Typewriter Repair Failure

[@otterchen]

Working with typewriters is creativity, be creative to find them, be creative to clean them, be creative to bring them to function, be creative to repair them, be creative to write on them. I think, often machines are butcherd by overconfidence, bit even then there is the learningprocess in the margins we work in repairing and getting better and saving more of these marvels for writing. Success and failure are good teachers.

[@ronkelsey1983]

This machine is on my bucket list since i saw one in Albuquerque two years ago. You do a great service by telling us what to watch out for.

[@brettmanuel3440]

I love the look of that Olivetti praxis! You’ve inspired me to look out for one.

[@michaelbrown5044]

Thanks, Joe. Another great tutorial.

[@dianemaher3538]

Thanks for another interesting video Joe! 😎 It's always so great how well you are able to explain these things.

[@someonespadre]

In one of his war correspondent articles Ernie Pyle wrote his typewriter broke such that the return lever no longer worked so he returned the carriage by pulling and twisting the same way. I think he was in Anzio.

[@scuderianorreno]

Nice video Joe! That clutch engagement did look a bit violent though. You can adjust the engagement by using softer springs (the two holding the clutch spring plate). I have overhauled a few electric Olivettis and I quite like the way they work, though I know a lot of people seem to dislike them.

[@AtelierDBurgoyne]

You evidently researched and learned the details of that mechanism, and it is an impressive one! I cannot help myself but try to jump in and find a solution for the carriage return issue, admittedly even if you are happy with the solution you devised, with the simple fix suggested by your wife ❤ If you ever feel like going at it again, I wonder if it would be possible to use a cycling/timing tool, like the one used on the Selectrics, that allows the observation of a cycle by turning the main shaft slowly and in small steps. Does the service manual mention the use of such a tool? My thinking is that the tool might help see in slow motion the carriage return mechanism doing its cycle, identify why it doesn't latch off, as you have said in the video. Another thought: what if the rubber put on the clutch is too grippy and the design requires some slippage of the clutch at the end of the CR cycle to complete the latching off? I hear the grinding of a safety clutch as if the mechanism was locking up. I might not have that right though... In any case, this is an excellent repair video! Thanks for sharing it.❤ Daniel

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I’ve hand cycled it by turning the secondary pulley but as of yet haven’t isolated the problem. As of right now the machine is back together and working with the manual return, at some future date I may revisit it.

[@paulopirescoelho4973]

Very good! I have one of these and it works perfectly. The only problem is that the carriage returns very slowly and I need to help with my hand, but when it reaches the left margin, it engages normally... now I know this machine much better. Thanks ! For me, as an architect, this is the most beautiful typewriter ever designed... Frank Lloyd Wright would have loved it...

[@douglasjackson9058]

Lots going on there!

[@douglasjackson9058]

When knowledge is gained....is it really a failure?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I think not, thank you!

[@ianrobbins]

AT 9 :15 looks like there is a spring missing.

[@JB-uv4hm]

You need a Brother JP-2.

[@saulysw]

Often using an old machine involves some form of of compromise. Where that line in the sand is for “unusable” differs for each person. For me, the return is such an important function I would not accept it not working. The section on “knowing your limits” resonated with me deeply though. I am also on the more cautious end, starting out with just changing a ribbon. I have a computer keyboard that needed repairs that took me 11 years to get the right knowledge and resources to fix! That is a bit extreme, but a “do no harm” approach leaves you options in the future. Your block of wood can easily be removed, which is a good thing. I did see briefly in the tour of the linkage a small hole that might have been where a spring attached? When I get to a PC I’ll give you a timestamp for it. Also, I’m assuming you have lubricated lightly all of those links? Regards.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Yes, I’ve gone through several rounds of degreasing and lubrication with both light oil and light grease like Lubriplate. The original grease looked like a yellowish light grease. I’ll continue to study the service manual and perhaps try tackling it again. In the meanwhile it types nicely!

[@saulysw]

@@Joe_VanCleave 15:50 is where I see a hole in the metal that might have a lost spring? Not the grease covered bit, further up. I'm not sure where the other end would go - maybe even the hole in the grease covered bit, haha? This is totally a guess and may well be completely wrong.

[@christophermckellar1352]

Good one. Win indeed! Thanks.

[@dadtype2339]

Hi Joe, After here check out message box, there something I can't put out here. Well I for one am VERY PLEASED YOU PUT THIS UP, although do you think sometimes you could tell how the paneling comes off the Praxis 48 😁, I'm glad to get a better view around your naked machine, as you may recall, I have not just 1 but 2!!!! Praxis 48 and neither work, well, one works but doesn't type, the other does nothing, as it was my hope that would be a donor machine. Because it's such a complex machine and with all I have going on health stuff too, as I'm just recovering from a nasty bronchitis turn pneumonia plus other issues and deadlines like the temporal letter box.....sigh, I just haven't had a full day where I can sit down and work on it guilt free lol, it will probably be a good winter project when it's too cold to do anything outside and rainy, and I'm actually thinking about doing things on like a Friday night after dinner so I can work distraction free no phone calls no doorbells, and have access to the kitchen table the longest just work all night and well into the next early morning the O-dark thirty hours. Question here for ya Joe, do the green keys pop off, and how? The good machine I have, looks like a small dog gnawed on the raised keys but the bad machine I have has Perfect condition keys, I'd like to try and swap them. I think any repair that results in restored function is considered a good repair. Repairs have goals, if you fail to reach those goals specifically then yes the repair was a fail as the goal was not reached, however if the repair was made and goals not reached BUT you managed to circumvent the goal with the outcome of a fix or restored working order, it would be in my book considered a Bypass Repair. Either way experience is gained and nothing was wasted. The only failed repair I have had was with a SCM 1970 Electra 120, I paid $9.00 that included shipping, but because the seller on eBay uses the words Appears to be in working order but not tested, the motor was shot, all they had to do was plug it in, turn it on and hear nothing, as well as hit a key that did nothing. Turned out the seller refunded the money and didn't want the machine back as shipping would have been too much for them, so I got to keep it. I did offer to pay the shipping as I didn't want the person to feel bad like they lost the machine but they were fine with it after all it was just 9 bucks. Well I looked around and found an electric motor from a Kodak projection carousel from the 1970s-80's I think they kept the same motor in the early 90s too well that is the same kind of motor but a tad bigger, there is room for it but some pretty good customization and interior remodeling would be needed to fabricate a space and bracket to hold the new motor I just stopped and didn't continue, I still have everything the 120 typewriter and motor I got for it, it's all together in the attic, waiting for it's day, I'll get around to it, one of the main problems for me to do repairs I just don't have anywhere to work, the house my wife had when we dated is still the same place and there is no garage it's lol a shoe for a mother hen and her chicks. Been looking but the housing market in NC is no picnic, hard to find a home that will meet the demand of five people, most everything around our area is 3 to maybe 4 bedroom. When one does open up that's perfect they want the price of a small city lol. Anyway. That repair was a failure as the goal was not reached. I have however made repairs to other machines like my 1952 Olympia SM3 that had shipping damage because the guy who shipped it to me from Germany did not listen to me on Not relying ONLY on the wooden case to protect it. That I was able to spend 4 days on and made full restoration repairs, never worked on it before, I fall into the category of careful to repair but brave to do it because I'm Confident in my retired ASE Master Mechanic skills. But yeah some typewriters make me a little nervous lol. Thanks for reading and Joe don't for get to check out our message box.

[@JB-uv4hm]

Is there a service manual for this out there somewhere?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Yes: site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlivettiPraxis48Service.pdf

[@JB-uv4hm]

@ Thanks. I didn’t think to look in the obvious place.

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

O.K.

[@tmunk]

Must be an Italian design :D

[@JB-uv4hm]

I good vid on why not to get a P48.