As 2013 Comes to an End

From my original post on the SM9

I did receive a fantastic Underwood Standard.  It is the best typewriter in the collection save for the hard platen that makes it noisy.  Best of all was the price,
free.

The other highlight happened just this week when I received a free Omega D-II (predecessor to the D2V which is what I really want) enlarger is in great condition.  I've wanted a 4 X 5 enlarger for years and now this one is complete with the 4 X 5 condenser.  'Nuff said.  It'll fit nicely beside my Bessler 67C that I use for 35mm and 6 x 4.5 cm.  One day I hope to add medium format to the D-II.

Both of those only cost a bit of gasoline to go an get them and the trips were a nice for Mrs. M. as she seldom gets out and about and does not always desire to go along on my errands around town.

For those new to the blog Mrs. M's health is not always up to doing things.  She has a condition that causes paralysis (among other things) and she no longer walks.  So errands require getting in and out of a car too often for her to enjoy the outing.

Well, much more went on during 2013.  Many things were completed and many more left uncompleted.  As I reviewed a list of things to do from 2007, 2008, and 2009 I found many of the same things are still undone.

Now to dust off my old Signal Electric spark gap key and get ready for Straight Key Night .  Or I may just use my J-38.

Christmas: 79 Years and Still Going

I knew the paper was at the end.  Trying to stretch it did not quite work.

I have quite a bit to write about Rich.  He and Bob were my first mentors and they had quite an impact on my life.  I've had quite a successful life.  I know my life would be much better though had I lived more as they did. 

Here are the links to the Santa Truck:

Lykens site

Please spend some time on this site.  For me many many great memories from working with Rich and the Santa team.  I left Lykens in the early 80s never to return again to be able to work with the gang.  Rich and Bob (and some of the other fellows) are no longer with us.

The best I can say is that Rich was a humble man that never liked attention.  I hope if he can see from the beyond that he is not upset his family set up the wonderful tribute to him. 

'Tis the Night Before Christmas

I'm Still Here

While we were away this arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

The longest masonry stone arch bridge in the world.  The Rockville Bridge.
I travelled under this bridge for nearly 20 years every day.

 

 

 

 

I have several photos of the bridge and trains from the 70s when I was in college taking photography classes.  Back then you could go up on the bridge and take photos and even walk the bridge.  Technically it was probably illegal, but I met some track crews and have some unique photos.  All  I need is to dig them out of my files.  The bridge was built in 1900 and is over 3800 feet long.  Before Conrail I think there were 4 tracks on top.  No there is one or two.

On the way home we drove past the monuments in D.C.  I could not resist imitating Luis over at One Photograph a Day and snapping a few photos as we went through.  Construction is almost finished on the repairs of the Washington Monument.

 

Jefferson Memorial

Doc Pomus was a singer and songwriter of the 1950s and 60s.  He wrote many of the songs old guys like me grew up with.  Later I played hundreds of his songs on the radio and today they get quite a bit of air play as oldies. 

I watched the DVD and if you liked the music of the 50s and 60s I think you will enjoy his story.

Doc was quite an amazing fellow.  When I heard about the documentary on NPR I contacted the producers and was able to get an advanced copy of the DVD. 
The movie is being screened in selective theaters and the DVD is available in limited quantities until 22 December.

http://pomussongs.com/

http://akadocpomus.com/the-film/


To order the DVD

It's A Jewell

I did not quite know how I wanted to start this post.  If I had chosen it was a Jewell of a day or some similar title I was unsure what to write.

Today is my third day in Pennsylvania and the fifth (not of Scotch though) of my trip.
Earlier today there was a bit of sleet so Debbie and I decided to wait on the weather and see if we would get rain or snow.  As it turned out the precipitation stopped so we decided to take a trip to visit some Army surplus stores since it was one of the planned stops of my trip. We then packed the car and headed to Coleman's Military Surplus.

Debbie had never been to any surplus store before and was amazed at Coleman's.  We spent several hours there and a few more dollars than planned.  We never did make it to Millersburg and Saturn Surplus.  Had I brought my Blazer that would have been a must stop as I wanted to get another 4A032 engine and a few other generator parts.  Now I have an excuse for another trip.

Then we headed North and stopped at my parents house where I picked up the Jewell.

I did not want the flash, but the camera froze (as in due to the 20 deg. F temp.) and I could not retake without the strobe.  I like the contrasting colors to my Ace.

 Blasted Blogger!  I hate the auto crap Blogger does, but it is free.

I started to type out on the patio because everyone else wanted to talk and the typewriter drove kitty cat crazy.  

Then the snow started falling again and blowing in on my paper.  As the paper got wet it did not want to feed correctly so I plopped the lid back onto the machine and put the typewriter in the car.

Hope these typecasts are readable.  I am using my camera since I don't have a scanner.

Now Blogger lets me have normal justification.  I made quite a bit of typos in the typecast.  The first was because it was difficult typing in the blustery wind.  Later as I started to type in the hotel room I became interested in a documentary about Johnny Cash that I had never seen before, and I did not pay much attention to typing.

Another neat logo

I found this to be the most common of the Underwood globe and wing logo.

Like my ACE the Jewell has little listed on either Typewriter Serial Number sites.  I am guessing this one is from 1954 since the serial number is W 2499306.  If any one knows better please let me know.


I bid everyone a very enjoyable and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

For now from the Keystone via my Underwood Jewell and Dell XPS

Live and Direct From....Well, At Least I am in Pennsylvania

This is kind of a hybrid post/typecast.
I'm actually in East Pennsboro Township, but by Google Maps I am in Mechanicsburg (which I know is wrong.  I grew up in the area and Google Maps are wrong 99% of the time.  I would only trust Google maps if I were giving them to an enemy)  Or I am in Enola according to Yahoo! maps which are usually 90% correct.  Now the other map services are about on par with Google.  The address here is probably Enola since I can toss a stone on Wirtzville and Enola is just over the hill.  Earlier in my life this area was farms and East Pennsboro Twp.

So far this typewriter:

Crappy lighting and no tripod.  Sorry for being out of focus.

From the Carina 2.  Needs a bit of aligning.

Surprisingly clean.

Nice typer for a Nakajima.  Quiet, soft platen too.

I did not record and look up the serial number.  Presently the typewriter is back out in the car.

I've not gone typewriter hunting yet today as the snow is now freezing rain. Once it changes back to snow or to rain I may head out again.

I planned on using a Skyriter for my posts, but Mrs. is sleeping and the lobby is quite small and there are a few people out there so I resort to the digital realm.  I like snow and if it were only snow coming down from the clouds I would commandeer one of the tables in the closed pool area and type.

Back to the Carina 2.  I find this a nice typing little typewriter.  It is made by Nakajima from all I can find.  The platen is quite nice as it is soft and quiet. It reminds me of my recently used SM9 or my Skyriters.  The typewriter is fully featured with a tabulator, paper guide, pop-up paper prop, famous Japanese automatic, but I have yet to find anything but uselsess, automatic spacer, 1, 2, or 3 line spacing and variable, a nice touch and nicely built machine for being a later plastic machine. It seems to be more substantial than my Brother.  I will need to compare them when I get home.

This typewriter does not have the cheap tinny sound of the Olympia B12 that I used to have.  The B12 was also a nice typer, but neither the B12 or the Carina 2 come close to the touch or quality of any of the early typewriters in my collection.

Typecast from my Carina 2.  Post from my Dell XPS running elementaryOS

...And The Winner Is...A 1969 Olympia SM9 with #41 Professional Elite Typeface

Typeface identification courtesy of the Right Reverend Theodore Munk.

More on Professional Elite and an SM3 can be found here courtesy of Dwayne F.

A preview of .......?

 

This has got to be one of my favorite typefaces in the collection.  That said, it takes a lot to beat out Techno.   This new one could very well be the favorite one.

Royal HHP a.k.a. the HH

This is my stand-up typing desk.  The HHP sits on top of 2 old speakers at one end of the work bench. This could be captioned A Contrast in Technologies.  The computer is reflecting the ceiling light.

All I did to this one is blow the dust out of it and install a fresh ribbon from Jay Respler.

This is quite like it looked when I received it.

My favorite feature, an easy to read, accurate position indicator.

These are the card guides that flip down by a little lever beside each one.

I ran out of paper.  The last of this section is repeated below.

All the text in the original is clear.  For some reason it blurred.  Blogger is too finicky to remove and try to insert an image.  So please pardon the blurrs.

This little cover flips forward to open allowing removal of the cylinder.

Here it is.  Royal's own name for the ribbon carrier and cylinder.

There are D-shapes in the left end of the platen that fit over the drive pin.

Thought I'd start adding serial number locations.  All I need to do is remember to do it with all typewriters.

I wanted to title this post H-Squared mathematically, but one of the features Blogger lacks is the ability to superscript in the title. I tried coding it and the title does not let me enter html code either.  I thought He2P or H^2P may not be clear to someone not in programming or engineering or math.