[GreenKeys] NOS Model 33 Ribbons

Thu Apr 2 14:01:25 EDT 2020

    AFAIK, all Selectric machines have cartridge ribbons. The 
Correcting Selectric has two cassettes, one for the ribbon and 
the other for the correcting tape. The correcting tape lifts the 
ink off the paper. The reason some offices did not like these 
machines is that the ink can be easily lifted off a document 
where normal ink can not. This is unlike some other typewriting 
correction methods where a white ribbon covers up the ink and 
allows typing over. White Out and similar correcting fluids work 
this way. One can always spot where they have been used but not 
always where special ink and a lifting tape have been used.
    A number of early electric typewriters, going back to the 
Electromatic could use carbon ribbons on long spools but these 
are not really cassettes or cartridges.

On 4/2/2020 8:15 AM, Ralph Irish wrote:
> I just realized that I forgot to add my 'footnote' from the **
>
> **I was going to mention that before the 'computer revolution', 
> some IBM Selectric typewriters had some kind
> of a 'cartridge' sistem for the ribbon.  Later machines had, in 
> addition to the main ribbon, some kind of
> correction ribbon which allowed one to back up, cover the 
> offending character or characters with some kind of
> white material, and then back up once again and type over the 
> mistake and in many cases, the error  and its
> correction would go unnoticed.  Some bosses had a 'no 
> corrections' policy and their secretaries had to be very
> careful when preparing a document to be seen by the boss before 
> he signed it for circulation or distribution.
>
> Good luck to all in their quests for useable ribbons.  One of 
> the G/K gang has some ink suitable for the
> re-inking process at a very reasonable price.  Sorry his name 
> does not come to mind.  I bought some of it a
> while back and have not yet put it to use.  Maybe sometime soon 
> now that we have more 'house time' on our
> hands!
>
> Ralph - W8ROI
>
> -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
>
> *From: *"Ralph Irish" <w8roi at wowway.com>
> *To: *"Richard Knoppow" <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
> *Cc: *greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
> *Sent: *Thursday, April 2, 2020 9:39:12 AM
> *Subject: *Re: [GreenKeys] NOS Model 33 Ribbons
>
> Some ribbon spindles and the surface upon which the ribbon 
> spool sit, have one or two short
> 'spikes' which stick up into the bottom of the ribbon spool and 
> they rotate around the center
> spindle to cause the ribbon to move.
>
> Ribbon spools usually have either five or six holes, arranged 
> in a pentagon or a hexagon.  It
> is these holes in which the 'spike' is in and with the rotation 
> of the spindle, cause the ribbon
> to be pulled through the system.
>
> If you have a machine that has two small 'spikes' across from 
> each other, then the spool that
> you put on there has to have six holes, so that there will be 
> two holes 180 degrees apart to
> engage the matching 'spikes' on the ribbon mount spindle.
>
> I have had spools of ribbon with five holes and they won't sit 
> all the way down on the spindle
> shaft and properly engage the 'spikes'.  On several occasions I 
> spent some messy time rewinding
> ribbons onto spools with six holes.  Doing that a few times 
> will get one to examine ribbon spools
> before buying new ribbons.
>
> If the ribbon spindle on your machine(s) has just one 'spike' 
> then you are all set.  You can use any
> type of ribbon, as long as the other 'specs' are right.  If 
> your machines have two 'spikes' on the
> ribbon spindle, you might try to remove one of the 'spikes', or 
> be cautious  when buying new
> ribbons.
>
> It took the 'computer revolution' to come along,** with 
> associated printers before printer designers
> thought of a 'cartridge' to hold  the  ribbon.   I had several 
> AppleWriters  which  used a unique
> ribbon cartridge.  They were available in a number of colors.  
> Since both the 'feed' opening and
> the 'take up' openings were just a short distance apart,  there 
> was just a small piece of ribbon
> exposed to the air, to have its ink evaporate.  These 
> cartridges had a 'manual advance' device
> that could move the ribbon through the cartridge, and when the 
> 'dry' part was in between two
> 'wet' layers of ribbon, and this would transfer a bit of ink to 
> that spot so that the next time it
> was in front of the print mechanism, it would do its job properly.
>
> The early AppleWriter printers had their two ribbon spindles 
> many inches apart, exposing
> that much to the air to allow evaporation or drying of that 
> stretch of ribbon.  For the person who
> used their printer on a many-times-a-day basis it was not a 
> problem.  The person who just did
> occasional printing might discover some of the print on the 
> paper was not dark enough.
>
> Live and learn!
>
> Examine the ribbon spindles on your machines and see whether 
> yours have one or two 'spikes'
> to engage the spool to advance (and take up) ribbon. Also, 
> unless you have dozens or more
> empty spools, don't toss them out.  It might be to your 
> advantage to have a few empties for
> transferring ribbon from an uncooperative spool to a useful one.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Ralph - W8ROI
>
> PS     I will look at my supply of ribbons and spools. If I 
> find 'one of each' style, I will
>           photograph them and put them on here.
>
> R.
>
> -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
>
> *From: *"Richard Knoppow" <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
> *To: *greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
> *Sent: *Wednesday, April 1, 2020 9:16:17 PM
> *Subject: *Re: [GreenKeys] NOS Model 33 Ribbons
>
>     Good question. The ribbons are very nearly universal, fit a
> great many machines. The metal spools are a bit on the rare side
> but plastic ones mostly work and are common.
>     I have a couple of Underwood machines, not quite as old as
> the No.3 (I think with the decimal tabulator) but very nearly.
> Many machines use both these ribbons and spools but some machines
> use spools that are hard to find, like the Remington No.17,
> during the 1940s the standard in government offices.
>
>
> On 4/1/2020 5:53 PM, Jeff Albrecht wrote:
> > On 4/1/2020 5:48 PM, Paul Heller wrote:
> >> What is special about these that command such a high price?
> >
> > Well, just call me Ebay seller VintageComputerMuseum!
> >
> > Or alternately; April fools! :-)   r r r r r
> >
> >  - Jeff
> >
> >>
> >> Paul
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Apr 1, 2020, at 5:42 PM, Jeff Albrecht <jeffa at rodaw.com
> >>> <mailto:jeffa at rodaw.com>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> TanTopKeyers...
> >>>
> >>> I found some New Old Stock (NOS) ribbons that should fit
> >>> model 33 and my old Underwood.
> >>>
> >>> Thirty seven dollars and fifty cents each. ($37.50)
> >>>
> >>> I think Wayne has a reInker.
> >>>
> >>>  - Jeff
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> <naacpcbhlfkfhgid.png><dnfbhaappdbgpjkp.png>
> >>>
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> -- 
> Richard Knoppow
> 1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
> WB6KBL
>
>
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL