If you're thinking about removing the carriage on your typewriter, stop. In rare cases does a typewriter carriage need to be removed when cleaning or servicing a typewriter. I run into people all the time who have taken the carriage off their typewriter and have trouble reinstalling it. Many antique typewriters end up in the trash for that very reason. There are exceptions to every rule and this one is no different. A few typewriters are made in such a way that the carriage comes off the machine fairly easily. I'm thinking about standard Olympia typewriters as an example. By moving a couple of levers, the entire carriage assembly can be lifted off the machine. I love that! However, that's...
"My IBM Selectric won't power on." I hear this statement most every week from someone who owns an IBM Selectric. Usually, the typewriter has been stored for a number of years when the owner decides to get it out and do some typing. That's when the problem occurs. They toggle the power switch to the "On" position only to be met with silence instead of that beautiful hum that IBM Selectrics are known for. One might think that the typewriter may need a new motor. However, that is almost never the case. Instead, the Selectric needs to be serviced (really, it's more refurbishing than anything else), removing all the old lubricant, grease, and grime that has caused the main shaft...
I've been looking for information on when the Selectric II and Correcting Selectric II typewriters were launched. As I had expected, not much time elapsed from the time IBM announced the Selectric II typewriter and the announcement of its successor, the CORRECTING Selectric II typewriter. I don't tend to see too many non correcting Selectric II these days. Once the ability to correct errors was available, I'm sure lots of early Selectric II's were traded in for their successors. Here's the announcement for the Selectric II. This comes from the Kingston Daily Freedom, September 13, 1971. Article Link Less than a year later, IBM announces the Correcting Selectric II typewriter as seen in the March 4, 1973 Edition of...
If you own an IBM Wheelwriter or are thinking of purchasing one, here are some handy tips on keeping your typewriter in tip top shape. Change the batteries once per year. Most IBM Wheelwriters have a battery pack (that is viewable by raising the lid and looking down inside the typewriter). Since they're out of sight, it's easy to forget that those batteries need to be changed regularly. Batteries that stay in the machine too long can leak and cause significant damage to the typewriter. Keep foreign objects out of the typewriter. Stray paper clips, staples, binder clips, thumb tacks, and other metal objects can cause shorts in the circuit boards. Try to inspect the machine at least weekly to...
