression, but congrats that it turned out all right. Just remember, working on the type-bars of the Oliver is soooo much simpler!
Something was indeed broke: the machine's typebars were persistently sticky despite all my attempts to flush out the goo, so they really had to be removed for thorough cleaning.
This brings to mind something odd I once saw on eBay: a well-known collector (and member of the forums) was bidding on a Hermes 3000 (American QWERTY keyboard), and as he lived in France, he asked the seller whether she could remove the type bars and linkages and mail them to him instead of the whole machine. Apparently he had an AZERTY Hermes 3000 that he wanted to convert to QWERTY. Anyway, I was pretty horrified by the prospect of ruining a perfectly fine typewriter, but more than that I also wondered whether what he suggested was even possible... and this post illustrates that it could very well be. Imagine, one could even swap typefaces between identical machines... all that is way above my pay grade, of course, but hats off to you for showing it can be done. (Not that I still thought what the collector wanted to do was very nice, as it would have resulted in quite a bit of waste!)
That's just amazing! The SM9 just looks huge side by side with the Twolympia and after all just fits inside the SM4. I praise your patience. And your skills. The Twolympia just looks great and with that name just seams that just came out of an alternate dimension :)
It's an SM3, but it's difficult to tell from my photos. The SM3 and SM8 have sliding tabulator stops that you set in the back of the machine; the SM4 and SM9 have keys for setting and clearing tab stops to the left and right of the keyboard and a mechanism in the rear that sets and clears the tab stops. The SM3 and SM4 frames look the same from the front; but in the center of the back panel, the SM4 sticks out more in order to accommodate the tab set/clear mechanism. Since I was installing a machine with the set/clear mechanism (SM9) into an SM3 body, I had to bend the back panel to make it stick out more, so the mechanism would fit.
Have I succeeded in making myself completely incomprehensible yet?
Unrelated to your post, I do love the new background.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time believing that the massive SM-9 fits into the SM-3's body. Impressive, all those typebars laid out.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very tight fit that requires some creative alterations, but as you see, it's possible.
DeleteGreat job! The Twolympia has got to be the neatest typewirter so far. Removing type bars....That is a feat I have yet to even think about trying (well, at least for now). I may end-up taking the type bars out of my J4 if I cannot resolve the end ones re sticking after several solvent baths.
ReplyDeleteNice background. I think there is something similar some place on my radio desk.
Insane. But didn't it used to be a different color?
ReplyDeleteRemind me never to do this.
Unbelievable how you were able to put Humpty-Dumpty together again. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteTwolympia... a beautiful Frankenstein!
Now this is what I call a Sunday project. Hats off to you, Richard; doing this and actually being able to put the thing together again requires A LOT more patience, skill and eye-hand coordination than I can ever muster.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree... that Twolympia is by far the best-looking Frankenstein ever!
CRIMMINY, Richard! Talk about fixing what ain't broke! You paid in spades for that transgression, but congrats that it turned out all right. Just remember, working on the type-bars of the Oliver is soooo much simpler!
ReplyDeleteYou mad Oliverista, you ...
DeleteSomething was indeed broke: the machine's typebars were persistently sticky despite all my attempts to flush out the goo, so they really had to be removed for thorough cleaning.
This brings to mind something odd I once saw on eBay: a well-known collector (and member of the forums) was bidding on a Hermes 3000 (American QWERTY keyboard), and as he lived in France, he asked the seller whether she could remove the type bars and linkages and mail them to him instead of the whole machine. Apparently he had an AZERTY Hermes 3000 that he wanted to convert to QWERTY. Anyway, I was pretty horrified by the prospect of ruining a perfectly fine typewriter, but more than that I also wondered whether what he suggested was even possible... and this post illustrates that it could very well be. Imagine, one could even swap typefaces between identical machines... all that is way above my pay grade, of course, but hats off to you for showing it can be done. (Not that I still thought what the collector wanted to do was very nice, as it would have resulted in quite a bit of waste!)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat's just amazing! The SM9 just looks huge side by side with the Twolympia and after all just fits inside the SM4. I praise your patience. And your skills. The Twolympia just looks great and with that name just seams that just came out of an alternate dimension :)
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking... The body is it a SM3 or a SM4? I just keep confusing them :s
ReplyDeleteIt's an SM3, but it's difficult to tell from my photos. The SM3 and SM8 have sliding tabulator stops that you set in the back of the machine; the SM4 and SM9 have keys for setting and clearing tab stops to the left and right of the keyboard and a mechanism in the rear that sets and clears the tab stops. The SM3 and SM4 frames look the same from the front; but in the center of the back panel, the SM4 sticks out more in order to accommodate the tab set/clear mechanism. Since I was installing a machine with the set/clear mechanism (SM9) into an SM3 body, I had to bend the back panel to make it stick out more, so the mechanism would fit.
DeleteHave I succeeded in making myself completely incomprehensible yet?
You were crystal clear :) But now I'm thinking about my SM3... If it has any tabs I haven't found them yet :( or perhaps isn't a SM3.
ReplyDeleteIt might be a Monica, which has no tabulator. If it does have a TAB key, then it should have a way of setting tab stops.
DeleteI may say I'm in awe of your patience and perseverance
ReplyDeleteI must say I'm in awe of your patience and perseverance
ReplyDeleteTotally amazing that you managed it! Re-spek!!
ReplyDelete