Memorial Day

Today many of us will be enjoying get-togethers with friends and families.

Remember those who gave us these freedoms.

Arlington National Cemetery. Image source Wikimedia Commons.

Grand Rapids Type-In --- Part 3

Two visitors stopped by and really took to the typewriters

The young lady being introduced to the typewriter was so enthralled with typing and typewriters, that after she started typing her friends had a difficult time getting her to leave.  Before leaving she asked about how and where to find a typewriter of her own.  Sadly, I had already given my spares away.

The Underwood getting more attention

Another lady stopped by to look, and took to typing.

Like those who tried the Underwood she really liked it.

This Classic 12 went to Read & Write Kalamazoo. I did not have a case for it so I found a nice suitcase at the local Salvation Army store that worked great. It may not hold the typewriter from sliding sideways if dropped on the left or right side,but it did hold it firmly enough to keep it from moving in the case under most conditions. I got the idea from some of my General Radio test equipment housed in Samsonite cases that were very similar to the one I purchased.

On Tuesday I took a trip to Berrien Springs, MI to pick up this neat old Underwood No. 3

And celebrating National Typewriter Day, next month we've go another Type-In at  Landmark Books in Traverse City.

We finally got our internet service back sometime about 23:00 hours. By then I was too tired to post anything.

I did not have any images of my Adler J5 or the Olympia Socialite that I passed on at the Type-In.  However the past week one has been on Joe Van Cleave's and again on La Vie Graphite.  I think my Socialite has been trying to tell me something.  I seldom used mine even though it is a neat tiny travel typewriter.

Tuesday I could not resist the trip to Berrien Springs to check out a Craigslist find for less cost than shipping a similar typewriter from any near-by state.  The Underwood No. 3 is not in the worst shape I've ever seen, nor is it pristine.  Most of the keys and functions worked, and all the gold leaf and decals are in good shape, so it jumped into the car and took a ride home with me.

I gave the segment a quick cleaning with carb cleaner and all the keys now work, the tabs work, and backspace works.  Now I have to repair the seized ribbon color selector and find out why the ribbon vibrator will not work (unless there is a stencil setting that I cannot find).  Then it is on to cleaning and polishing.

This is a newer No. 3 than I really wanted.  I'd like an early one with the Underwood Standard Typewriter decal on the top front of the carriage instead of below the space bar on the frame front.  If you read my older post you can read a bit more about this typewriter and the serial numbering.

Underwod No. 3 with a Serial Number Not to be Found

Styling like the later models, and my No. 5 and similar to my No. 6

Check it out. A number not of file that I can determine.

 I used some lumber chalk to fill in the numerals to be sure I did not miss anything. This number is not found until the Underwood No. 4 and No.5, and the number states 1916 a full 11 years before the 11 inch No. 3 was released.  This No. 3 also has the newer mainspring with the thumb knob tension adjustment like my No. 6 rather than the crank like my No. 5.

I'll be posting more on this when I get to cleaning and repairing it.   My first task is to read on how to remove the carriage to get the vibrator working and free the stuck ribbon selector.  Then I may take the front and margin bar apart to fix the bell.  The margin release works on this typewriter, but the bell does not.

Seems a bit of PB Blaster and a cleaning with carb cleaner has gotten all the keys working, and a bit of Liquid Wrench on the margin rail and some lube on the carriage rail has all of that working ok.

For now though I'm more curious when this was made since the number is 115894 higher than the last number made.  Looks like 14000 were made in the final year of production if the chart shows the final year of production.

It could be made in 1929, but that would then be a wide carriage.

Will Davis has a nice review of the differences in the No. 4 and 5 with one picture showing a No3 variant of the No. 5 but only with a 12 inch to 18 inch carriage, but with Underwood Standard Typewriter on the carriage which is different than my carriage and the Underwood Standard Typewriter below the space bar.

Does anyone know the URL for the mirror of Wills site that used to be on Alan Seaver's site because Will's link does not work and there is nothing on Alan's site.  I searched the Wayback Machine, but nothing was found there either.

Michigan Typochondriacs Grand Rapids Type-In -- Part 2

What's under the hood of this Underwood QuietTab

A bit closer look

The addition of some extra sound deadening.

some of the patrons looking over and test typing the machines.

Michigan Typochondriacs Grand Rapids Type-In -- Part 1

Typewriters all ready to go.

Not quite as full as I could pack the car.

I found another keyboard chart in the garage so I got a frame and took it along with the Underwood typing tripod desk/case.

Our very fine host.  Good food, and plenty of choices on tap.

Some of the group, and our typewriters.  Many thanks to Elise, lady on the right speaking with Andrea (lady on the left)) for arranging our Type-In

A booth dedicated to a few European typewriters.  An SM7 that was smooth as silk, a round body H3k with Techo, and a square H3k.

This beautiful red QDL got a lot of attention.

P.S.  I did not take the Underwood No. 5 due to the weather prediction of rain.  There was ample parking about one to two minutes away so moving typewriters was not a big problem, but a full size typewriter in the rain could have been.

I did take the Underwood case/desk or desk/case with one of my Universals, but it saw little use due to my lack to take the folding chair that fits it.  Most of the seating was a bit tall, and I set it off to the side so it would not get knocked over.

There was something odd happened this time. I took 7 typewriters.  One belonged to Andy, and 6 belonged to me.  I only came home with 4.  As Paul Harvey used to say, "stay tuned for the rest of the story."

Out of many, many, many digital images I recorded on the Stylus 1, I chose about
30 from the event to post.  I'll be doing 3 parts as to not have a post that is too long and boring.

The Insurgency Meets in Grand Rapids Tomorrow for a Type-Out, Type-In

My typing teacher was correct---use 2 spaces after the period.

I found this interesting article, complete with a typewriter heading at The Atlantic.

New Shoes for an Underwood No. 5

One of the original feet and one missing.

Both feet on the right side were very squashed.

Parts from McMaster-Carr

The one on the right matched the foot shown in the first image.

Better view of the bar that connects the back space key and the back space mechanism.

Not sure if this was original.  I was able to get exact replacements.

Comparing the new with the old. The old is just a bit shorter and thicker by .065" It may have been the same as what I installed and over years of holding the typewriter it squashed a bit.

Four new shoes (feet)

I wanted to check for level because I did try 1 long bumpers on the left and 2 short on the right, but the typewriter sat visibly tilted to the right.

Close enough for a match. Difference between left and right may be about 1/32"

My goal was to get new feet on this typewriter before the Type-In. Mission Accomplished.  I thought about the expensive ones on Ebay, but they'd be more than I paid for the typewriter and not add anything to it like a recovered platen.
When I get to the Royal 10 I will be ordering from Steve Dade for those and may add some Underwood feet as well as another set for my other Corona 3.

Here is the link to the rubber bumpers part number 9540K781

I did a bit of searching on line to see if I could find an original photo of an Underwood No. 5.  No luck.  I did find several advertisements though and they all show the taller feet like the one original tall one and the ones I just installed.
My thinking was I could put a small spacer between the shorter ones I got and the typewriter and create just enough space for the back space bar to not touch the table surface.  Since it looks like these typewriters sat a bit high and used the taller feet, I'll leave this No. 5 as it is.

After the Type-In this typewriter will be getting a recovered platen from J.J. Short and it should be good for another 100 years.