Monday 17 December 2012

Hermes knob - a solution

Impatient for a machined aluminium replacement, I tried a softer, more easily worked material. Ready-made shapes sprung to mind: draughtsmen (like you play draughts with),  a wheel from a wooden toy (which I didn't have) or some kind of turnery for cabinet makers. The drawer pull won the day for having a centre guide and I got them from the same shop I get replacement bushes for my Olympia SMs. Wonder if I could get them stock ribbons?

12 comments:

  1. That is a fine solution! Best-looking I have seen so far. Of course, the wood does not match the Hermes color scheme, but the natural woodgrain gives the typewriter a rather alluring bohemian look. Besides, wood should be much easier to paint to match if preferred. Looking forward to hearing how it works out over the long run.

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  2. That looks great! I like to use corks as you know - especially the ones with plastic tops.

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  3. Good thinking! Now if you could whittle a suitable platen cover, you'll be a hero.

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  4. Heh, Michael, the day will come when you're whittlin' new ribbon spools and carefully cutting a bedsheet into thin ribbon pieces to sew together into a ribbon :D

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  5. I imagine this in some dark wood on a glass key Royal.

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    1. That could work nicely, especially on a wood-grain painted Royal 'O'. If only Royal's platen knobs were as unfuture-proof as Hermes's.

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  6. Very nice solution. Now to find some Hermes green to paint them, although they look fine as they are.

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  7. Very good! My solution once was to use a plastic top from a milk bottle. But this looks fantastic.

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    1. Martin A. Rice, Jr. How did you use a milk bottle top?

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    2. Elliot, you can find Martin here: http://johnstowntypewriterconservatory.blogspot.co.uk/ also, Bill has a solution: http://offountainpenstypewriters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/tale-of-hermes-3000-substitute-platen.html

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