- The Super-Speed Silent was the top-of-the-line model for Smith-Corona in 1938. Behind the body panels are heavy slabs of sound-deadening felt (it's still pretty loud). Note the right-hand carriage return lever. From the early '20s, Smith-Corona offered its standards with either left- or right-hand returns.
- Feb 28, 2017 The Smith-Corona 6YC Series Typewriter Repair Manual is now available! 164 Pages, Professionally printed and coil bound to lay flat on your work table. Includes: The Smith-Corona 6YC Series Typewriter Repair Manual Smith-Corona 6YC Corsair User Manual Complete 1974 Smith-Corona Lightweight Portable Typewriter Service Manual.
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- Feb 24, 2015 2/24/15 changing typewriter ribbon 1960s Smith Corona Super Sterling via YouTube Capture. Skip navigation. 1957 Smith Corona Sterling Manual Typewriter Demo, Look, Ribbon Change M.
Corona #3
Serial # 439895
1921
This little cutie's platen folded down and over the keyboard to fit in its case. With over 700,000 built between 1912 and 1940, it was and remains a very popular machine. It was frequently copied by competitors, resulting in a number of patent infringement lawsuits. When the #4 was introduced in 1924, Corona began offering $50 rebates on the #3 and produced a line of Specials which came in red, green, and blue.
There are several minor variations of the #3. The very earliest have individually hung typebars, while later ones (such as the one above) have a traditional slotted segment. Very very early ones are labeled Standard Typewriter Company, as the company did not change its name to Corona until 1914. Around 1923, the 'Improved' #3 added a set of right-hand shift keys and a widened platen. The Improved model also did away with the '3' designation on the front. The very last iteration, the one that may be of most interest to the collector besides the pre-1914 model, was the X-C / XC-D model. The X model added two more keys, for a total of 30. The X-C allowed the operator to configure any one of four special keys to be 'dead' (striking a 'dead' key does not move the carriage), and the XC-D came with all four of the keys dead by default.
It may be a vey 'common' machine, but its ingenious design and historical significance should give it a place in every typewriter enthusiast's collection.
The Typewriter Revolution: Available Now
- Are the Bush documents fakes?
Typewriter ribbons are still being made and are not too hard to find. Almost all manual typewriters use half-inch-wide ribbons, and most typewriters can use dual-color ribbons (such as red and black), so look for one of those -- they look nice and can be useful. Good ribbons are available from the sources listed below. Your local office supply store may also have ribbons for manual typewriters (ribbons intended for printing calculators may also work, but they tend to be inked too heavily). Ribbon spools (the reels) are slightly more challenging, if your typewriter is missing them. Ribbons are usually sold on plastic spools, and you may have to experiment with a few kinds before you find one that fits your particular machine. Some typewriters use eyelets on either end of the ribbon, which automatically reverse the ribbon; the same effect can usually be produced by tying a knot near the end of the ribbon. PS: never throw away an old metal spool -- rewind a new ribbon onto it!
Often, a problem with a manual typewriter can be fixed at home with a little time, a little ingenuity, and some simple tools such as a screwdriver. For a few tips on mechanical repairs and restoration, see Basic Typewriter Restoration. For Will Davis's more extensive advice, see his Online Typewriter Support. But sometimes an expert's personal help is certainly needed. I cannot give you any expert advice, but I have a list of repair shops around the world that will work on manual typewriters.3. Where is my typewriter's serial number?
Chapter 4 of my book provides tips on fixing many common problems.
It may take time to find it, and you may need a flashlight. You may need to move the carriage all the way to the left or right and look at the area revealed (especially on Royals); lift up the ribbon cover and peer at the inner frame of the machine (especially on Smith-Corona portables and '50s Remington portables); look in a corner of the slotted panel behind the keyboard (earlier Remington portables); or look at the bottom of the typewriter. Also check the areas on the frame to the left or right of the semicircular slotted segment. Once you have found the serial number, you can try looking up its date at The Typewriter Database, a site that lists serial numbers for many makes.
Smith Corona Manuals Pdf
4. Do you have a user's manual for my typewriter?It's partly a matter of taste, but some makes have gathered a lot of fans for their sturdiness, their looks, or their feel. Many users prefer a machine that uses 'segment shift' (also known as 'basket shift') rather than 'carriage shift': in other words, when you shift, the carriage does not move up and down but the typebars do. This is easier, particularly for those used to computer keyboards. Size is another consideration: a standard office machine is very heavy, but offers the greatest mechanical sophistication. If you choose an ultra-flat, 'laptop' typewriter, the portability will usually come at the cost of a less satisfying feel. For many users, a mid-sized portable made between 1930 and 1970 will do the trick. A few manual portables are still made in China today, but their quality is not great.
- Corona/ Smith-Corona portables with segment shift: this well-engineered American design was made for about 50 years in various body styles, with minor mechanical changes. The traditional model names are Standard, Silent, and Sterling. For beauty, look for the glossy 1930s versions, which are sometimes boxy in design, sometimes streamlined. For maximum sturdiness, look for the 1950s versions, typically finished in colored wrinkle paint. For the most features (such as power spacing and interchangeable type), look for 1960s-70s versions (the name Galaxie was introduced at this time).
- Olympia: excellent German engineering made this company great. The portables and office machines are both good. The postwar SG (big) and SM (medium) series are traditional favorites of writers. SM 3 through SM 7 are carriage-shifted; SM 8 and SM 9 are basket-shifted and easier on the pinkies.
- Hermes: a lot of writers swear by their Swiss engineering. The Hermes 3000 is the most popular model. The '60s version of this machine, in green paint with an angular body, is probably the smoothest and best made.
- RemingtonNoiseless Portable: my personal favorite is the model 7 with glossy black paint. There are also other variants. These are relatively quiet, comfortable 1930s machines with Deco looks. There are differences of opinion about the distinctive feel of this design, which brings the typebar just far enough to 'kiss' the platen instead of delivering a loud smack. Click here for more about Remington portables of the twenties and thirties.
- Royal portables: look for pretty ones from the 1920s and 1930s, with shiny paint -- or the postwar Quiet De Luxe model, with a basket shift.
- Underwood portables: prewar ones are good; quality declined after the war, although the styling was interesting.
- Underwood #5: if you want an office (non-portable) machine, you may enjoy this classic. Underwoods have a satisfying clickety-snap. In top condition (which you should insist on) they can sometimes get expensive (up to $150 or so). Click here for more about this model.
- Royal #10: another classic office workhorse of the first half of the twentieth century. In the 1930s this model converted to basket shift.
- L.C. Smith: a well-made office machine that always featured basket shift.
Please see my page on writers and their typewriters.9. Are the Bush documents fakes?
In a word: yes. The details are here.
From a typewriter. Specifically, my beloved Remington Noiseless Portable Model Seven. I typed the text, then scanned it. This method will always be more convincing than using a simulated typewriter font for computers. However, I have created a number of typewriter fonts that you are welcome to download here. Many more free typewriter fonts are available at dafont.com.
Hey, some of us like it! But we're perverse ..
See Basic Typewriter Restoration (the end of the first section) for tips on this problem.
Most manual typewriters did without the numeral 1; you were expected to type a lowercase L instead. Often for a zero you would type an uppercase letter O; for an exclamation mark, you would type period-backspace-apostrophe, or hold down the shift key and spacebar while typing the period and apostrophe (usually you can superimpose characters if you hold down the spacebar). Cyrillic typewriters (for Russian, Ukrainian, etc.) do have a numeral 1, but don't have a numeral 3, because the Cyrillic equivalent to Z looks like a 3! All are ways to save a few parts and make manufacture cheaper.
Why take a country road when you can take the Interstate?
Why ride a bike when you can drive a car?
Why shop at the corner store when you can shop at Wal-Mart?
Why cook from scratch when you can eat fast food?
Why draw a picture of something when you can point your smartphone at it?
Efficiency isn't always the most important consideration. Typewriters are durable, personal, private, single-purpose, independent, and secure. Of course, they are also efficient tools for typing envelopes, labels, forms, checks, and other odd jobs.
For more thoughts on this topic from writers who type, see Typewriter Tributes.
And for a full-blown typist's manifesto, check out my book, The Typewriter Revolution.