Thursday, November 7, 2013

Olympia SM4





This is what the machine looked like when it arrived. It's difficult to see the mildew on the keys from this view.

Mildew covered keys.


After cleaning, not perfect, but not filled with dirt.


This is explained in detail in my August 9, 2013 post






There are several cracks similar to this all over the platen







Olympia's unique method of keeping the key tops parallel to the desk while typing.

Rubber grommets and washer from Ace Hardware




These are the springs that adjust the shift tension.


I have these pulled quite taunt with a bit to spare

I used a dial calipers to set both sides the same.  Counting the exposed threads will work fine too.






The vinyl on the case was in bad shape and peeling.  I removed it and left the wood as it was found. I was going to sand and re-varnish it, but it looks fine as it is shown.
Hint. Look at the end of my workbench -- previous post.



Thanks to Nick Beland for the escapement rail information.
The post on his blog is here.

 I have many more photos taken while this machine was being repaired. I may post all of them directly to the typewriter repair site Nick is building or post them all here in a future post.








18 comments:

  1. All's well that ends well!

    You probably saw my tips on tweaking these guys:
    http://writingball.blogspot.com/2013/10/help-create-great-typewriter-repair.html

    By the way, I don't think the keys stay parallel to the ground. I believe the springs under the keys are supposed to make them finger-friendly. But they are so taut that really there is no discernible effect.

    Great machine, though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard,
      I remember your post. I'm unsure where I read about the key construction. I think that is where I got the staying parallel. I don't notice any difference in using the SM4 or any of my other typewriters other than the overall feel.

      Delete
  2. It's so interesting to hear about these restoration jobs. I keep going back to look at those pretty brown key caps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish this were a white one. The keys really look great on the white SM4. I like mine a bit better than the dark grey, but then there are the maroon, green, and I think a yellow version.

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  3. I've got an SM-4 on the way via eBay, and no doubt I'll be applying some of the knowledge you've gained.

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    Replies
    1. I hope your SM-4 arrives in fine condition so you do not need to go through the frustration I did. I do not recommend bending and tossing.

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  4. Wow, Bill, your patience paid off! You went to some lengths to wind up with a great working machine. Well done!

    And @ Richard, thanks for the link on how to tweak these SMs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wanted to post more of the project, but it was getting too long. This post is already about 3 months or more late. I finished the SM-4 in June or July.

      Delete
  5. I'm saving this post in this list of repair posts. It's a great story! I might have given up too soon to get it working...I'm going to re-think some of my old forgotten projects, now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nick. I'm sorry I did not go into the detail I originally intended. I have quite a few more photos and detail on taking the carriage apart. The thing I found is that the pressure rollers are impossible to remove.

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  6. Triumph clutched from the jaws of disaster - well done Bill. I wonder if the unguarded underside of the machine might have led to the space bar's distortion? The case looks good too. I think you just proved that Olympia SMs are bomb-proof.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Weird thing is everything looked normal when I first inspected the machine before taking the covers off. Worse yet, I have no idea how I managed to repair the problem. I definitely not recommend twisting and bending stuff out of frustration.

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  7. Goodness me Bill, you really do a fabulous job of restoring these old beauties. I saw an exhibition of restored vintage cars last weekend and they made me think about your old typewriters :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used to do cars before I got married. I love car shows. Restored or customized cars. Glad you thought of typewriters while looking at cars.

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  8. Shall we coin a new phrase: "Bend It Like BillM"? :D

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  9. Wow, that took a lot of perseverance Bill, good for you. A friend recently gave me her 1961 SM4. I was very lucky, all it required was some cleaning and replacing the washers at the bottom to fix the sticking carriage issue. Works great and looks great!

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  10. I really enjoyed that post. Thanks for taking the time.

    ReplyDelete