SHOP TALK!! Olympia SF/Splendid carriage removal

You need to work on your escapement? Gotta pull that carriage! Here’s how

[@michaelkirwan177]

Perhaps at some future date you could make a video dedicated to demounting the carriage assembly and address the re-insertion & distribution of those trace installations and the best way that you have deduced as to how to deal with the little critters. If you could mitigate the anxiety, or apprehension experienced by those of us who haven't done one of these it would prove an invaluable focus piece for our video libraries. Thanks for taking this subject on. Mike Kirwan - Kenmore, WA

[@rickwillis1437]

Perfect timing for my project!!! Thanks a ton!

[@rickwillis1437]

So, I practiced on my SF parts machine yesterday, and . . . things . . . "escalated." Putting it aside for a long, rainy day to thread the needle with those traces. At least I got the silent return clip reseated, and the drawband is secure. Thanks again!

[@TypewriterJustice]

Rick Willis it can be tricky, but if you keep at it you’ll get it

[@douglasjackson9058]

Thank you Charlie,this will be very helpful should I encounter a Olympia ultra portable. Well Done! Great information as always. Your videos are very appreciated.

[@amlopex]

Hello, that’s great but what if the string is already out? How is that fixed? I mean, how many turns should I give?

[@alexisferrisbridoux5586]

Hi, I just bought a Traveller Deluxe used and when it arrived, the carriage is super loose. I can't find anything online to tell me how to resecure it. Any advice? Thanks.

[@scottnewland]

Any chance you or anyone following has a parts breakdown (schematic) of the SM3 intervariable adjuster? I’m not sure this is the right name of the part, but this is what I refer to as the knob you depress on the right roller knob, I believe it just allows the platen to spin without engagin gears. The button is a long shaft that connects to the left side roller knob. I need to repair as pushing the button does nothing. I can not find a repair vid online or a parts schematic in any of the online Ames Manuals, so I am just stuck!

[@bletheringfool]

I just need to remove the platen roller itself not the whole thing. There's a sticky label causing a paper jam. Have you ever tried that? The machine I have is a splendid 33 from the early 60s but I'm assuming most olympias of that era have the same style mechanisms. I was advised on a help forum to remove via a screw, the left hand side knob and undo another couple of screws on the other side, but I'm worried about unscrewing the wrong thing. Great video by the way. It looks cool in that form

[@TypewriterJustice]

the platen is pretty easy on these, so have no fear. engage the index detent(silver lever, left end of the carriage) then remove the Left knob. after that you can loosen or remove the platen collar screws from the Right end of the platen, and then spin the right knob(which will also wiggle & spin the platen rod) as you pull the rod & Right knob out to the right. To reinstall, make sure the detent is still engaged then do everything you just did only backwards. holler if you get stuck!

[@bletheringfool]

@@TypewriterJustice I'm being dumb. I unscrewed both knobs but can't think what the collar part is, the manual only goes so far in labelling the parts. I don't think I should have unscrewed the right knob

[@TypewriterJustice]

@@bletheringfool put the R knob back on, then look at the little space between the platen & the end of the carriage - there is a small flange(the platen collar) that extends out from the platen, and there will be one or two ‘grub’ screws there which grip that same rod that the knob attaches to; remove those, then twist the R knob as you pull the rod out towards the right. once the platen rod is out, slide the carriage all the way to the right, and lift the platen up by the R end & take it out; to put it back in, engage the index detent(lever on the left end of the carriage) then repeat all the steps in reverse. holler if you get stuck! i’m on IG, btw - sometimes i miss youtube comments, but IG messages usually reach me(plus i can send you pictures of what i’m talking about)

[@bletheringfool]

@@TypewriterJustice I finally got this sorted. The job itself took about 5mins but the main concern was the bloody tiny screws that kept falling on my kitchen floor!! I can't thank you enough

[@pattyperkins2695]

Watched this video on carriage removal (which is overkill for what I'm looking for), and another video you did on an Olympia ultraportable where you reference that you had just had the platen recovered. I have an Olympia Spendid 33 that I'm trying to remove the platen on and not having any luck. Any change you have a video on that process that I just missed??

[@TypewriterJustice]

no video on it, but to get those platens out: 1)remove the left knob 2)remove platen collar screws from R end of platen 3)pull R knob & platen rod out towards the right, twisting as you go 4)lift platen from R end, up & out 5)rejoice

[@matthewfurst1268]

I know you made this video a year ago and so you may have gotten rid of this machine by now. I recently purchased (luckily for very cheap) a questionable Olympia SF that right off the bat I could tell had major issues. The carriage would basically not move if the escapement was engaged. And so I decided to take off the carriage to inspect. What I found was very unusual and disappointing. As I was unscrewing the escapement screw, I noticed that it would alternate with becoming difficult to turn and then easy every half turn. When I got it out I realized why; the screw itself was bent! That means this carriage must have taken quite a blow at some point. I was wondering if you still have this "parts machine" if you would be able to spare that escapement screw? Otherwise I'm afraid mine will become a paper weight.

[@slow.poetry]

Is it simple to remove all the body panels in order to paint? The Splendids used paint that ages horribly, but I'm afraid removing them is too complex without a lot of experience.

[@TypewriterJustice]

@@slow.poetry they’re quite easy, you just need to have proper screwdrivers to not strip the screws & perhaps an offset driver for the paper table screw(but meh). Mind the plastic margin indicator scale on the back plate of the carriage, it breaks easily - i usually remove it before wiggling the back plate out of the carriage frame. They’re pretty straightforward, you’ll be fine :)

[@TypewriterJustice]

@@slow.poetry if you’re comfortable removing the platen, the body & carriage panels are no problem; if you’ve never pulled the platen, start there :)

[@carlclark1757]

A question, and an observation: 1) How applicable is this procedure to the SM-series Olympias? (aside from the obvious things like "don't let the drawband get away from you"); 2) your standard for what constitutes a "dirty" typewriter is much higher than mine - I don't think that one is that bad!

[@TypewriterJustice]

Carl Clark so far as the SM series goes, they’re a whole different critter, and the carriage is completely different; this procedure is ONLY for the SF family. re the state of the parts machine in the video...trust me, it’s worse than it looks LOL i already blew out all the really fluffy stuff, but the grimy gooey gross gunk on the rest of the machine is less readily visible, though no less present, i assure you :)

[@LazyDogTypewriters]

ung, I'm hunting for a show and tell for retensioning a drawband on an SM7. More horrors await I am afraid...

[@TypewriterJustice]

Lazy Dog Typewriters - i don’t have an SM7 right now or i would make a video for you. It’s no worse than any other, though. Use a bit of wire to feed your draw and under the carriage, and wear latex gloves to help with grip as you tension up the spring. A bit of profanity, a cup of coffee, and a shot of whiskey all help :)

[@LazyDogTypewriters]

@@TypewriterJustice Gracias Amigo. I sweated it out in the garage this afternoon. The challenge was having to keep the drawband attached, taped to the side of the spring housing, while adding several turns of tension. Somehow I managed. Gloves would have been a great idea. There was a bit of swearing. More so when I got ambitious and also said, Hey I think I'll fix that Tab Brake flywheel too ....spring! there goes the e-clip into the e-ther....