Small, Charming. and Very Friendly

You have probably read about Richard's large find; a Coxhead DSJ. If you haven't seen it just imagine a typewriter that looks like it might actually eat you. That's the Coxhead DSJ. The typewriter that came to me in the post a few days bears no resemblance to a carnivorous typer. This little machine is the antithesis of large, ugly, and frightening.

The Underwood Standard Portable 3-bank typewriter is small, charming, and very friendly. Robert Messenger has combed over the history of this small wonder and you can glean all the historical bits you could ever imagine in these few pages:

Lee S.Burridge and the Underwood 3 Portable Typewriter

On This Day in Typewriter History: Honey, Lee Shrunk the Typewriter

Underwood 3 Portable Typewriter: Yet Another Centenary

So, what can I  add to the discussion of this typewriter? This example is in fair shape. I haven't cleaned it yet, but apart from the scratches on the front of the frame everything seems to be in order. I might not have to do any major mechanical repairs. All the renovation might just be cosmetic. I have tackled one small job; ribbon spool knobs.

They sit atop the ribbon spools and act as a shiny beacon becoming all who catch a glimpse to dash themselves against the keys. Think of the siren song from The Odyssey but less mythical. It's an over-the-top reaction that would completely natural if the knobs weren't so tarnished and rusty.

Dauntless, I took out some Mother's Magnesium and Aluminum Polish and started giving these things the Magic Margin treatment.

To the left is the remaining unpolished knob. The rust and tarnish is pretty ugly and hardly the finish you would want to see on a beautiful typewriter like this. When polished you get what you see on the right. Bright and beautiful. I like to create a pad of polishing cloth and move the piece. In this case I quickly rubbed it back and forth keeping in mind that the surface isn't flat. About 15 minutes for both the knobs got the job done.

Was it easy? The polishing was easy. These little knobs are ridiculously tiny. I had a devil of a time holding them, but that was the only hard thing about it. I think that this tiny change made a significant difference.

I have a few more steps to finish up on this machine and it will be ready for a typecast!

It's a Shame

It's 1934 and Clarence H. Bills is set to task by Royal to create a new "mask" for a portable typewriter. Bills, inspired by the daring industrial design of Sakhnoffsky and Earl, creates this striking face:

I don't know about you, but I think this in gloss black which chrome accents would be offensive, entirely vulgar, and absolutely something I would want. It's a shame that the design was shelved and  never came to market.

November 1957

More Royal News. I shared the edition from November 1956 a couple of weeks ago and now here's  another one from a year later. Please enjoy the typewriter-y goodness.

USB Typewriter: The Final Chapter

After what seems like weeks of false starts and broken deadlines I can say:

Can't you feel the full promise of the digital revolution?

It has been difficult reconciling my excitement over working on this project and the vague shadow of apprehension that haunted me at various points along the line. The apprehension did not come from a fear of knowledge. I knew what I was doing and I had confidence in my ability as a maker. I was worried for something else. Perhaps I was worried about the typewriter's soul. Perhaps I was worried for my own. Regardless I decided that converting this typewriter wasn't a good thing to do.

The promises I made earlier did not come to pass. I said that this USB typewriter would be in the beautiful Underwood that I have been showing off for weeks. No Underwood. The plan that I made for my version of the USB typewriter was far too complex and diverged from Jack's well thought out plan too much. I didn't heed the advice of minds more experienced as my own. The mounting bar was a beautiful execution, but it altered the feel of the typewriter so fundamentally that it couldn't stay. And from there I didn't have the heart to subject that poor little portable to any more humiliation. That is what the Triumph is for.

It was languishing on the shelf. The H is still missing from the ribbon cover and I thought making some room for another typewriter would be a good idea. The sensor bar was a good fit and I was able to transfer all the parts and components to the Triumph. It ended up coming together in a few hours. 

I had to foreshorten a spring so that the sensor bar's added weight would allow the ribbon vibrator to return to its normal position. Apart from that, there was little to do to get it into a working state.

There are still things that need to be done on this USB Typewriter; the carriage return, the backspacer, and the tabulator all need to be arranged. I will, however, not do them. I have lost the taste for digital-enabled typewriters. The whole enterprise felt cheap and tawdry to me. I was grafting a computer onto a manual typewriter by hook or by crook. By doing this I subtly supported the idea that a device is not a device unless it is accompanied by a computer. That did not sit well with me. 

Now, my newly-found distaste for typewriter-cum-computer hybrids does not reflect on Jack Zylkin's design or execution. The kit was top-notch. I enjoyed putting it together. The concept is mature and works well. As I mentioned earlier, my apprehension was over the larger question of should this be done? And the larger question: To what ends?

For me, I like to keep my analog free of digital influences.

A Welcome and A Remington

So, I imagine that some of you visiting today are new to my blog. Welcome. I hope that you enjoy yourself while you are here. The first part of this post is for the newcomers. It introduces the idea behind this blog and what I do with typewriters in school. The second part is about a new typewriter in my collection.

The CTP in a Nutshell

The original concept behind The Classroom Typewriter Project was to have students write without distraction. Computers have become distracting devices the divert our attention from quiet inspiration and real reflection. The typewriter is still the perfect machine for getting ideas neatly presented on paper. Moreover, the typewriter requires the author to be aware of GUMS (grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling) because a typewriter has a way of making your literary missteps very public.

To bring you up to speed on what has happened I have aggregated some of the older posts from this blog. These will be helpful in understanding the goals and what I wanted to do.

1. The original proposal sent to the nascent Typosphere: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/08/classroom-typewriter-project.html

2. The Hypothesis: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/08/hypothesis.html

3. The Process: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/08/process.html

4. Some results: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/09/results-of-weekly-typewriter-inventory.html

and http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekly-typewriter-inventory-analysis.html andhttp://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/10/analysis-and-monks.html andhttp://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/12/young-truth.html

A New Acquisition

At $45 it was one of the more expensive Goodwill purchases I have ever made, but if you look at the following pictures you can see why I caved.

Now, the result shown here is less a product of the patented (not really) Magic Margin treatment and more a product of chance. I lucked out with a nice machine.

There are a few warts, but nothing that is too terrible.

An unusual key is always a nice addition. This one is called an obelus and is not always a mathematical sign. It can be a mark that signifies that some text is corrupted or spurious. The obelus can also be used for some fractional indications. 

The serial points this machine to the end of production year 1924. Earlier this afternoon I created a Typewriter Database entry for this typewriter and you can find it at: http://typewriterdatabase.com/1924-remington-portable.1298.typewriter If you haven't been participating in the TWD, go now. You are missing a great collector's tool.

How does it write? The platen is standard; hard. So, the entire feel of the typewriter is slightly off, but from what I have experienced so far, I have to say it's nice. Good feel. having the type bars so high up makes for a fairly light touch with a resounding whack.

Typewriter Story On NBC Tonight...This Feels Familiar

I got an email from Michelle from NBC a few minutes ago. It seems like the typewriter story about some of the Arizona Typosphere is going to air tonight. If you have a TV, tune in. I'll post a link as soon as it is available on their website. 

It Doesn't Feel Like the End

...of the semester. It's the end of the semester. I didn't mean to alarm you. Magic Margin is going to be around for a while.

The typewriters have been silent for the past week. The last official journal was last Friday and since then the machines have been "cooling down."

Most of these typers are rugged little beasts. The constant use is starting to show in some of them and I have already started with the reconditioning of a few. This work will continue the work over the summer. By fall we should have a fully-working arsenal again.

The other great thing is that my annus horriblis is nearly over. Yearbook is done. Prom is done. The final edition of the newspaper is done. It's all done!

I have been going 80 MPH all semester and now it's almost 0 MPH. It feels good to breathe. Now, on to the next round of projects!