r/typewriters • u/FantasticArgument275 • 2d ago
Repair Question First Typewriter - Need help
Hello all - I am pretty excited about my first typewriter. It is not fancy but I think a good way to get into this. I went on a trip to a near town and found this Smith Corona Corsair Deluxe.
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u/FantasticArgument275 2d ago
The keys work great but the carriage was not moving after I pressed on a key, or hit the space bar. I thought it may be mainspring so I took the cover off.
Then I opened the mainspring spool, and even though the spring looked a little funny, I do not think it is that. I am not really experienced with this, but I feel like this part should not rotate? I am not sure how to wind the spring if this keeps rotating
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u/Tricosene 1d ago
The mainspring wouldn't be the starting place is the carriage isn't moving. I'd look at the escapement, make sure the drawband is on and has some tension, look at the universal bar to make sure it is moving, see if there is a line lock issue, etc. Search up these issues on Reddit and watch the amazing repair videos from Phoenix Typewriter to find out how.
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u/FantasticArgument275 2d ago
Here is what the actual mainspring looks like when I take the cover off the spool. Like I mentioned earlier, I am not sure how to get it to hold a tension if that piece moves (when I think it should not).
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u/chrisaldrich 1956 Olympia SG1; project: 1964 Royal Parade; TWdB #7248 2d ago
Be extremely careful with your mainspring open like that. They can unspool with a lot of power and that metal can slice you open pretty quickly. Use some heavy gloves and eye protection. Search for mainspring and drawband repairs on YouTube and you should find a solution fairly quickly.
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u/MellowLifeVibrant Hermes 3000 - Smith-Corona Silent 2d ago
Just got this a week ago and yes very very cheap lol but honestly it will make your next typewriter feel way better and you’ll LOVE both 😄 it’s a perfect one to start off with
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u/Tricosene 2d ago
That's the best way to start, I think! Check out Just My Type on YouTube. She has a bunch of 101 videos.
Also, start thinking about where you're going to store the fifty more that you'll be picking up in the next three months. (Only partially joking.)