Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The "Before" Shots

The same day I picked up the Hermes from the shop, I bought this sporty Smith-Corona Silent. I've wanted one of the racing-stripe emblazoned Smiths for a while. This one was too good to pass up.

The case is in wonderful shape:




Sadly, the machine was really dirty and one of the key linkages was detached.


Dust bunnies!



The thing that sealed the deal (besides the price) - the original manual in the original envelope.


 Tigger had to complete his inspection before I started work.



An evenings work and I have it typing. I still have repairs to make, though.

  1. The carriage return ratchet only allows the platen to spin "forward"
  2. The line spacing selector only selects single-space (Probably related to the first problem)
  3. The bell doesn't ring
Other than that, it seems to be working fine. I know it's not splitting atoms, but the sense of accomplishment I feel after getting this thing typing is pretty satisfying. The yellow-labeled keys are even growing on me. I want to get it really ship-shape before I take "after" pictures.
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9 comments:

  1. Rob BowkerAugust 29, 2013 at 12:45 AM

    Hope you get it fixed OK, it is amazing what an evening's application can yield.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ErikAugust 29, 2013 at 7:21 PM

      Thanks Rob. I had to get a little help, but it's all fixed. I really wanted to do the work myself, but the pawl and ratchet on the platen had me stumped. I knew what was wrong, but I couldn't figure out *why* it was wrong.

      I'm very lucky to be 15 minutes from Bill Wahl's shop. He graciously helped me figure out a spring needed adjusting and even did the adjustment for me.

      As soon as I finish cleaning and sprucing I will post some "After" pics.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousAugust 29, 2013 at 4:05 AM

    Those are sturdy typewriters! I love the fact that yours came with the owner's manual!

    Good luck with the restoration--that's half the fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ErikAugust 29, 2013 at 7:24 PM

      You're right Bryan, I really enjoy doing the work. I tend to swing between focusing on repair/collecting and actually using them to write.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2013 at 5:28 AM

      Yeah, we enjoy the restoration process too as long as it doesn't get too far beyond our abilities. :-)
      My wife, Heather, enjoys the restoration a lot and I probably actually use the typewriters more once they're working. Either way, it's all fun!

      Delete
  3. TedAugust 29, 2013 at 7:38 AM

    A 3-striper too! You should call it "Sarge" (:

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownAugust 29, 2013 at 10:26 PM

    It is a great typewriter. I just got one from Craigslist and gave it to my daughter. She was over the moon. Also, it appears to be the one the Tom Hanks has been seen typing on recently. Ours cleaned up beautifully. Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ErikAugust 29, 2013 at 10:38 PM

      That's fantastic, Antonio. My daughter thinks I'm off my rocker when it comes to typewriters. I wish I could get her to see the appeal.

      I remember seeing the pictures of Mr. Hanks traveling with a Silent, but I hadn't made the connection until you mentioned it. Now I feel super cool. Maybe my daughter will think so too. ;-)

      Delete

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