Type Shop, Ep. 2: HOW TO INSTALL A CARRIAGE ON A ROYAL TYPEWRITER

Carriage installation on any post 1926 Royal Portable typewriter. Exactly how to get those pesky ball bearings in place in under ten minutes.
As an extra tip, When you begin to install the carriage from the left, make sure the margin stop arm is on the outside of the carriage frame. I show it on the inside in the video, don't do that. Keeping it on the outside as you install both bearings ensures that when you hit margin release, the bearings are far enough in that they won't fall out.

[@adampark9979]

A straw? A gott damn straw? I came across this video after countless hours, a lot of torn up fingers, and months removed from the end of my life to realize (now that I have my Royal Commander back together again) that all I needed was a straw?! I literally worked on this project on and off for a year and a straw would have had it done in an afternoon. This is actually the most helpful video I have ever come across on the entire youtube (well, it would have been yesterday). LOL

[@ronbouchard2842]

Thanks, Lucas! I spent a great deal of time just trying to figure out how to get the carriage off. I am glad that I did not considering the mess I would have had if I had not watched the full video. Great! Thanks!

[@billogle4776]

Well Lucas, your never to old to learn, from the younger generation, would never have thought of the drinking straw solution......as ..usual, love your work

[@otterchen]

Your Video saved another Royal Portable, now it is working again, ready to write history. Thanks a lot.

[@robmckaughan]

Thank you, Lucas! You have saved my sanity as well as my QDL.

[@rossman1600]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[@douglasjackson9058]

Great video haven't had to do this....yet. But when I do I will be using this video. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@someonespadre]

Just got a 1952 Royal QDL with the carriage off, cheap. Found 4 ball bearings and 3 of the gear washers, found one inside the machine, maybe the 4th one is in there somewhere stuck to the copious grime build up. I have a gear washer from a Smith Corona, it appears identical so I may use it. Maybe I can get it back on. I will say the access is great with the carriage off.

[@TypewriterChicago]

The Smith corona parts will work!!

[@someonespadre]

@@TypewriterChicagoyou are recommending starting with the carriage to the left (opposite of the video) and I need to remove the little screw on the carriage rail (mine is installed)?

[@someonespadre]

Found the missing gear washer, it was in the bottom of the case.

[@TypewriterChicago]

Yes @@someonespadre You don't want to work against the ratchet

[@pattibarnett9713]

I got it on the first try Lucas, Thanks!

[@bwhog]

So if someone wants to learn the right way to remove and re-install a carriage, what's a good unit to start with? That is, which typewriter is the friendliest to work with for this job? I mean, since experience is everything and I know that I'm almost certainly going to have to do this at some point, I may as well learn on a working unit instead of a broken one.

[@PandorasCrate0]

I’ve been at this for a while on a futura 800, and no matter what I do or how I place the bearings, they just plop right out, even with the stopper screws in. I’ve even tried a few different stopper screws and nuthin. I am at a loss. I’ve done this before on older machines, but for some reason unbeknownst to me the Futura is being a jerk.

[@JB-uv4hm]

So do these bearing fail often? Symptom? A rough carriage movement at a particular spot?

[@lannyjohnson2362]

Lucas do you have a video on how to take the carrier off of a royal aristocrat typewriter?

[@lannyjohnson2362]

I got two of them identical and they won't space or Tide I've got to get in there to see what's going on with escapement

[@joeydd1695]

Hi Lucas, thanks for the video! I got all 4 gears on, then you said put the tiny screw back on….well it come with one…what am I to do… now I know why the carriage was rocking back and forth when I got it home. Do you know where I can find that tiny screw?? Help!!

[@joeydd1695]

Oh another question, where does that screw go in the carriage? I can’t seem to find a screw home for it

[@TypewriterChicago]

@@joeydd1695 The tiny screw will not prevent the carriage from rocking, your issue is an adjustment on the lower rails not being within tolerance. The tiny screw goes into the end of the carriage rail. Look at 0:39 in the video.

[@TypewriterCollector]

Thanks for sharing. Does your camera not have autofocus?

[@TypewriterChicago]

It does not.

[@GMiller526]

This was great. I probably took the 25-30 minutes to get it done but it worked so well. Consider that I had this sitting on my workbench for at least a year completely stumped about how to get the carriage back on (and depressed). Now that it is back on I do not know how to re-hook the string that has the tension on the wheel that makes the carriage move back once I have returned the carriage and resumed typing. I took the lasso off the hook when I removed the carriage and now I can't figure out how to get the tension back on and get this reinstalled correctly. Is there a video or way you can explain it to me? I am almost there but this problem confuses me.

[@TypewriterChicago]

Facing the back of the machine, you spin the drum counterclockwise about 6 times and then hook the drawband to the drum, and to the retainer post on the left of the machine. Then install the carriage. If the carriage is already on, you'll need to use a long spring hook to pull it through to the other side.

[@ChefGourmet]

I've been looking all over KZbin for a video about installing the carriage on an Underwood 319. It has similar bearings with the star gear, except two bearings fit into a horizontal metal strip, and the star gear is in the middle of this strip. I have absolutely no idea how to install it. Would you happen to know if the method is similar to this typewriter, or some completely different method?

[@TypewriterChicago]

This would be a very different process, one I cannot walk you through without first doing myself. I think I know what type you're talking about, but I am not for sure. Some bearing strips need to be partially installed first, then the carriage goes on.

[@ChefGourmet]

@@TypewriterChicago Here is a picture of the bearings and strips in question. The bearings just kind of sit loosely in the strip imgur.com/a/nybMmER

[@TypewriterChicago]

@@ChefGourmet depending on the carriage rails, they may have to be halfway installed, or installed together with the carriage.

[@carlclark1757]

Is this technique applicable to the desktop Royals as well as the portables? I ask because I've removed and replaced the carriage on an HH, with much difficulty, and I have a couple of KMGs that I'll be working on at some point soon and would like to get this right the first time.

[@TypewriterChicago]

Not at all, though the standards are much easier. The only issue with that are stuck screws. When you put the bearings and gears back, make sure they are lined up with the indicator arrows. Then you carefully lay the carriage on top and replace the brackets and such.

[@carlclark1757]

@@TypewriterChicago Glad I asked - so the key is probably to pay more attention to locating the indicator arrows, which I don't even recall seeing last time around. Thanks!

[@littlebittathisnthatfirear8048]

Is this roughly the same for all ball bearing star wheeled machines? A 54 underwood for example?

[@TypewriterChicago]

Roughly yes, some of those era Underwood still needed a rear rail rack removed. All the ones that used bearing trucks. Lose bearings yes, however the way the carriage is removed varies. With Underwood especially a lot must be removed at times

[@littlebittathisnthatfirear8048]

@@TypewriterChicago i appreciate you! My jewell seems to have a issue with a silent return and theres no acess to escapement from behind or below lol. They hid it very well

[@alexmiller5945]

Do you know where I can buy the star gears? I restored my 1935 model O portable a few months ago, and I only managed to get two of the ball bearings with the star gears in, after many hours of frustration I gave up on the other 2 because I thought it was too tight, so not knowing what to do I put the rear 2 ball bearings back in without the star gears thinking it will be fine, well now I'm sitting here realizing why those star gears are there, it's so the two ball bearings don't just work their way towards the middle of the track and make the carriage rough or even worse make the bearings fall out, and I'm also realizing that I threw those star gears out thinking my restoration was complete UHH! so anyways do you know where I could get my hands on 2 of these star gears?

[@TypewriterChicago]

I am hurting all over to hear you threw them out, they are tricky to come by. If we are both lucky, I might have two sitting around somewhere. You can contact me through my website. www.lucasdul.com/typewriters If you would like to purchase ribbons, you can add those star wheels in the end notes and I'll get a price quote for you.

[@alexmiller5945]

@@TypewriterChicago I just sent an email to you about the parts thanks so much for being willing to help