Woodstock: Autumn of Love

 

The newest member of my collection.

I haven't had much time to play around with it yet, but so far it appears that everything works, though the shift lock tends to stick (getting better with use and a little oil), and one of the fraction keys doesn't quite make it all the way to the platen, which is hard as a rock (which means it fits in well with every other typewriter I own. Since there's no money for big repairs or supplies right now, I just use an extra sheet or two of paper and move on).


So this means that I have two machines that need tweaked before Nano, though honestly, this beast is so loud I doubt it will get much use. It also needs one of the feet replaced.

All of these photos were taken before cleaning, unless you count the time spent with the air hose before my dad gave it to me. Most of the big stuff has been cleaned up now, but it still needs some detail cleaning. But at least now it doesn't look like you could catch plague from the keys.

 


I love open sided machines. I've been wanting one for a while. I love being able to see how everything moves, but oh my goodness is this beast loud! I haven't figured out what to call this one yet, but I'm thinking it needs a suitably rock n' roll kind of name since it is a Woodstock.

I looked up the serial number, and it looks like this one is from 1921 (It's a Model no. 5, for anyone who might be wondering).



I've already wound on a new ribbon and done a couple of type-tests on it.Nothing special in terms of font, and after a little oil it's typing almost as well as the KMM. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the KMM--big and sturdy with lots of charm, and reliable as the day is long. How many times to you just pick up a 90 year old machine and have it work like a dream?

The only thing that seems to be non functional at the moment is the paper guide. It's current position is about 1/4 inch to the left of where the platen starts, so the paper creases a little when it's rolled into place. I tried sliding it a little to the right with no luck, but I'll try again when I have more time to play with it.

Of course, Caffrey and Henry will still be getting a work out for Nano. In fact, Caffrey was out for most of the afternoon while I was typing up outlines. Eventually the Skyriter and I will stop fighting long enough to get that draw band hooked up, so that I can have another portable to use for write-ins. It's currently in time out. :/ The Woodstock, though? That one is on my good list. :)

How Modern Knitters Fix Old Tech

So I finally sat down with the steampunk-typewriter-to-be over the weekend. Can you believe, I'd actually forgotten about it? I couldn't even remember what kind it was, other than a brown portable with green keys. Yeah, that's really helpful when looking up information. It doesn't help that nowhere on the machine or the case is the model name.

It's a Skywriter, just for the record. From 1951, going by the serial number.

It's mostly metal, with a plastic cover plate. This was sent to me by a very kind typospherian whose name I tragically cannot remember at the moment because when I deleted my Yahoo account, I also deleted all of his emails.

Yes. All of them.

Yes, I did sift through my inbox to see if there was anything important. I went back a couple of months, but this exchange took place in April and May, and it didn't occur to me that I should go through EVERYTHING, and that older emails might still be relevant.

Why am I going on about this? Well, you see, the typewriter had a little snaffu in shipping. A couple things got bent, and a few snapped--namely the draw band. At first, it looked like the carriage was completely out, wouldn't move at all and one piece was loose and crooked.

Eventually, the carriage started moving again. I was able to wriggle the loose piece back into place.

...And then the typewriter sat in it's case in a corner of the living room for about three months.

When I finally got the urge to work on it, I sat down, opened the case, and had an "Oh, s$^&@" moment.

So I went to Twitter.

:headdesk: Just realized when I deleted my yahoo account, I also deleted the repair instructions for the skywriter. #blondemoment

 Damn, I love social media. Within minutes, @mpclemens and @anabstar had swooped in to the rescue.

Which is how I found myself replacing a draw band at midnight via tweet.

I had to improvise a little. And L.C. Smith and better be glad he's dead because if he'd been around that evening I would have choked him to death with my broken draw band. Do you know how hard those things are to replace?

Somewhere in there, there is a tiny hole. It is not visible, however, even when I tightened the spring wheel as tight as I possibly could. Eventually, though, the old draw band could be removed.

This was followed quickly by an "Oh, shit," moment when I realized that I'd removed the old draw band without having a replacement handy. Add to that the fact that pulling on the draw band was 75% of what was keeping the spring wheel in place, and my fingers were going numb from fighting the spring, and I quickly managed to stuff it back it by some stroke of luck.

Since I'd sat down to work on this on a whim, the extent of my preparation was to gather up some screwdrivers and a pair of tweezers. Since I'd forgotten about the broken draw band, I hadn't bought any hemp or other replacement material in advance. But, I'd been wondering for a while about the merits of...alternative draw band materials. Would they work? Would they hold up? I'm also considering this for my spinning wheel, since the elastic band it came with keeps overstretching, and the hemp bands keep wearing out.

This is a ball of crochet cotton:

This is a tea light (yes, I know. Beeswax is better, but we didn't have any and it was midnight. I'm going to pick some up this week, but I'm impatient).

This is about 14" of slip knot chain coated in wax. It has a little bit of stretch and flexibility, and is roughly the same diameter as the original hemp band.\:

I won't tell you what I said while I was rewinding the spring wheel and trying to get the end of the chain in there. It involved German, French, and Japanese, and none of it is printable here.

Eventually, I laid the knotted end over the diamond shaped opening pictured above, and jammed it in there with the tip of a flat head screwdriver. I'm pretty sure that isn't the recommended method, but it worked.

At the other end, I had a little bit of the string before it started the chain. I was able to use that to thread through the hook at the other end and attach the draw band.

In the end, I was able to get it working again....sort of. I think I threaded the draw band through (under? around?) the carriage wrong because it stops about halfway across the page and I suspect that the drawband isn't supposed to be visible out the back end of the machine. I suspect that it's getting caught on the bell, and that is preventing further movement, but I haven't finageled a tool yet that will fit in the tight space where I think it's supposed to go. All of my wire is either too thick to fit there, or too thin to hold it's shape, and it's so close in there that I can't thread whatever tool I try to use and see where it's going at the same time.

I will fight with try fixing it again later this week.

Typecast #11: Health Benefits of the Typewriter

Sent from my Smith Corona Sterling

Gift II

For those interested, I did fix the graphics I posted yesterday. The updated versions can be found here. I also uploaded it to Society 6, so they are available on tee shirts now, and can be found here in a variety of colors and sizes.

A Gift for the Typosphere

There was a keychopper at the convention. This caused an ethical quandary for me, because the same person was also selling hand knits, and while I wanted to support the knitter, I couldn't support the keychopper, especially when I spied keys just like those on my beloved Oliver gracing the table. Thus, I present a little gift for the Typosphere. Have at:


[.gif image with a transparent background]


[.jpg image with a white background]

P.S. This is now available on teeshirts and hoodies here.

Unplanned

Click to make it bigger.

I dream lo-tech and the Bing; Life in a Typewriter Shop and the post featuring the Remington.

Sweet dreams.

Hint

I've had dreams about typewriters two nights in a row now. I think the universe is trying to tell me something, I just don't know what it is.

But I'm probably using the wrong medium.

Meme

Edited to make it a little easier to read. Click on the images to make them bigger.

And Now a Word from our Sponsors

I have reached a decision. I have been trying for months to refurbish the Royalite, and I really wanted to use it. However, every time I try to use it I want to throw it out a window. I don't think there's really anything WRONG or broken (except the tab key), it just doesn't work for me. I find the action frustrating and slow, and I dislike the typeface.

I did start to repaint it, but all of the decals are intact. It does need new feet. It types fine, but it's not great. I like my pre-war machines better.

I paid $10 for it plus shipping, and I am asking the same if anyone is interested. I would also be interested if anyone wants to do a straight up trade for a portable from the 1920s-40s, or possibly one of these Underwoods (the full wishlist can be found here). If you are interested, please send me an email at [knot magick AT yahoo DOT com]. Of course, that should be all one word with the proper symbols inserted.

ETA: The links have been fixed.

In Passing

It is late. I have to be up early.

Since we have virtual type-ins, how about you guys join me for some virtual breakfast tomorrow morning?


My only problem with this is that in the project description, they describe a typewriter as "useless object."

(click the image to go to the origin page)

Fashionably Late

My roommate, who really doesn't get the whole typewriter thing, but supports it anyway, got me this shirt as a random surprise. It showed up on February 1, which is just kissmet. If you want to snag your own, you can find it here along with dozens of other lovely typewriter themed artwork in all forms.

Nepotism Fail

The review of the Royalite. Click it to make it bigger.


So, overall, the Royalite is a disappointment, except as a craft project. I will get back to the painting and revamping here soon, but first I need to finish my Christmas knitting (so behind!!) and knock a couple of sewing projects off my list (like curtains. We need curtains).

A Moment of Weakness...

...has resulted in the purchase of a typewriter. It's not here yet, but I'm thinking...this model is very common. It's not really to my liking aesthetically (wrong decade, though I like the general shape, and the wrong color most assuredly), so I'm wondering: How do you in the typosphere feel about modified typewriters? Do you prefer them "stock", just cleaned and oiled, or are you secretly jonesing for something more unique and artistic looking? Is it okay for more common machines? Not at all? What kind of modifications would you make, were to you make them?

Episode 04 of Typecast is up!

It's been a while, I know. But fear not, because Typecast is back. Episode 4: Return from Nowhere should be hitting your iTunes feeds shortly, and if you simply can't wait that long (or don't have a subscription--for shame!) then you can get your fix here:

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Moving House

I am sort of back online after moving. And damn, I take four days off from the the internet and come back to 42 posts in my blogroll, most of them from the typosphere! Looks like I missed quite the weekend. The Boston Typeout sounds like a lot of fun. I'd love to have one around here, but I think I'm the only central Ohioan, and I'm under strict orders not to use my typewriter when Missouri is home (You would think someone who has had 3(!!) novels accepted for publication this year would have a little more respect for antique writing machines, but no), so I don't think she'd appreciate an invasion of them. For that matter, neither would the neighbors.

I'm mostly unpacked and the apartment is as set up as it's going to get until we can buy more furniture. I'm not moving all of my typewriters right now, since I don't have a place to put them and two of the three are semi- to non-functional, so that means only Henry gets to make the move. He'll probably be living on an ottoman or on the trunk I keep my sweaters in for a few weeks until I can find a desk. I would display him in the living room, since a Royal KMM fits perfectly with our decor, but I don't fancy hauling 40lbs of cast iron to the other end of the apartment every time I want to type.

Busy day planned for today (like hauling all of the empty boxes downstairs and to the dumpsters at the end of the block, waiting for my parents to bring the rest of the furniture, shopping, and filing all of the paperwork that goes along with moving), so I'll have to sign off.

ETA: a new episode of the podcast is recorded. However, podbean seems to disagree with my borrowed internet connection. As soon as they decide to start playing nice with each other, episode 4 will become available for download. Cross your fingers and watch this space!

A List, Some Reviews, and BOOYA!

1. I recently finished Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light by Tanya Huff. This was her second or third novel, I believe, and one of her lesser known ones. I strongly recommend that any fans of urban fantasy check it out as it is just as good as her Blood Ties books. It follows nicely in the vein of The Enchantment Emporium (or would it be leads, since it came out first?). I found it as part of a twofer, Of Darkness, Light, and Fire, which includes another of her early works. I've only just started that one but it promises to be just as good, if not better.

2. I also finished reading The Enchanted Typewriter. I am planning a more complete review for the podcast, which I hope to record tomorrow. If it doesn't happen then...well, I mentioned at the outset that the production schedule would likely be sporadic. It will probably be November before I manage to get another episode out.

3. Part of that delay is that I am moving over Halloween weekend. No idea when I will regain internet access or how long it will be down.

4. The typosphere has been abuzz with the upcoming start of NaNoWriMo. Just to set the record straight: I have no plans to participate. My only acquaintance with short deadlines is the whizzing sound they make as they zip by and they've nearly decapitated me on an occasion or two so I generally avoid them on principal. I will, however, endeavor to finish Threadbare (formerly known as Fortune's Fight) BEFORE the start of November, if my paying job doesn't suck the life out of me like so many vampires. (Really, it's like Dracula meets Clueless. Never give a vampire a credit card.) I am doing this so that I can work on my Untitled Jazzpunk Novel as soon as possible, because...

5. THE THREE MUSKETEERS IS AWESOME. Seriously. Alexandre Dumas + Orlando Bloom + Matthew Mcfadyen + steampunk = THE BEST THING EVER. EVER! Also, it was total costume p0rn and I want every single outfit and prop associated with Countess de Winter. I have a strong desire to cosplay her at the earliest opportunity.


6. While it isn't truly a costume, I did finish knitting my Quebecois pride hat this week. This has been in my queue for years (ever since I made a scarf based on the Canadian flag). This couldn't have come at a better time, since...

7. Thursday night we drove out to Beavercreek for the Kathy Reichs signing. For those of you unfamiliar, she wrote the books that the Bones TV series are based on, though other than the name and occupation of the main character they really bear no resemblance to the source material. (For those not catching the connection here, in the books Temperance divides her time between a North Carolina university, and working for the government of Quebec. In Montreal. In a building that I am enough of a fangirl to have photographed just for it's relationship to the books.) Sadly, both Mom and I forgot our cameras, so I only have one cellphone picture:


So that is my list of awesome. We'll see what next week holds.

P.S. I just went through to add links to everything in this post, and it appears Kathy's site is down due to bandwidth limits. Looks like that last signing broke teh internets.

I've taken the leap...

...and landed in the technological age. Last week I ordered a Nook, which arrived yesterday. Before you get too shocked though, I should mention that it is a Nook First Edition, which I bought used because the newer ones just didn't appeal to me.

Also, it was cheaper. And less complicated.

The first thing I did was a search for "typewriter" in the ebook library, and came across a book called The Enchanted Typewriter by John Kendrick Bangs. There are several versions of it available, but I picked the free one because I'm cheap like that. So far it isn't bad, but the formatting is horrible. It was very obviously scanned directly into whatever program they use to create their ebooks, using something that translated the images into text because there are a lot of spelling and punctuation problems (things like "tell" turning into "teU", apostrophe's turning into asterisks, stuff like that). Maybe these have been edited out in the paid versions, but I don't know.

I will say that if you haven't read this book, you might want to give it a quick read. It's about 75 pages, according to the Nook, and is pretty amusing. The basic premise is that the main character, a man who is generally content to enjoy his own pleasures (usually late dinners and lots of wine at his local gentleman's club) comes home one night to discover a ghost sitting at the typewriter in his upstairs room. They proceed to have a conversation (the ghost typing out his answers), and eventually strike an agreement that the ghost can use the typewriter to work on the gazette he publishes for the ghosts in Hades, while the owner of the typewriter can use the printed off pages for his own purposes. Other ghosts show up as well, including a very odd, very independently minded woman who takes over for him while he is being punished for claiming to be (in various incarnations) Adam, Noah, Jonah, and William Shakespeare. Much of the dialogue strikes me as Victorian locker-room talk (such as a conversation they have involving the merits of King Henry VIII), but it's amusing nonetheless and good for a chuckle.

In other book related news, my mom and I along with a family friend will be going to see Kathy Reichs at her book signing over in Beavercreek. For those who don't know, Ms. Reichs is the author and creator of the book series behind the Bones television series. If you want to join us, the signing is at 7 pm at Books&Co on the Green on Thursday. I'll be the one wearing a hat that looks like the Quebec flag.

Currently Reading: The Fire's Stone
Currently Watching: Practical Magic

Typecast #8

Typecast #7

Typecast #6

Sent from my Royal KMM.