[GreenKeys] Model 33 missing bits

[Russell Senior]

Hi, this is my first post to this mailing list.

Just by way of introduction, I first interacted with a computer on a
Model 33 teletype in high school in the late 1970s.  For the last decade
or so, I've been hankering to get one again. I have a series of
substitutes, including a DEC Writer 3 (dot matrix) teletype and recently
I've been hacking on some frankenstein daisywheel conversions, including
one that is mostly functional based on a DEC LQP02 daisy wheel printer,
a PS/2 keyboard and a Teensy 3.x microcontroller.

I knew the now sadly deceased Pete Lancashire slightly, mostly through
the local Portland Linux user group, and some other nerdly groups. I
heard that he had one or more Model 33's a few years ago and we
corresponded briefly about it.  I just wanted to see, hear and smell it
again.

A few months ago, I discovered, from a reference on Twitter, Hugh Pyle's
33asr channel on Twitch.tv, which has been a great consolation to me,
getting to hear the sounds and even buying some punched tape on his Etsy
store, which I could smell that lovely oily smell again.

A year or so ago, I noticed that a friend of mine had a Model 32 on his
porch, mostly being neglected. I have a particular interest in paper
tape and have been imagining how I might try to construct a 8-bit paper
tape punch from scratch.  I asked him about his Model 32, and I asked if
I could borrow it to inspect its mechanism more closely.  He replied
that his wife would be delighted if I took it for as long as possible,
so it came into my hands about a month ago.

Then a couple weeks ago, in response to some my pestering questions of
Hugh, he pointed me again at this mailing list. In reading a little bit
of the recent archives, I found the April project to clean out Pete's
house.  I wrote to George Hutchison and one thing led to another and
earlier this week I drove home from his house with a Model 33 in
exchange for the Model 32 I had previously.

There are a couple of missing pieces. Probably the most urgent is an
H-plate, which was missing both from the Model 32 I exchanged and the
Model 33 I acquired.  I have a friendly neighbor with a nice CNC milling
machine, so I am imagining that with a a good 3D model of an H-plate, I
could probably have a few more fabricated.  Does anyone have
spare H-plate I could use as a model, or a precise enough dimensioned
drawing or 3D model of one that would be adequate to fabricate from?

The other significant missing bit (that I know about) is the platen
knob.  I'd be interested in a 3D model or dimensioned drawing of one of
those as well, though i have the end of the shaft that I could work
from.

Thanks for any help and/or encouraging words.


--
Russell Senior
teletype at tdb.com