I experience people coming into the shop. Usually when I’m awake and not in the back taking a nap. Many are starry eyed with all the goo gahs that line the shop. Even I like the Bob Montgomery memorial. Heck, it is hard for people to get me to shut up about what a great guy he was.
Well, we mostly sit at our bench and clean typewriters. OK, not ALL the time. For example, this Optima portable has a left margin stop that is hard to move and the return is funky. You set the line spacing on one line each return and it moves to two. You put it on 2 lines AND IT GOES BACK to one line. Not staying on the stops. Stupid thing.
I know a few mis-guided think we are really smart and KNOW SO MUCH about typewriters. Well, sometimes we just fuddle through. Looking at what the damn thing is doing, then trying to figure out what adjustment to make. Do we get it right? Many times. In the case of this Optima there was a fine sheen of rust over many componants, and mostly in the back. A good cleaning resolved the margin stops hanging up. After cleaning, I could better see the return arm and the line spacer. I removed a bunch of stuff so my tired eyes could see. And all it was two screws loose. I have WAY more screws loose than that so felt pretty lucky.
Also, thank you Reddit typewriter sub groups for sharing tidbits. I’d forgotten how to get the shell off this model and a generous Redditor from 6 years ago had the right advice.
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