Wonderful instructional post. Thank you for your work. I need to tuck this one away incase I ever get a KHM. This would be a good post to forward to Nick Beland for his typewriter repair repository.
I think you would enjoy the experience, anything between a 10 or KMM are fairly simlar. Massively durable build quality with an almost refined typing action. The John Deere of typewriters :-)
You are right! It slides forward. I was afraid to break it so I didn't force it. It had a little but of dirt in it.. I just bought it, and apparently it had been sitting uncovered for a while. But it seems to work fine! :) Thanks!
Excellent instructions. This is will be very helpful as I'm fixing my '39 KMM. It seems with mine the carriage moves freely as I type up to about the 40 point mark. I can push it all the way across, but it just slows up and doesn't naturally advance past that point. Does it sound to you like I have a carriage rail adjustment to do? Also the ribbon advance doesn't seem to be working. Thanks for your invaluable help!
Hi Michael, sounds like the spring needs winding up. I'm not familiar with the KMM but the spring tension adjuster on the KHM is so ingenious, I'll bet it is similar. When you get access behind the top left rear plate, there should be a pinion gear or worm drive. Tighten it until you get the last character's worth of positively advancing travel out of the carriage. Also, I'm not 100% sure about how the ribbon advance works. It isn't tripped by the type bar action but by the travel of the carriage itself. Fixing the first issue might throw light on the second. If you disengage the carriage from the escapement rack by pushing down on a silver lever at either end of the carriage (it sort of 'freewheels' while these a pressed) you should be able to see the ribbon advance whichever direction the carriage moves. But note: the ribbon's winding direction is unusual. Look for the direction arrows in the bottom of the ribbon holder and, from above, imagine Salvador Dali's moustache.
The are 5 adjustable clips for the carriage's retention to the rail, not just two on each end. Try and find a repair guide for their adjustment as the rail has a slight bow to help keep things steady. Usually the suggested spring tension is about a 1 1/2 lb pull to move the carriage to the right. This will be satisfactory in feel and no excessive wear.
Wonderful instructional post. Thank you for your work. I need to tuck this one away incase I ever get a KHM. This would be a good post to forward to Nick Beland for his typewriter repair repository.
ReplyDeleteI think you would enjoy the experience, anything between a 10 or KMM are fairly simlar. Massively durable build quality with an almost refined typing action. The John Deere of typewriters :-)
DeleteYou are right! It slides forward. I was afraid to break it so I didn't force it. It had a little but of dirt in it.. I just bought it, and apparently it had been sitting uncovered for a while. But it seems to work fine! :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty tough machines so it should clean up fine.
DeleteExcellent instructions. This is will be very helpful as I'm fixing my '39 KMM. It seems with mine the carriage moves freely as I type up to about the 40 point mark. I can push it all the way across, but it just slows up and doesn't naturally advance past that point. Does it sound to you like I have a carriage rail adjustment to do? Also the ribbon advance doesn't seem to be working. Thanks for your invaluable help!
ReplyDeleteHi Michael, sounds like the spring needs winding up. I'm not familiar with the KMM but the spring tension adjuster on the KHM is so ingenious, I'll bet it is similar. When you get access behind the top left rear plate, there should be a pinion gear or worm drive. Tighten it until you get the last character's worth of positively advancing travel out of the carriage. Also, I'm not 100% sure about how the ribbon advance works. It isn't tripped by the type bar action but by the travel of the carriage itself. Fixing the first issue might throw light on the second. If you disengage the carriage from the escapement rack by pushing down on a silver lever at either end of the carriage (it sort of 'freewheels' while these a pressed) you should be able to see the ribbon advance whichever direction the carriage moves. But note: the ribbon's winding direction is unusual. Look for the direction arrows in the bottom of the ribbon holder and, from above, imagine Salvador Dali's moustache.
DeleteThe are 5 adjustable clips for the carriage's retention to the rail, not just two on each end. Try and find a repair guide for their adjustment as the rail has a slight bow to help keep things steady. Usually the suggested spring tension is about a 1 1/2 lb pull to move the carriage to the right. This will be satisfactory in feel and no excessive wear.
Delete