[GreenKeys] Model 15

[George B. Hutchison]

Larry - - -

Some suggestions for you as you progress with your model 15...

1 - The felt which is visible on the selector cam sleeve looks a 
little thin. If you want I will rummage around and send you a pair of 
new ones. As manufactured they were about 3/32" thick and were 
impregnated with graphite.

2 - Check to see that the main shaft is clear. You can do this by 
taking a rag to use as a gasket and pull the plug on the right hand 
end of the main shaft and using a good pump oiler (Plews), pump the 
mainshaft full of oil such that if it is clear it will run out of the 
center hole in the selector cam sleeve retaining screw on the left 
end of the shaft.

If it is not clear, then you would be wise to remove the shaft from 
the machine, disassemble it, drill it out with a long 1/8" drill 
(readily available at most Lowes or Home Despot stores, the kind that 
are used for installing security sensors), and getting the dried out 
oil and dead felt and cross-wicks from the center of the shaft.

I have some sample felt that would work well to replace the center 
felt in the main shaft. I just don't quite know where it is right 
now.

3 - Machine speed - The motor you have is an 1800 RPM AC Synchronous 
unit. If the machine is set-up for sixty speed it will have the 
number 74912 stamped on the end of it. If the machine was used in 
Telex service it will have sixty-seven wpm gears, the part numbers 
for which I forget.

4 - The selector - You have a Holding magnet selector. If you are 
careful you will not have to make any adjustments to it if you remove 
it from the machine (3 screws).

5 - Tech Manual. One of the best manuals on the 15 ever printed was 
the military TM 11-352.  The first few pages are pretty useless 
because you will not need to know how to tear apart the 
soldered-together military shipping box, but the nuts and bolts of 
disassembly, adjustments, etc., are well-defined and presented in a 
very logical sequence. It does not cover the Holding Magnet Selector, 
however, and you'll have to get a Teletype Manual or a Bell System 
practice to get the adjustment sequence.

5 - Lubricants - Don House swears by Slick 50 Magic Spray-On Snake 
Oil or some such magic potion. I don't.

Use a # 10 Parafine-based motor oil and your machine will love you. 
Grease? Many like the spray on stuff. I have found that Conoco 
Super-Sta is the best ever made. It is a #2 Lithium based grease that 
has had a tackiness agent added to it such that the molecules stick 
together very well, and adhere to the metal to which it is applied. 
It does not dry out ever, and is good for other things like chainsaw 
live noses, and assembling needle bearings in Model 28 Reperf and/or 
perforator main shafts, etc. If someone suggests finding a can of 
genuine KS-7471 grease, punch him in the nose and walk away. It will 
dry in the can and look like the surface of the Mojave Desert, only a 
dark brown.. If you apply it to you machine  - shame on you...

6 - Cleaning - Costco has available in many stores a spiffy solution 
called "OIL EATER". It is manufactured by a company called KAFCO, and 
sells for around 8.93 a gallon. It is pretty much an equivalent to 
Amway Industrial Cleaner, and is much cheaper.

When using either of the mentioned solutions, it is imperative that 
the parts be thoroughly rinsed in hot water and dried in an oven. 
When the parts are removed from the oven they should be around 250 
degrees, and immediately dumped in lightweight oil or sprayed with at 
least WD-40. The reason for this is that  both products are quite 
thorough in their degreasing and will get down into the grain 
boundaries of the metal, removiing the lubrication. Heating the parts 
opens the grain boundaries enough to allow the lubricant in which 
they are dipped to seep in and re-establish deep lubrication. If this 
is not done, the life of the parts is shortened.

General Note To All GreenKeyers - - -

Gotta get going and clean the garage so the big sort can start.

First things to be sorted will be the collection of teletype manuals. 
I have many duplicates. Some are spoken for, but I find that I will 
not need ten copies of the 28ASR Manuals.

I will make the excess of my manual collection available at no charge 
to GreenKeyers. I brought home tons of boxes from my Quiznos Store 
and will box them in sets. I will not ship them for free.

When done I will post a list on GreenKeys and they'll go on a first 
asked, first to get basis. The recipient to pay the freight.

Also, I am planning a run down the coast in the near future. 
Available to some lucky individual will be a Model 35 ASR. and a 
couple of 28 KSRs and one or two ASRs.

I have a Mite that was promised to someone on GreenKeys, but I forget 
who it was. Please prompt my memory and I'll get it outa here. 
Jackson Q. Hart, Famous teletype whiz and guitar-picker will be 
getting his long-awaited FRXD with super-rare cover.

Simply put - I have too much "STUFF".

73 - - -

George - W7TTY