Underwood No.5 Carriage Remove

[@WaskiSquirrel]

This was really helpful! Just removed the carriage. You didn't explain what to do with the drawstring, but I figured it out. I did a ton of cleaning. Now my worry is how to replace the drawstring!

[@mattrobinson47]

This video will save me hours of labor. Just got a rusty but operable Underwood 5, escapement is slow, but now I know how to get at it for cleaning. Five ⭐️

[@loveisall5520]

I learned to type as a little boy at age six in 1961 on my parents' Underwood 5, fortunately in great shape. My little hands weren't strong enough to lift the carriage shift with my pinkies, had to use my index and middle fingers. Today, at sixty-six, I own a 1939 World's Fair Underwood S, restored, and still love just sitting at it banging out words in Elite type...

[@shedactivist]

Thanks for this. Easy when you know how. I've been staring at my Underwood for hours wondering how to remove the carriage.

[@BooksForever]

Thanks for boosting my confidence with this useful bit of knowledge/instruction.

[@berniepokorski2489]

Great Video! I have always found it to be a good practice to reinstall the bolts /screws where they came out of ( whenever possible) as I disassemble a machine's various assemblies... It sure saves me a lot of time when reassembling something. .

[@kennygk79]

Great point!

[@grifter1964]

Do you have any videos on removing the platen and feed rollers?

[@billogle4776]

Ken it's been 60 years since I even looked at an old Underwood, but can't you slide the carriage to the after you remove the front rail and the stop under the right hand front rail screw....

[@kennygk79]

With the carriage frame and skeleton carriage thing going on, the Underwood's a unit that was definitely made for simplicity in taking apart into sections. I remove the screws at each end, holding down the way rod, probably because the old Complete Instructions How to repair, Rebuild and Adjust Underwood Typewriters book (compiled by H. G. Pearce, copyright 1920) that I used, shows the machine with carriage removed (plate 7, "Looking into machine, carriage off") with that rear bar removed.

[@billogle4776]

@@kennygk79 Keep up the good work Ken, with blokes like you the trade maybe revived, I wouldn't take too much notice of repair manuals, they're usually written by blokes with a lot of theory and not much practical experience..I remember quite well Remington had a big problem with their SJ 1/2 spacing, it wouldn't hold. the factory issued a fix instruction and implemented the fix it's self. An adjustable stop screw that limited on the car into the line space lever that limited on the carriage end plate...The problem really didn't exist, the line space detent hadn't been adjusted properly and didn't sit into the teeth of the line space wheel.

[@ryansorrells3023]

How do you remove the carriage on a no. 6???

[@alecrigik5768]

Thanks for the tutorial, Ken! I've just started cleaning up a 1920 no. 5 gifted from a family friend. She's all in one piece, but I'm finding a significant amount of rust on most every surface. Any tips on how to deal with the rust on the carriage bar and other moving parts, or ideas on how to clean and lubricate the sticking keys? I've heard Hoppes no. 9 gun oil can work well, but I don't want to damage anything by using too aggressive of an applicator (wire brush, etc.). Thanks!

[@ryantaylor2595]

Evap-o-rust for rust removal. As for the stuck keys, and lubrication. Compressed air/paint brush/brake cleaner for cleaning where you have a lot of lint in the segment etc. As for lubrication, use a white oil, or Rem Oil. The Hoppe's #9 oil with the needle applicator is great as well.

[@berniepokorski2489]

Great Video! Yesterday, I bought a 1924 UNDERWOOD No.5 with its platen assembly loose ( completely separated from the carriage assembly). Now I need to figure out how to install that platen assembly. After several attempts, it appears that it will not mount back into the carriage assembly with the carriage assembly mounted on the typewriter. ...maybe I need to remove the carriage assembly from the typewriter to install the platen assembly into it before installing the combined assembly back onto the typewriter?

[@kennygk79]

Those platens are removeable w/o need of carriage removal. Remember too, the carriage assembly on Desktop model Underwood's has a "skeleton carriage;" meaning the thing is two separate parts. If you can, try referencing some Underwood 3, 4, 5, platen and carriage literature. writingball.blogspot.com/2015/06/quiz-answer.html speaks briefly on the subject, and Richard Polt has free owner's manuals at site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html which should help too.

[@bretonmoody454]

Hi Ken thanks for the video got my carrige off and found the problem with my carrige advance, the gear that works it was not setting right not sure if the backing is broken or if I'm missing a spacer any ideas or how/where to find parts

[@danielbailey1489]

Worked like a charm, mine has no draw band and it’s full of dust so it needed to be stripped down.

[@danmiller6890]

Hi Ken, have you ever removed the carriage on a Smith Corona Galaxie 12 or similar Smith Corona manual typewriter from the late sixties? If so, was it difficult or is there anything I need to beware of before attempting? I removed the carriage on my Hermes Rocket and it was a disaster. I still can't get it back together due to numerous ball bearings and spur like pieces. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks! I actually live in Mount Pleasant, WI and work in New Berlin which is near you I believe.

[@kennygk79]

If the carriage has loose ball bearings sitting inside star washers, it is a royal pain. The trick to reinstall the one 40's machine I took a carriage off was a small tad of super-glue to hold them together for reassembly. After getting them in exact position, work carriage back and forth to break free the glue hold. I only remove a carriage when have to. Another thing might be finding somewhere to attach and hold the draw-string cord before pulling the carriage. Don't remove carriage before disconnecting the tensioned draw-string cord, or the thing's sure to slip and unwind the mainspring. Those rear carriage raceway screws on Smith Corona's carriage are for adjusting carriage grip to rail track. If your just trying to adjust a loose or binding carriage you may not need to pull it at all. Say you've got too much play in a carriage; loosen the raceway screws on side that's sloppy; compress the track rail and while holding compression re-tighten screws. Squeezing together carriage halves to tight and carriage will bind, and too much carriage play means needing more compressing. If the 12" carriage has Carriage Trucks (long rod assembly in carriage track vs. loose bearings and washers) your not going to have all those problems though. A spring hook can be used to guide truck out carefully. The word of caution from the 6 Series manual is "Truck Assemblies must be straight and teeth of Truck Gears must mesh properly with Carriage Plate and Carriage Bedplate."

[@danmiller6890]

Ken, thanks much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I truly appreciate it. The more people I talk to the more I now know not to mess with removing carriages. I like to tinker with typewriters and I’m fairly decent at fixing them but definitely not a professional. My collection currently is about 25 machines. Wish there were more people in our area interested in these things, I’d love to meet them and swap stories. Thanks again. -Dan

[@kennygk79]

Your welcome Dan. I agree 100%! "Wish there were more . . . meet and swap stories." We're here with Winter and other weather than Joe Van Cleve and those fella's that have monthly outdoor type gatherings in Arizona. I've tried testing the "local waters;" tried selling a few typewriters through my Dad's Pro-sop at my family's club in Campbellsport, WI. (Wild Wings Sportsman's Club ). There's zero interest from anyone who comes there. The people only come out to hunt and shoot sporting clays. Also, I've tried sparking interest in typewriters to my co-workers at the Senior Living Community, but they ALL seem less than enthused about getting involved with typewriters. Heck, even Ace Business Machines (one of our local WI. typewriter repair shops) is small, dirty, and over priced. Local Milwaukee Journal typewriter news claims there's a revival here though (see link) kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZ3No3-Oh8R9bK8

[@craigsilsbee4094]

Ken, thanks for this video. I just bought a 1916 Underwood #5 and it’s draw-band is broken. Your video will help be access that area as I try to fix it. Do you plan to have any further videos on this Underwood? We’d love to see them!

[@kennygk79]

Your welcome and thanks for watching. Usually, unless something's odd or broken on mine I don't film. But, sense it's an unusual typewriter I'll put up a video tonight about removing the typebars on an Underwood.

[@tmunk]

nice tutorial, good luck with the rust removal! (:

[@hilarioamezola9162]

Thank you