27 de octubre de 2014

Hermes Baby surface watching

Thank you for your encouraging comments under the last post. The ant continues to explore the surface of Hermes Baby #299715...












  
all taken with Canon EOS Mark ii, EFS 18-55 mm, using a reverse adapter.

26 de octubre de 2014

23 de octubre de 2014

Refitting my Triumph Norm

While on holiday in Austria, my father was so kind as to present me with a Triumph Norm portable. After a thorough cleaning - isn't this sometimes a very nice thing to do? - it turned out to be fully working. Fitted with a new ribbon, it was ready to go.

The case was pretty battered, so I thought of a way to restore, or redecorate it. I chose the latter, buying some new fabric which in texture and style resembled the original one from the 1930s. Stripping the case - well, this time, I only did the base part -, measuring the new fabric, and glueing it on with spray glue was a very satisfactory experience as well. I am happy with the result.

See a few pictures of this work:




NICE original 3-D pattern. Wanted to conserve part of it, but in the end covered it all.

Taking off the old fabric was rather easy.

Nice quality wood!

surgery continues

Now isn't this a piece of art? I was about to conserve this in its state and sell it for 5 mio. dollars, but then decided otherwise - money is not everything.

7 a.m., the new cloth fits (dark parts still drying)

tata!


I replaced the rubber feet, which I found at the local hardware store for amazingly cheap. Looks a bit squeezed here, but is a perfect replacement. I also put four new rubber pads underneath the plate, they are perfectly anti-slide feet.

once again, as I am so proud of this.

The machine, missing bits of its original decoration, but never mind.



always good to have a newly furbished and working typewriter at home!
  

1 de octubre de 2014

Current state of the workshop

I just couldn't not share this with you...

This amazing IBM Executive (still not sure about the exact model number - can you help me out?) was a most gracious gift from a friendly neighbour in Basel. She had inherited this machine from her father, and was so kind to entrust it to the Sommeregger Typewriter Foundation. It didn't work at first, although you could actually hear the electricity when plugged in. After some fiddling around, all of a sudden the motor set into motion, slowly revolving at first, ever gaining in momentum, until reaching cruising speed - magic moments!

This is not a first in the typosphere: please read
here  http://writingball.blogspot.com/2011/02/executive-decision.html for Richard's IBM Executive, and
http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.ch/2013/02/ibm-model-c-executive-beast.html for another, slightly different model of these truly impressive beasts of burden.