tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post5874508673739666289..comments2023-12-22T20:15:48.952-08:00Comments on Typebarhead: Adventures in typewriter repairs #2: The Olivetti Lettera 32: The ball bearing riddle- a typebarheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12582684370284561165noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-79905894680770816672019-01-27T11:32:42.219-08:002019-01-27T11:32:42.219-08:00Thank you for this detailed walk-through! I wouldn...Thank you for this detailed walk-through! I wouldn't have been able to rescue my Lettera 32 without this guide.<br /><br />One thing that tripped me up a bit on reassembly: that rail stopper contraption also controls the mechanism that stops the type bars from striking the platen at the end of a line. I initially tightened that screw too far, which meant that stop was permanently engaged, no matter where the carriage was positioned. A little loosening of the screw (and tightening the nut on the other side) calibrated the mechanism and now all is well!Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03791310664043701906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-8636036217972336032017-04-13T10:26:52.024-07:002017-04-13T10:26:52.024-07:00I just successfully fixed ball bearings on Lettera...I just successfully fixed ball bearings on Lettera 35, your description was very helpful, thank you so much!Alexander Kurguzkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02457112884306388035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-2839697552106179142017-01-07T12:35:35.739-08:002017-01-07T12:35:35.739-08:00Thanks for the post. I was wondering where the car...Thanks for the post. I was wondering where the carriage drawstring is hooked on exactly as mine has come undone? ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-26574829012269740742016-07-31T08:30:20.241-07:002016-07-31T08:30:20.241-07:00Dear Typebarhead,
I know this is a very old post,...Dear Typebarhead,<br /><br />I know this is a very old post, but I just wanted to give you a big thank you because thanks to your post I was able to take off the carriage on my Lettera 32, fix some problems I was having with it, and then re-attach it without going absolutely crazy.<br />Just so you know that those long hours you put into this machine and then writing about it, weren't for nothing!<br />Thank you!<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />ImreImrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09364104886003873635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-58143352641713421902016-05-28T11:05:39.444-07:002016-05-28T11:05:39.444-07:00Hello dear,
I need your help, can you please tell...Hello dear,<br /><br />I need your help, can you please tell me how to remove the platen from the lettera 32? <br />Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14955443151395113767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-37305022195871559112014-12-10T12:47:06.054-08:002014-12-10T12:47:06.054-08:00Hey Rebecca! I am having a similar issue, have you...Hey Rebecca! I am having a similar issue, have you found a solution?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02019655278359521058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-42330456940367026512014-05-30T01:33:59.445-07:002014-05-30T01:33:59.445-07:00I am having trouble with a Lettera 22. The problem...I am having trouble with a Lettera 22. The problem is that the carriage does not move across when typing. Is the way to fix it the same as your describe above? I was also wondering if it might be cleaned in the same way as your 32 - with a "soap bath"? I would appreciate any help.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14103684813856082832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-29516233018671224862013-11-14T01:24:42.708-08:002013-11-14T01:24:42.708-08:00Are you the same anonymous as the one above who is...Are you the same anonymous as the one above who is a fully trained Olivetti mechanic?Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02138302382154651383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-86341115966847348412013-11-14T00:23:36.121-08:002013-11-14T00:23:36.121-08:00First, remove the ribbon completely. You will have...First, remove the ribbon completely. You will have to take of the two thumb screw nuts, if you don't have these ribbon spool retaining screw nuts nothing will work. Now have acareful look underneath the typewriter as you actuate the reversing arms. Do you see the reversing detent in action. Good, now refit the ribbon , making sure that the ribbon is threaded through the reversing arm slot. This is to ensure that when the eyelet tries to get through the reversing arm the driving motion ensures that the arm is swung to the opposite direction causing the detent to actuate and moving the ribbon drive shaft to the opposite side. Now you have a description of how the Olivetti 22/32 ribbon drive/revers works.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02138302382154651383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-62176547410534901512013-11-13T18:06:19.015-08:002013-11-13T18:06:19.015-08:00Can anyone help me out here please. I have a Lette...Can anyone help me out here please. I have a Lettera 32, however, when I use the standard every day copy paper you find in printers and photocopiers (80gsm) the type is too feint and I have to hit the keys extra hard to get some sort of impact, am I doing something wrong here? Therefore, I have to use a thinner paper called bank paper and it works perfectly on that. I would like to ideally use the typewriter with everyday paper or even type on cards. Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thanks :) Paddynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-49485242676911662372013-10-04T08:01:50.348-07:002013-10-04T08:01:50.348-07:00hi I'm totally confused on how my lettera 22 c...hi I'm totally confused on how my lettera 22 can achieve ribbon reversal -if it's spooling on to the right reel -the metal ribbon levers are already on the far right? so cannot be moved any further? reversal is achieved by moving the levers physically to the left so how could a ribbon with eyelet do that ??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-8862318969359729382013-09-09T23:23:10.603-07:002013-09-09T23:23:10.603-07:00Thanks for this. I just spent three hours with a R...Thanks for this. I just spent three hours with a Royal Standard Portable. I took the carriage off to reattach the drawstring. Then I noticed three ball bearings and three star gears on the table. Yikes! I found your story and was encouraged to keep trying. After the first hour the fourth ball bearing fell out of the typewriter. And it was another hour before the fourth star gear appeared. What a challenge this was. With the Royal, the way that worked was to run the carriage out to the right and remove the drawstring, then run it all the way to the left, remove the retaining screw and wiggle the margin or tab thing in the very back and take it left even further, then turn the whole thing upside down. Then, using tweezers, a toothpick, and a bent paperclip, I could get the star gears with the bearings in two at a time, move the carriage some and place in the other two. But I would have given up had I not found this page. Thanks again!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13032780244502675409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-58443215122142268962012-12-13T03:00:48.733-08:002012-12-13T03:00:48.733-08:00 Hi To you all. I am an Olivetti trained office ma... Hi To you all. I am an Olivetti trained office machine mechanic and the first machine I was trained on was the Lettera 22 followed closely by the 32. I must have fixed hundreds Of Olivetti typewriters. If anyone has a machine they want looked at I would be only too happy to help out, it would be fun to look at one Of these machines again. email me on tronics0418@bigpond.com. Bruce.<br />As to the ball bearing and carriage assembly above my memory is a little vague on the procedure but I think the trick is to position the carriage and introduce the first set of ball bearings, positioned in their cage, then push the cage into the rails while moving the carriage to prevent the bearings from reaching the exit point on the other end until the gear on the cage reaches the rail. Then slide the carriage until the second set of bearings can just fit into the other end of the cage, fit the bearings then move the carriage until the bearings enter the rails. Complete the assembly. I think I have missed some detail but I am sure it would come back with the machine in front of meAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-49531488075995983822012-12-07T14:15:46.496-08:002012-12-07T14:15:46.496-08:00Had it ocurred to you to stick the balls in place ...Had it ocurred to you to stick the balls in place with light grease ? Stops them dropping out while you are moving the carriage into place !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-56289684549532179042012-10-28T20:20:04.806-07:002012-10-28T20:20:04.806-07:00I'm so happy that someone else was able to use...I'm so happy that someone else was able to use make use of this blog!! BTW, enjoyed your "heroic" effort on your blog about it!- a typebarheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582684370284561165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-63404091933868217352012-07-11T20:48:49.141-07:002012-07-11T20:48:49.141-07:00Hello Mr Typebarhead.
Guess what. I've just ...Hello Mr Typebarhead. <br /><br />Guess what. I've just used your directions to fix my Valentine. Thank you so, so very much for putting this up here. It has been very useful. Thank you so much. <br /><br />Oh, and to read about my adventures with repairing my typer....<br /><br />http://filthyplaten.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/hate-letter-to-my-valentine.htmlScott Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13243020164163596709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-23530487823717469982012-06-11T05:56:39.739-07:002012-06-11T05:56:39.739-07:00Hullo! I've been trying to take the platen out...Hullo! I've been trying to take the platen out form my broken L32, and it's very frustrating! First time idiocities I am.<br />Could you give a couple of tips on how to take the platen out?<br />I've released the left side, but the right is refusing to budge.<br />Cheers!Nathttp://natslaptaps.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-68488303300983302112012-05-16T23:54:24.876-07:002012-05-16T23:54:24.876-07:00Thnaks for the infos, this can be very useful if I...Thnaks for the infos, this can be very useful if I'll bring home a 32 that needs service :-Dtr0xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07852613003698411605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-30172951616775587572012-05-16T09:04:02.652-07:002012-05-16T09:04:02.652-07:00Thanks for sharing this very detailed account of y...Thanks for sharing this very detailed account of your carriage-removing adventure!<br /><br />This is one operation that I have shied away from. But now that you have provided this "tutorial", I have a better idea of how to go about it.<br /><br />I would imagine that the same general principle of how the ball bearings fit can be applied to every brand -- with a few variations.<br /><br />One important lesson from all this: have a large surface in which to work, so that those tiny ball bearings don't get lost. I've come close to losing small screws because of my cluttered jungle of a work space!Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11633967390492270136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-88646801605177645492012-05-14T14:28:21.416-07:002012-05-14T14:28:21.416-07:00Thanks for sharing this. It's a great tutorial...Thanks for sharing this. It's a great tutorial.Fernando Antuneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303644262338846935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-73341698749271637892012-05-10T00:08:51.058-07:002012-05-10T00:08:51.058-07:00Thx. It's true, not something you want to do f...Thx. It's true, not something you want to do for kicks.- a typebarheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582684370284561165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-79264942613680772082012-05-09T13:11:52.815-07:002012-05-09T13:11:52.815-07:00Wow! That's a great how-to, although I hope I&...Wow! That's a great how-to, although I hope I'll never have to use it.maschinengeschriebenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01955578932937697125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-48619603633749164852012-05-09T12:30:57.922-07:002012-05-09T12:30:57.922-07:00What a shame, I would've liked to know if it w...What a shame, I would've liked to know if it worked. <br /><br />It was painstaking figuring it out, but once I did, the procedure only took a few minutes.- a typebarheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582684370284561165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279309419524234879.post-90858846716838393902012-05-09T00:56:48.397-07:002012-05-09T00:56:48.397-07:00Hello Ray -
Thank you so much - on behalf of mys...Hello Ray - <br /><br />Thank you so much - on behalf of myself and the rest of the typosphere, I am sure - for putting up this detailed tutorial on how to get the ball bearings into a L32 or similar. <br /><br />The process sounds quite tricky and painstaking, and in a way I wish we'd seen this before the whole Valentine saga. As it is, I am hesitant to delve in again on trying to repair it for a few reasons - including the fact that the carriage and rails were mangled when we got it and we had to bend a few things back into shape. So this may not really work; also the "rail stopper" is a different shape and looks really delicate; I am reluctant to risk breaking it in a repair attempt. I've just sold the Valentine off for parts and I think it's better that way; I'll leave any further repairs up to its new owner. <br /><br />This detailed explanation will surely come in handy in the future, though, so thanks again for providing it!Adwoahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com