Turning in Typewritten Papers to Class

Many people at Tech will tell you Dr. Steve Mooney is one of the nicest people ever.   Considering he was a personal friend of James Still, the poet I was analyzing, this is high praise indeed.  Not only did Dr. Mooney not write on the typewritten page but he also wrote low enough on the page he didn't write on the back of the typed part of my bibliography.

I assume this is when the original owner bought the SM-9. 

Go and love a Wedge

Treasure Hunting (success!)

The most compelling box I have ever seen while thrifting.

In keeping with my habit of naming typewriter with names I don't like that do fit I have decided to call this one Indy because I felt a little like Indiana Jones cracking the case open for the first time.

Needs new paint, and less rust.  I think it adds character.

Slightly mildewed, and check out that crooked, bent-up paper tray (if you can call it that, it's a little small). 

When I checked to see the condition of the paint on the logo on the back I noticed the back was just missing.

All in all, it looks good in spite of its many many flaws.  Especially in the sunlight and even more especially in a photo.  I am actually a little disappointed I can't show you how worn out it is better.

It was a nice day to clean up and use an old typewriter outside.  Put on some oldies music too; it was very nice.

Cool Typeface

I love the color of this QDL.

Not my usual laundromat, but a much sketchier, older one in Blacksburg that is open 24 hours.  I had a late start tonight.  I much prefer my regular place.  This one might be a good place to write about creepy psychopaths though.

New Desk for Typing Part 2 (and a new typospherian...)

This is the mud-room; I call it my clutter room.  It was the best place to tuck a storage cabinet, the only negative is that I must lug these machines across the house to use them here.  It's not that far.

New Desk for Typing Part 1

I don't usually feel particularly strong either way about dealer decals, but this little blue one is one of the nicest I have seen.

For $5, if the desk gets ruined sitting outside I can just throw it away later.

First Correspondence and new Remie 5 Deluxe

Correspondence from A Machine for the End of the World.  Thanks Anna!

Way better handwriting than my own...

Very cool carriage and roller release levers.

Plastic ribbon covers that are impractical, but make the design fluid and awesome.

Cool gear mechanism for the typebars.

I had to make my own spring for the carriage return lever.  The spring I ordered is the large one, the broken original is on the left and the one I made buy cutting and reshaping the large on is on the right (sort of, that didn't fit either so I made yet another with a smaller angle but I had already taken this photo).

Public Typing Level 2

Both typewriters work to some degree.  The drawstring on the Portable is detached so you must push the carriage with your finger. The ribbons are super old, but they do still print a little!

Typing in public is one thing, but using a display item at a museum or restaurant is another!  My friend JP (blog forthcoming?) is a little more bold than I and took down the Royal 10 while persuading me to take down the Portable.  We restrung the old ribbons and typed away.  Mike (owner of Sycamore Deli) was impressed and bought us a beer (JP had typed "another pitcher of fat tire please" as his first sentence on the 10 and it ended up being a pretty choice sentence)!
Oh yeah, and the Barnacle Boy was an awesome burger.  The burger was larger than my bun just slightly; no bites without any meat is a good burger in my book.

Back to the Sycamore Deli with an L32

It was dark, but I scored a table near the light to work on this then moved back to my favorite table by the Royal I want.

Not a great photo, doesn't quite get the mood.

A cell photo from a previous week taken while working on my poetry.  It captures the mood better.

Other than the missing cover on the '68 the biggest difference is the carriage sides.

Typewriter Poem

I guess it's sort of cute in a grey and stained kind-of-way.  It was almost the expendable, but the leather case is pretty worn and the machine's metal body and Remington brand made it a little too respectable for that role.

Thanks Typosphere and Dispelling Some Typewriter Myths

Check out the accounting tab keys on the top row, so many place values to choose from1 

A stunning script typeface... on a Standard!

This is big typewriter, and it looks awesome on my little desk.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...  This is a slightly intimidating machine to sit behind.  It is easily my tallest.