typewriter.life
Removing Platen
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Remove screw in the end of right-hand knob
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Pull off knob
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Hold carriage lock lever to unblock hole in left end of platen
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Still holding lever, push rod from right end, through platen, and out the left end. You may have to gently tap the rod from the right end to get it to slide through. Use a hammer, but gently. If the rod has entered the hole already, use a nail (head first) or small metal rod to tap it through.
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Remove the guide behind the ribbon vibrator to give more clearance for removing platen. Simply loosen the two screws and lift the guide up and out. Tighten the screws again to make sure they do not fall out.
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Lift up on the right end of the platen, slide it slightly to the right to disengage from the left side, then up and out
Removing Feed Rollers
First, remove the platen (see above). You should then see the feed rollers. There are a total of 8: 4 back and 4 front. You can see them, but you can’t get them out just yet. You have to remove the paper table first.
Move the carriage all the way to the right, and flip the machine over so you can see the underside. You should see a section that looks a bit like a door hinge. It has 4 rounded steel segments with a small rod running through them.
The end of the rod toward the center of the typewriter is knurled to keep it in place during normal usage. You’ll need a similarly sized item to insert into the other end and gently tap it to push out the rod. Music wire (.047) works well, but you can use whatever you have handy. It can be a bit tricky to guide the wire into place, but look for openings at the end of the carriage to thread it through. You only need to push the rod out past the second “hinge” section to release the paper table.
Now, move the carriage to the left and repeat this process on the other end. Leave the rods in place. If you plan to have the paper table out for awhile, it’s probably smart to push the rods back in most of the way. They will be far less likely to drop out and get lost.
The rollers are held in place in the same way. Each pair is on a rod with a knurled end. You’ll need to remove the rods the same way you removed the paper table. Insert your music wire (or whatever) into the end and tap the rods out. The clearance is tight on these, but they do have enough play that you can shift one set of out of the way as you’re removing the rod from another.
Rollers 3
As you remove the rods, the roller should drop right out. You are done!
To reinstall them, just perform these steps in reverse. A few tips: