Welcome back to FNN, the Fox News Network, bringing you round the clock information and pictures about everyone's favorite typewriter brand.
I decided to crack open the Typewriter Repair Bible just for the heck of it as I worked on the Fox 24.
But there were no sections on Fox. A wonderful resource for the sane individual who doesn't completely dissect his or her machines for cleaning and repair without hesitation. I am not sane. Still, at some point I will most likely look for helpful tips within this magnificent tome; for now, I know Fox well enough I suppose.
The finished No. 24 in all its glory. I was able to find quite a few small changes that the company made by this point, outside of the obvious ones like the keytops. Most of the changes seemed to be aimed at making it cheaper to manufacture.
Typesample, complete with little accent markings so that the machine can be used for a multitude of languages I presume. Cool little curly F which I assume is some country's currency symbol.
Cash Register: Check
Fox 24: Check
Fox Sterling: Entering Restoration Stage 1
You were introduced to this wonderful little Fox Sterling a few posts ago. It is special due to its spanish keyboard, of which I know of no other Fox portables to possess.
Everything is set for the operation. For once, I decided to time myself to see how long it takes to disassemble the machine.
It took a whopping 4 minutes for me to get to this stage.
Carriages are cleaned last in this workshop, so here we have the main body of the machine.
And roughly 34 mintues later, here's what we have. I was slowed down quite a bit by the thin rod that runs along the back of the frame (holding in a part of the keylever system) which refused all attempts to come out. I had to be a little unorthodox in my methods, but I eventually got it out.
It may look like a mess, but beleive you me; This is a well organized disaster zone. I've done this enough times, after all.
I was thrilled to find that what I thought was rust was really just a dirty, old oil coating. There is still some rust, by all means, but nowhere near what I had expected. Here, you can see how nicely the keylevers will clean up.
This episode of the Fox News Network brought to you by Purple Power industrial strength degreaser; when steel wool just isn't as efficient as it should be, cut through the dirt with highly corrosive chemicals.
Finally, some real news we can count on!
ReplyDeleteMake sure to listen to our special radio broadcasts about how Corona and the Devil are one and the same!
DeleteI will miss my Sterling, but I also know that it's in very good hands, as you prove in this post. Looking forward to seeing it all spiffed up!
ReplyDeleteThe ƒ stands for Dutch florins. On typewriters that have this symbol, you also often find the character ij, a common Dutch diphthong.
I should have said Dutch guilders. According to Wikipedia, "The symbol ƒ or fl. for the Dutch guilder was derived from another old currency, the florin."
ReplyDeleteThat certainly does make sense based on where it came from, thank you for the heads up! They went a bit nuts with the currency symbols on it for some reason, having the US Dollar, UK Pound, and Dutch Guilder.
DeleteHey, I have a capital idea: how about *you* write a Fox repair and adjustment book? I know you're taking pictures and notes anyway, and I hear there's this other book on Fox that might be getting an update. do I smell synchronicity? :D
ReplyDelete"Now, if your typebars are sticking just a tad bit, I suggest complete and total dissassembly as the only reasonable cure. Bent linkages? Total dissassembly. Paint in need of a good cleaning? Total dissassembly. Ribbon a bit dry? Total dissassembly. Its the only solution."
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