Typewriter help!

[sloop_john_b]

Handymen: I use my '36 Royal De Luxe typewriter quite a bit, but today it started giving me trouble for the first time. Pressing the space bar or any of the keys wouldn't move the carriage forward, just stay in the same spot.

I finally traced the problem to a piece of string attached to a pulley that had snapped:

It took a bit of time to feed the string back through the typewriter, but I finally did it. Is there any effective way to fasten the ends together?

[jingle_jangle]

Yes...provided there is some extra length in the string. A lot of these have a small extension spring attached to the spring to maintain tension and take up slack--that's good. If the spring's there, you can connect the two ends by overlapping them inside a 1/2" length of 3/32" diameter brass or aluminum K & N tubing (hobby store/Home Depot) and crimping to capture the string. It may be possible to simple unhook the spring, tie a knot in the two free ends, and re-hook the spring.

If there's no spring, consider adding one. A 1/8" diameter, 1/2" long extension spring or something close should be available at a hardware store in your area.

Locate the spring or crimp in a section of string that does not have to pass over a pulley...

[paologregorio]

I have one of those Royals under wraps in my workshop shed, along with a 1920s Underwood; I was thinking of giving them to Kira for use as boat anchors...

[Tarrbot]

I have one of those Royals under wraps in my workshop shed, along with a 1920s Underwood; I was thinking of giving them to Kira for use as boat anchors...

I think I still have one of the 20s Underwoods in storage at my mothers house in TX. However, I'm not sure it survived a fire from a few years back.

Or maybe I should put that, I'm sure it survived the fire. I'm not sure if it was damaged in any way.

[brammy]

I use my '36 Royal De Luxe typewriter quite a bit

Why?

[sloop_john_b]

As a lyricist, I find it to be far more inspiring then sitting at a computer.

[jimk]

As a lyricist, I find it to be far more inspiring then sitting at a computer.

I can appreciate that. I'll go you one even more low tech. As a lyricist, I prefer a fountain pen.
JimK