Typewriter repair

 I want to share something with you. When I read this (the following quote is totally taken from a person on a forum discussing typewriters) I imagine the piece the person is describing, it's weight, it's feeling in my hand, and then connecting it with another piece, etc. Try it here, no. Rotate, here, nope. And eventually, when you spin two pieces around in your hands enough, a pattern emerges. Clicks into place. You instantly know how to do this the next time. The connection is made and there is no hesitation. You have learned how to feel out a portion of metal in your bare hands.

I see gears, I watch them shift. And again, and again. I imagine what tool is behind the scene, making this happen. But in reality, I am still in the beginning stages of understanding a machine I find to be the most beautiful and useful. The near and dear.

dismantled, ready for repair

What I am saying is I really do not know what the piece looks like or how much room it takes up in my palm. It's the idea of it. The unattainable until further skills develop idea.

I want to clear my work bench off. Lay down a clean white cloth. Gently place the typewriter on top, squarely. Position the lighting, tools beside me. I strengthen my training in problem solving with my eyes first. Taking a breathe. I don't have to rush through this. It's a process, Tara, remember that.

"I'm an ex repairman. I can't remember all the names of the typewriters I've worked on. But, they all pretty much work the same. The carriage moves on what are called trucks or in some cases starwheels. A truck is about 1/4 inch thick and wide and about 2-3 inches long with rollers imbedded in it. A starwheel is basically a spoked wheel with a ball bearing in the center. The truck moves in groves in the rails to move. The starwheel moves in these groves too but the rails has teeth they move into to escape. Yours, sounds like a truck. Trucks eventually come apart. One of the rollers either looses it's shape or the truck itself starts to come apart.(They're usually made of plastic.) This is not an easy fix. You will need someone is is very experienced to replace this part. (If the part is available.) One little test for sure.... Grab the platen handles and wiggle them up and down. If you feel ANY play at all then it is definitely a bad truck."

Folks, it's as simple as that. These are the things I scrawl in my notebook to review later. When your craft is machines that most people don't have anymore, you can take your time with the learning part.
Now I have to decide which writer to work on next.