October Typewriter Gathering at Kazoo Books

Typewriters and supplies Loaded and ready to go across town.

Everything is set and ready to go.

Sent from my 1967 Facit TP-2 Cubic Pica

Hayden's Olympia SM4

Hayden and I spent some time exploring his SM4 and working on a few minor issues with it.  I gave him a quick tour of its mechanics without removing the covers.  This is one of the nicest typing SM4s that I've used.

Hayden's Olympia SF

This SF had a wonderful touch to it. I may need to get one. I'm generally not a big Olympia fan, but this one typed as nice as my SM8. I could not out type it even though I did make several silly mistakes typing about how I miss being able to go to Herman Price's gathering.  One year I will make it.

Andy's Underwood 4 Bank

typical excellent Underwood typing action.  I very seldom find an Underwood I do not like.

Andy's Olivetti Lettera 33

This was the first Lettera 33 I typed on. It has a bit stiffer touch than my Lettera 32, but good enough that I'm going to look for one.

Andy's Olympia Splendid

This Splendid (or is it a Socialite?) was really fun to use also. Typed like a breeze.

One of my trusty Smith_Corona Skyriters

What can be said about the lowly Skyriter?  They just work.  I've yet to find one without a nice touch and typing experience. I guess that is why I have about 6 or 7 of them.  I like the stripes best.

I also took my Olivetti Lettera 22

This one recently came out of my shop after a good cleaning and a few repairs and carriage alignment.  Types nicer than my Taupe one that is from the 50s I think (round keys).  That one is a bit stiff.  So is my Italian keyboard red one of the same age as the taupe one.

My Facit TP-2

A Facit will put a Hermes 3000 to shame any day with the ease at which it types.  If not for the funky margin sets on these I would rate them better than the Hermes all around.  Hard to beat Hermes and Royals Magic Margin set system.

I was lamenting not being able to go to Herman's this year.

Hayden test typing my H3k Techno Pica.

Autumn is finally settled in.  First tree I've seen that dropped its leaves already.

A little farther down the path all the wild flowers are gone, and the scrubs are turning Colorado Aspen gold.

The milkweed pods have finally popped open.

I I visited one of my favorite places near my house, Wolf Tree Nature Preserve, and did a bit of digital imaging before going to the type in. All images were taken with my Olympus Stylus 1.  I was only there an hour or two enjoying the crisp fresh morning air relaxing. I seldom go out without the OMD or Stylus 1. Seems no matter where I go I find things to image.

As Autumn falls upon us we see signs of death all around. Plant death. In a way beautiful death.  Plants seem to have that unusualness of being beautiful as they spring from the earth in Spring and later show even more beauty as they mature and blossom. Finally at the end of their life they repopulate as their flowers and pods release the seeds for the next generation to bloom in 2020.

I have quite a few images over the past year from places around Kzoo. I thought to put more on this post, especially the nest or leaves hanging by a thread.  Maybe a digital image post or a blog for my photographic and digital imaging.
I've go to keep them separate as I still do a lot of film, especially when doing wildlife and birds. Digital is just way toooooo blasted slooooooooooooow.

Type-In VI In June, and a Visitor From Hell

The Signature 513 was made in 1964

Type-In Sponsor

Paul, our host, and his son.

Paul's Aztec. This is one fantastic typewriter.

German on the left and Spanish on the ringht.

Hallway filled with typewriters.

A few hours into the the event, Mrs. M and I decided to have a coffee.

In honor of Joe Van Cleave (who often posts of lattes and his enjoyment of them) I decided to have a latte.  We both had a apricot pastry.  Those where so delicious I could have eaten a dozen, but I chose not to.  I did have a second one for desert though (and another latte)

On our return Mrs. M found a book she liked.

Being in Michigan we even had a visitor from Hell.

Signature 513 (JP-3) on the left facing off with the SM-9 on the right.  Somehow the JP-3 drew the most test typists.  I don't blame them. I think the Olympias are inferior to a lot of the others even this JP-3.  I should have taken the SM-8. It may have given the JP-3 a better competition as it is a really good typer, especially for an Olympia.

For all the Steampunk people ... A bit of Steampunk from one of the shops in the hall.

Overall the Type-In was a nice success. Paul did a great job of getting things organized, keeping up with the visitors, demonstrating typewriters, answering questions and being a tour guide to show Mrs. M & I the coffee shop.

The type-In location is in the old Northern Michigan Asylum first built in 1885 and added to in years since. I don't recall when in was closed and later converted to condominiums and shops.

Michigan Typochondriacs Type-In

Type-In @ Traverse City, MI -- 22 June 2019

Poster says it all. Hope to see some Michigan Typochondriacs and so some typing.

Celebrating One Year in Michigan and A Four Color Ribbon

A very special thanks to the Right Reverend Ted Munk for his comment on my last post about the Sears Forecast 12, and the link to his manual, and also to Richard Polt for the posting his manual about this type of ribbon.  Both manuals convinced me to take a cartridge apart.

Both had posted manuals for a similar typewriter that used a four color ribbon. I could only get mine to unspool the black/red.  I gave up on the ribbon and made the post. I replied that mine only had the black/red half of the ribbon. Over the next few days I kept thinking of the 4 colors. Finally I decided to take the Blue/Green cartridge apart.  I found a bunched up twisted blue/green that could not get pulled through the exit slot.  Viola! I have a working 4 color ribbon.

The spools before I opened one.

This is an open spool. I do not have any images of when I opened the blue/green. I did that one morning before work.

After carefully removing the chrome winding disk the spool cover can be removed.

The bottom of the cartridge is the same as a bottom flange of a regular spool.

This shows the slots that feed/spool the ribbon. Notice how large the space is between the cover and bottom of the cartridge.  I think that is how the blue/green got tangled.

The splice is covered with silver paint. Notice the crinkling of the left part that is the lead to the blue black half. This was all bunched up inside the slot in the cartridge and some of the ribbon was actually wound reversed.  I'm thinking it came out from between the flange and cover and was not put back in correctly by a former owner of this typewriter.  The silver paint is to indicate the end of the color and to prevent getting ink on one's fingers when changing from one bi-color to the other.  The eyelet will trip the ribbon reverse mechanism like a normal ribbon so the chosen half keeps working.

Regular spools work fine. 

Any guess as to the date of manufacture?

Sears Forecast 12.  A bit of stand-up garage typing to create the typecast.

I chose the first typewriter I got after moving to Michigan.  This is an Olivetti Lettera 22 with Victoria Elite Typeface.  The typewriter was made in the 50's.  The Serial Number matches 1950 and 1954.

Hope to see some of our friends, and make some new ones on Typewriter Day.

And the Michigan Typochondriacs have a new web site:

Michigan Typochondriacs