Underwood Electric: disassembly

After bringing home the massive stinker described in yesterday's post, I couldn't resist cracking it open.

I soon discovered that the back panel lifts right off, revealing a brawny GE motor (right) and a unit on the left that translates the rotation of the motor into the faster rotation of a belt. This unit also winds up the strap that pulls the carriage back when you hit the left or right return key. When I got the typewriter, the motion of this strap was very sluggish. After removing a panel I was able to clean the unit with good ol' Lectra-Motive Electric Parts Cleaner, which freed up this essential function.

The big black base / front frame came off pretty easily once I removed 8 bolts. 

By the way, below you can see the distinctive Underwood Electric ribbon spools. Essentially, the machine uses the system invented by the Noiseless Typewriter Company back in the teens, which was adopted by Remington on their noiseless machines and (postwar) on all their machines. This mechanism was shared with Underwood when the two companies made a deal on the manufacture of nearly-identical noiseless typewriters in the 1930s.

Just look at this gorgeous mechanical complexity. Much of the mechanism on the left of the typewriter is devoted to the shift.

Let's watch it in action.

Here's the mechanism on the right side. The thing looks like a miniature tank!

The belt drives a spinning shaft that provides power to nearly all the typewriter's functions. This is a fluted metal shaft, not a rubber-covered roller as on the IBM and many other electric typewriters. The Woodstock Electrite also uses a fluted shaft, but mine is much noisier than this Underwood, which is remarkably quiet.

This machine is fast and has a power spacing function that you can see in this video. Currently the tabulator and backspace aren't working.

There's impressive complexity and robustness at every turn, such as at the right end of the carriage:

This machine follows in the footsteps of the IBM Electromatic: 

built to military-grade toughness with no regard for portability.

Behold the beauty of 1940s engineering:

And here's the shell:

In our next installment:

blasting away!

Craigslist strikes again

What could it be?

An Underwood Electric from Craigslist!

The price was right—$25.00—and I couldn't resist.

The seller used it for years at a furniture store, starting in the '70s (when it was already 20 years old).

Too bad it smells like a catbox ...

... and types about as well as one, too.

This thing is staying in the garage until I can get it to stop reeking.

A first step is Scrubbing Bubbles.

Aha, it's not brown but gray.

Now it's looking a bit more presentable. But this creature is going to need some serious work. And there's a good chance I'll strip the paint right off. 

Should I give it the H. R. Giger treatment?

To be continued ...

The power of a Travel-Riter

Meet Remington Travel-Riter #TR122761, made in December 1954.

Yes, it needs a bit of work. But don't underestimate the power of a humble portable. This typewriter was kindly donated to WordPlay Cincy by its original owner. Toni writes:

I taught myself to type on that typewriter which I received for my birthday in the second grade.... I was obsessed with being a secretary and told my parents that was all I wanted for my birthday.

So what became of this obsession?

I am attaching photos of the 3 awards I received my senior year at Wickliffe High School in 1965...the typing award (pin), the John Robert Gregg Shorthand award (bronze medallion) and the Olivetti-Underwood Award of Merit for the Outstanding Business Student.  The Guidance Counselor told me later that there was a heavy discussion in the business department because usually 3 different kids received those awards but the woman in charge said "there is no comparison....  Toni deserves all three of them!"   And so they awarded them all to me!  I actually got a degree in Business Administration with a teaching certificate with the intention of teaching business subjects in high school but I liked working in offices more than teaching it so I worked in business, often as a supervisor or office manager.  Still work part time as a bookkeeper two days a week.

As Toni says, "It all started with that typewriter!" Who knows what it may do for some other kid in the future?

Thank you, Toni, for giving us your typewriter and your story.