Yes, yes, yes. The barbeque skewer (or equivalent) is the most crucial tool. Lindsey, if you are watching, this is the best explanation of this process that I've seen! Then again, of course I would endorse it; it's exactly what I had to do, after I bought my Model 5.
In retrospect, I almost feel sorry for the person I bought the machine from. They were, like, "Oh, this Remington is all jammed and broken, so I have to sell it really cheap." Fifteen minutes after it arrived, I had the carriage unlocked and the draw band replaced. Now, it's my favorite machine.
This is great! Almost exactly the same procedure for the Remington portable no.1&2. And it is fiddly, but extremely satisfying. I used a bit of garden wire to thread a bit of fishing line. With fishing line you can bend the end to a curve to get it through the hole in the drum.
Very good work Rob. This is another post I need to archive for future reference.
Besides a skewer or knitting needle, I use crochet hooks for threading draw bands. I also bend thin tig/mig welding rods to pull drawbands and springs.
Good stuff! Oh. Another item on getting the lowest working tension is the carriage rails. My 5 was by far the most sensitive to greased-up rails. It got v e r y sluggish toward the end of the line even with high tension and was hard work to do a carriage return. A proper cleaning with some white petrol (or white spirit 'd be good too) of the two rails really made it zip along again. (Cleaned the reachable bits of rails with rag and ran b&f a cpl of times between wiping clean.)
I completely agree - whenever I get a new machine (increasingly rare these days) cleaning the rails comes straight after de-fuzzing the type linkages of fluff etc. Just as sensitive are the tubular steel rails on larger Olivettis.
Huzzah! I adore ANY description (with pix!) for replacing a drawband. It's the one repair that still scares me off of a purchase. Thanks! ~T~ http://wrongwaywriteway.com
That's funny because the first typewriter actively collected (compared to this Remington which I took from home) was a Blick Universal - aka Kleine Adler - which I managed to negotiate down in price because, you guessed it, the drawband was broken.
Yes, yes, yes. The barbeque skewer (or equivalent) is the most crucial tool. Lindsey, if you are watching, this is the best explanation of this process that I've seen! Then again, of course I would endorse it; it's exactly what I had to do, after I bought my Model 5.
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, I almost feel sorry for the person I bought the machine from. They were, like, "Oh, this Remington is all jammed and broken, so I have to sell it really cheap." Fifteen minutes after it arrived, I had the carriage unlocked and the draw band replaced. Now, it's my favorite machine.
This is great! Almost exactly the same procedure for the Remington portable no.1&2. And it is fiddly, but extremely satisfying. I used a bit of garden wire to thread a bit of fishing line. With fishing line you can bend the end to a curve to get it through the hole in the drum.
ReplyDeleteVery good work Rob. This is another post I need to archive for future reference.
ReplyDeleteBesides a skewer or knitting needle, I use crochet hooks for threading draw bands. I also bend thin tig/mig welding rods to pull drawbands and springs.
Very useful reference, thanks.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff!
ReplyDeleteOh. Another item on getting the lowest working tension is the carriage rails. My 5 was by far the most sensitive to greased-up rails. It got v e r y sluggish toward the end of the line even with high tension and was hard work to do a carriage return.
A proper cleaning with some white petrol (or white spirit 'd be good too) of the two rails really made it zip along again. (Cleaned the reachable bits of rails with rag and ran b&f a cpl of times between wiping clean.)
I completely agree - whenever I get a new machine (increasingly rare these days) cleaning the rails comes straight after de-fuzzing the type linkages of fluff etc. Just as sensitive are the tubular steel rails on larger Olivettis.
DeleteHuzzah! I adore ANY description (with pix!) for replacing a drawband. It's the one repair that still scares me off of a purchase. Thanks! ~T~ http://wrongwaywriteway.com
ReplyDeleteThat's funny because the first typewriter actively collected (compared to this Remington which I took from home) was a Blick Universal - aka Kleine Adler - which I managed to negotiate down in price because, you guessed it, the drawband was broken.
Delete