Olympia SM4 with wide carriage
This machine had a good life. No one approached her with WD40 or excess oil. There was no wanna-be mechanic who serviced her either - screw heads are intact and not butchered by improper screwdrivers.
She was just forgotten somewhere for many years, gathering dust and dirt. But still working and with just a few issues.
Standard procedure - removed all body panels and platen, to dust off and to check feed rollers.
Impressive carriage with tabulator which is operated from the keyboard.
My favourite typeface size: Elite.
The usual problem with these machines - flattened rubber spacers under the frame - was not present here. Apparently she was serviced not long ago.
It is a modern machine - well, relatively - her serial number places production around 1950.
Platen core - and shaft! - are made from aluminium. I opened the clutch as it was not working properly.
Cleaning and oiling solved the issue.
Inserting the shaft back on assembly is a bit of work due to long, conical clutch centre tube sticking into the platen core: one needs to fit the long shaft (even longer on this machine) exactly into M2-small opening. But it can be done with a bit of cursing.
Bigger chore is removing - and re-installing - paper deflector. Apparently German engineers saw a need to attach it to the carriage. Most American machines do without it with no problems but on SM4 it is attached with two tiny springs, hardly visible at first.
The machine works perfectly without them but I bit the bulet and re-installed them after cleaning the carriage and sanding the platen.
Paper rollers were soft and grippy, no flat spots. Probably they were replaced at some point. The platen is hard and wore signs of heavy use. I sanded deformed surface and gave it some texture so that it grips paper with authority.
New ribbon installed and test-running all functions.
Very pleasing to type on. Responsive, precise and very ergonomic. Indeed a workhorse for serious writting.
I took her home for photo-session.
Key tops are dark brown while platen knobs, tabulator controls and space bar are nice, deep green.
Discreet chrome stripe around the body adds class. Chrome is used quite liberally.
Wider carriage corresponds well with bumpy body and gives, of course, possibility to type on A4 paper in horizontal position.
Lever on the very left, neighbouring to pound-symbol, is carriage lock. Margin release directly below it. Backspace key in the same place as on modern computer keyboards.
Ribbon cover opens up on hinges. Under the hood there is touch selector.
Right side of the carriage has all controls one would ask for: tabulator erasing arm, carriage release and paper release. Right platen knob with button for clutch release (step-less line advance).
Paper bale can be lifted or shifted front for rolling new sheet of paper.
Left controls: line advance selector (three settings), carriage release, line advance arm. Lever on the back disengages stepped line advance.
Handsome look also from the back.
Extendable paper support jumps out (spring loaded) when small button is pressed on the right side of the carriage.
I like how dealer plate is fitted on central panel, sized to match tabulator shield.
Very handsome indeed and a benchmark machine for all other portable typewriters.