I am so happy and grateful that you shared the belt replacement for your Singer. I bought an SCM Electra 110 not too long ago, and I realized right away the belts need to be replaced. (It sounds very different than my SCM Coronet Super 12.) By sharing the materials and process you used in your methodical way, you’ve given me a valuable tutorial. This will be my first time to complete a typewriter repair on my own. Thank you so much!
@@Joe_VanCleave And that's only in North America! I just found this video on a Japanese typewriter ua-cam.com/video/JZcui85b4EE/v-deo.html This thing is simply insane as there is essentially just one key to make the whole thing work.
My first typewriter, at the age of twelve, was a Smith-Corona Electra 120 that my parents bought for me when I took touch typing in school. I love these machines, still own a few of them.
Great video. I have 4 SCM machines. 2 manual return and 2 power return. They each have a unique personality. I encourage fellow typists to get one while they are still under appreciated and under valued! They are the smoothest and fastest typing experience you could ask for with all the charm of a manual.
Thanks for posting this video! I just picked up a SCM Electra 120 that needed some love and used this video to troubleshoot a couple of gremlins my machine had. The Singer looks to be a rebranded 120 or something really similar.
Great Video! Two years ago, I acquired a mint-green Smith-Corona Electra 120 6-series typewriter. It's A Peach! My dad worked for Singer Sewing Machine Co. up until his unexpected, untimely, sudden death in June of 1960. In the year 2000, I became interested in Singer sewing machines, and I began the new hobby of collecting, repairing, and sewing with them. In January of 2019, I bought my first antique/vintage typewriter, and thereby began collecting and repairing typewriters. Since then, I have been looking to acquire a Singer typewriter, hoping to find one available locally, which has yet to happen. I know that I could sell the S-C Electra 120 easily and then buy a Singer typewriter, but I don't want to let the 'sweet' S-C Electra 120 go.
Would love one of these to show up at a local thrift store one day. Considering how Singer stores were so common in the downtowns and later malls of nearly every small town across America and Canada back in the day it's rare to find any Singer branded appliances other than sewing machines.
Very interesting machine Joe! Good to see the US twisted wire and thimble connectors used by an expert. I have been in the US 10 years now, and they still don't look right to me. For this application in Britain I would have used screw terminal blocks.
Another source for belts is to order polyurethane round belting with textured surface from McMaster-Carr by the foot and cut a length and fuse the ends into a continuous belt. The belt should be a bit smaller that the original V belt to stretch for better grip. Daniel
Thank you for showing Gold Finger, very good name, Beautiful Machine, looks like a Smith Corona Electra 110, which I realize it is a Smith Corona, it looks like my 110, Lakota is what I named it, Lakota Storm Raven is its full name, as it's in a storm grey body with a cream face and keys red 110 plate. Very clean machine, well now, lol as it was so filthy, full of hair human and cat, and eraser rubber bits EVERYWHERE lol. I think it would be neat to hear all the names and why, i think you said not all of your machines are named? Would like to know what the others are and why? As always, Thanks Joe.
The only problem I've got is that my preferred hours to write are usually the "WEE" ones, ie. well after MIDNIGHT when most of the rest of the world around me is trying to sleep. (Since I've always lived in a apartment buildings or multifamily houses this was a GREAT feature! No disturbing the neighbors or my own slumbering family.) There is no such thing as a "silent" typewriter despite what was claimed by their manufacturers. Just a slight reduction in the retort upon impact of the individual typeheads upon the paper and, oh yes, that "DING!" alerting you to the margin barrier. That's why I loved my old hybrid PANASONIC dedicated WORD PROCESSOR/PRINTER. I could type like a stanard machine yet relatively silently and then save my work on 3&1/2 FLOPPY DISK to "PRINT" out during normal business hours. I'd STILL be using one or both of them (Yes, my wife bought one at a church FLEA market here in Westchester County, NY., untested, and sure enough it had suffered the exact same problem... FAILURE OF THE FLOPPY FISK DRIVE! Without "SAVE" you can't "PRINT" on these guys.) today! This was before the dawn of the modern WINDOWS OS10 and APPLE OS versions we have today; so I think the machine functions with a PANASONIC originated operating system as its software. No typewriter repair shop I've contacted so far wants to try to tackle these guys problems. Any suggestions or recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you. Your fan here in YONKERS,NY., JOHN C.BOJEMSKI
I have said I was going to downsize many times. I seem to ad two for every one I get rid of. Don’t kid yourself, you will never be able to let go. Just pick one to be buried with and tell your wife who to give the rest to when your gone.
Hey, Joe! If the flat plug isn’t the best match for this Singer machine, I see that white, ungrounded 2-prong plugs are available like the “Legrand - Pass & Seymour SA540WCC10 Residential Polarized Plug Straight Blade 15-Amp 125-volt Two Pole Two Wire, White,” less than two US dollars on Amazon. Or, for a bit more, the “Leviton 101-WP 15 Amp, 125 Volt, NEMA 1-15P, 2P, 2W, Plug, Straight Blade, Residential Grade, Polarized, Non-Grounding, White.” I like the SCM 6-series machine I have, types great! Thanks for showing the disassembly and belt replacement procedure. Great video on this Singer!
Thanks for posting this. I have a secretarial 215 and I can’t get it to type. The belts were gone so I used rubber bands but I’m going to find those o rings. For some reason I can’t get the keys to hit the paper. It’s like there’s something stopping them about an inch above the paper.
@@Joe_VanCleave just got the o rings yesterday and was able to fix it. I don’t think I’ve seen any videos from anyone trying to fix an electric typewriter, thanks so much!
Name it the "Yellow Zinger". How DID you get that "OW-EE" on your hand? That typewriter hum just puts me to sleep..A very detailed and enjoyable video.
Which Model of Singer portable typewriter is this? I just bought a Singer Model T-82 electric portable typewriter on eBay, and I am awaiting its arrival.
In Italy typewriters have the Z and W switched and the M key is in the upper row. I hate that design, I’m so used to type in a computer that I struggle a little bit using a typewriter
Sunrise Singer is the name I got for it 😋 great restoration you did on it!! Do you know how Smith Corona ended up making typewriters with Singer name on them?
They did make sewing machines but in the late 50’s and 60’s they began selling a whole range of products at Singer Dealers. They had a whole range of typewriters made by the big three American typewriter manufacturers: Royal, Remington, Smith Corona. Royal provided their Safari and their Royalite. Remington brought in their Monarch (A Torpedo design). And Smith Corona brought their six Series machines both the manual and the electric (the electric would have a total of three different body redesigns). Singer would also sell things like Vacuum Cleaners, electric irons, record players, transistor radios, and cassette tape recorders. All of their products however were rebadged products the only Singer would make themselves were the sewing machines. But I guess the thought was that if a lady were to buy a Singer made Sewing Machine she could goto a Singer dealer and use it as a one stop shop of sorts. She could buy a sewing machine for herself, a typewriter for her husband, a portable record player for her daughter, and a tape recorder for her son. All under one roof! Singer even had a catchy slogan to entice people to come into their dealers. It was “WHAT’S NEW FOR TOMORROW IS AT SINGER TODAY”. Singer also sponsored the Donna Reed Show because guess who the target audience for that show was? Singer was very much a company that advertised to women and in the 50’s and 60’s that worked. But by the time the mid to late 60’s came about Singer got out of the typewriter business, it probably because most of the models their typewriters were based off of were being discontinued and I don’t think Singer found it a very profitable endeavour because they wouldn’t have given up so quickly. Also it probably didn’t help they didn’t make the products so they probably had to pay some kind of fee to put the Singer badge on someone else’s product. Now my Grandmother worked at Singer from the late 50’s to the 80’s and I could probably ask her more about this but I honestly don’t know how much she would know or remember. In the 60’s she was a Secretary in a typing pool (they used early IBM Selectrics) by the time she retired she had become an executive secretary and I believe she worked for one of the Singer higher ups.
Hey Joe, and greetings all the way from Norway! Do you still have other electric type bar machines? If so, how does this 6-series compare to the other ones, and do you use different electrics for different reasons?
I have a Smith-Corona 5-series electric from the 1950s (light blue color) and the Nakajima-made Olympia Reporter. The Olympia is a wide-carriage machine with powered carriage return, I don't like it as much. As for their uses, I find they're all great for longer typed pieces where I'd normally be concerned about hand fatigue if manually typing.
Joe? Please excuse a stupid question? This is branded as a "SINGER" typewriter. Was it made by the same company which became famous for its sewing machines? Just curious. Thanks.
I am so happy and grateful that you shared the belt replacement for your Singer. I bought an SCM Electra 110 not too long ago, and I realized right away the belts need to be replaced. (It sounds very different than my SCM Coronet Super 12.) By sharing the materials and process you used in your methodical way, you’ve given me a valuable tutorial. This will be my first time to complete a typewriter repair on my own. Thank you so much!
You're welcome, and good luck!
It's amazing how much variety is available to collectors of typewriters!
It really is!
@@Joe_VanCleave And that's only in North America! I just found this video on a Japanese typewriter ua-cam.com/video/JZcui85b4EE/v-deo.html
This thing is simply insane as there is essentially just one key to make the whole thing work.
My first typewriter, at the age of twelve, was a Smith-Corona Electra 120 that my parents bought for me when I took touch typing in school. I love these machines, still own a few of them.
Great video. I have 4 SCM machines. 2 manual return and 2 power return. They each have a unique personality. I encourage fellow typists to get one while they are still under appreciated and under valued! They are the smoothest and fastest typing experience you could ask for with all the charm of a manual.
Thanks for posting this video! I just picked up a SCM Electra 120 that needed some love and used this video to troubleshoot a couple of gremlins my machine had. The Singer looks to be a rebranded 120 or something really similar.
The "RABBIT EARS" paper supports were sheer genius! I wish my ROYAL and OLYMPIA machines came with those!
They are very indicative of the mid-20th century, where most TV sets had a set of "rabbit ear" antennae.
At the 20:21 markpoint "Yay for me..." made me laugh, mostly because of the casual and matter-of-fact way it was said!
Great Video! Two years ago, I acquired a mint-green Smith-Corona Electra 120 6-series typewriter. It's A Peach! My dad worked for Singer Sewing Machine Co. up until his unexpected, untimely, sudden death in June of 1960. In the year 2000, I became interested in Singer sewing machines, and I began the new hobby of collecting, repairing, and sewing with them. In January of 2019, I bought my first antique/vintage typewriter, and thereby began collecting and repairing typewriters. Since then, I have been looking to acquire a Singer typewriter, hoping to find one available locally, which has yet to happen. I know that I could sell the S-C Electra 120 easily and then buy a Singer typewriter, but I don't want to let the 'sweet' S-C Electra 120 go.
Would love one of these to show up at a local thrift store one day. Considering how Singer stores were so common in the downtowns and later malls of nearly every small town across America and Canada back in the day it's rare to find any Singer branded appliances other than sewing machines.
Very interesting machine Joe! Good to see the US twisted wire and thimble connectors used by an expert. I have been in the US 10 years now, and they still don't look right to me. For this application in Britain I would have used screw terminal blocks.
I have one of these,great machines. Thanks again for another great video.
Thanks for watching!
Another source for belts is to order polyurethane round belting with textured surface from McMaster-Carr by the foot and cut a length and fuse the ends into a continuous belt. The belt should be a bit smaller that the original V belt to stretch for better grip.
Daniel
Thank you for showing Gold Finger, very good name, Beautiful Machine, looks like a Smith Corona Electra 110, which I realize it is a Smith Corona, it looks like my 110, Lakota is what I named it, Lakota Storm Raven is its full name, as it's in a storm grey body with a cream face and keys red 110 plate. Very clean machine, well now, lol as it was so filthy, full of hair human and cat, and eraser rubber bits EVERYWHERE lol.
I think it would be neat to hear all the names and why, i think you said not all of your machines are named?
Would like to know what the others are and why?
As always,
Thanks Joe.
The only problem I've got is that my preferred hours to write are usually the "WEE" ones, ie. well after MIDNIGHT when most of the rest of the world around me is trying to sleep. (Since I've always lived in a apartment buildings or multifamily houses this was a GREAT feature! No disturbing the neighbors or my own slumbering family.) There is no such thing as a "silent" typewriter despite what was claimed by their manufacturers. Just a slight reduction in the retort upon impact of the individual typeheads upon the paper and, oh yes, that "DING!" alerting you to the margin barrier. That's why I loved my old hybrid PANASONIC dedicated WORD PROCESSOR/PRINTER.
I could type like a stanard machine yet relatively silently and then save my work on 3&1/2 FLOPPY DISK to "PRINT" out during normal business hours.
I'd STILL be using one or both of them (Yes, my wife bought one at a church FLEA market here in Westchester County, NY., untested, and sure enough it had suffered the exact same problem...
FAILURE OF THE FLOPPY FISK DRIVE!
Without "SAVE" you can't "PRINT" on these guys.) today!
This was before the dawn of the modern WINDOWS OS10 and APPLE OS versions we have today; so I think the machine functions with a PANASONIC originated operating system as its software.
No typewriter repair shop I've contacted so far wants to try to tackle these guys problems.
Any suggestions or recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you.
Your fan here in YONKERS,NY.,
JOHN C.BOJEMSKI
John, you're right about the noise. About the only nearly-silent machines are the little electronic thermal dudes.
I PROMISE to be more GENTLE and considerate to its feelings than I've been to all the others I've "had" in tha past too! (He said crossing his heart.)
My husband found one of these in BC for $20. Works perfectly as is, needs a ribbon. sweet!
I have said I was going to downsize many times. I seem to ad two for every one I get rid of. Don’t kid yourself, you will never be able to let go. Just pick one to be buried with and tell your wife who to give the rest to when your gone.
Hey, Joe! If the flat plug isn’t the best match for this Singer machine, I see that white, ungrounded 2-prong plugs are available like the “Legrand - Pass & Seymour SA540WCC10 Residential Polarized Plug Straight Blade 15-Amp 125-volt Two Pole Two Wire, White,” less than two US dollars on Amazon. Or, for a bit more, the “Leviton 101-WP 15 Amp, 125 Volt, NEMA 1-15P, 2P, 2W, Plug, Straight Blade, Residential Grade, Polarized, Non-Grounding, White.”
I like the SCM 6-series machine I have, types great! Thanks for showing the disassembly and belt replacement procedure. Great video on this Singer!
Thanks!
Thanks for posting this. I have a secretarial 215 and I can’t get it to type. The belts were gone so I used rubber bands but I’m going to find those o rings. For some reason I can’t get the keys to hit the paper. It’s like there’s something stopping them about an inch above the paper.
You don't want elastic bands ... as soon as the load force increases on the bands, they stretch, instead of the linkage being pushed harder.
@@Joe_VanCleave just got the o rings yesterday and was able to fix it. I don’t think I’ve seen any videos from anyone trying to fix an electric typewriter, thanks so much!
Smith corona quality named singer..cool, very clean machine, did you clean it? And what is the story behind it?, nice color too 😁
Yes, I did clean it. Found it at a local antique store.
It's true... "SCRATCH AN ENGINEER AND YOU'LL FIND A MECHANIC UNDERNEATH EVERY TIME!".
The one I heard is the difference between electricity and electronics is electronics is electricity that's gone to college.
@@Joe_VanCleave
LOL JOE! VERY, VERY FUNNY!
Call it "Mayo and Mustard!"
Butterscotch
Name it the "Yellow Zinger". How DID you get that "OW-EE" on your hand? That typewriter hum just puts me to sleep..A very detailed and enjoyable video.
Fun, and your cleverness and expertise continue to amaze me. Mustard on White Bread or just Mustard on White for a coffee shop/deli allusion?
Or white & yellow cheese!?
@@Joe_VanCleave Yeah!
Which Model of Singer portable typewriter is this? I just bought a Singer Model T-82 electric portable typewriter on eBay, and I am awaiting its arrival.
I think my Mother in law has this model or atleast something very similar... ill have to dig it out and see
In Italy typewriters have the Z and W switched and the M key is in the upper row. I hate that design, I’m so used to type in a computer that I struggle a little bit using a typewriter
Sunrise Singer is the name I got for it 😋 great restoration you did on it!! Do you know how Smith Corona ended up making typewriters with Singer name on them?
They made typewriters branded for other companies, like Montgomery Wards and Sears too.
@@Joe_VanCleave oh cool! Good to know thanks!
I’ve never seen a Singer typewriter before, I thought they just made sewing machines. Interesting
They did make sewing machines but in the late 50’s and 60’s they began selling a whole range of products at Singer Dealers. They had a whole range of typewriters made by the big three American typewriter manufacturers: Royal, Remington, Smith Corona. Royal provided their Safari and their Royalite. Remington brought in their Monarch (A Torpedo design). And Smith Corona brought their six Series machines both the manual and the electric (the electric would have a total of three different body redesigns).
Singer would also sell things like Vacuum Cleaners, electric irons, record players, transistor radios, and cassette tape recorders. All of their products however were rebadged products the only Singer would make themselves were the sewing machines. But I guess the thought was that if a lady were to buy a Singer made Sewing Machine she could goto a Singer dealer and use it as a one stop shop of sorts. She could buy a sewing machine for herself, a typewriter for her husband, a portable record player for her daughter, and a tape recorder for her son. All under one roof! Singer even had a catchy slogan to entice people to come into their dealers. It was “WHAT’S NEW FOR TOMORROW IS AT SINGER TODAY”. Singer also sponsored the Donna Reed Show because guess who the target audience for that show was?
Singer was very much a company that advertised to women and in the 50’s and 60’s that worked. But by the time the mid to late 60’s came about Singer got out of the typewriter business, it probably because most of the models their typewriters were based off of were being discontinued and I don’t think Singer found it a very profitable endeavour because they wouldn’t have given up so quickly. Also it probably didn’t help they didn’t make the products so they probably had to pay some kind of fee to put the Singer badge on someone else’s product.
Now my Grandmother worked at Singer from the late 50’s to the 80’s and I could probably ask her more about this but I honestly don’t know how much she would know or remember. In the 60’s she was a Secretary in a typing pool (they used early IBM Selectrics) by the time she retired she had become an executive secretary and I believe she worked for one of the Singer higher ups.
time to pull out the barbie bandaids
Looks pretty clean inside. Did it come to you that way?
Yes, it was very clean, one of the cleanest I've seen lately.
Hi I had a question, where did you find these O-rings at? I'm having trouble finding them. Thanks!
I found them in my TruValue hardware store in the plumbing section. 1/8" thick, round cross-section, black synthetic rubber, about 4" diameter.
Looks like the color of a Twinkie
Hey Joe, and greetings all the way from Norway! Do you still have other electric type bar machines? If so, how does this 6-series compare to the other ones, and do you use different electrics for different reasons?
I have a Smith-Corona 5-series electric from the 1950s (light blue color) and the Nakajima-made Olympia Reporter. The Olympia is a wide-carriage machine with powered carriage return, I don't like it as much.
As for their uses, I find they're all great for longer typed pieces where I'd normally be concerned about hand fatigue if manually typing.
Joe? Please excuse a stupid question? This is branded as a "SINGER" typewriter. Was it made by the same company which became famous for its sewing machines? Just curious. Thanks.
It was branded by that company, but made by Smith Corona.
found one on ebay for 139.55 the only thing is the return thread is broke. is that a good deal?
Just to clarify...
I AM looking for a durable electric machine.
AND...
My suggestion for name is the “Banana-writer”
A very a-PEEL-ing name, for certain!
Yellow Ochre (Yellow Ogre)
Hey? I DON'T want to get a nasty call from Tom Hanks or the TYPEWRITER APPRECIATION AND PROTECTION SOCIETY now do I?
What is this typewriter worth?