Great video. I was able to pick up one of these machines today from the original owner who was cleaning out her attic. She bought it in Corvallis, OR when she was in high school. And a retired industrial designer, I'm very pleased to have this gorgeous, nearly brutalist example of architecture-turned product. I told her I would treasure it. Best of all, it works. Thank you, Joe!
My grandfather was a country doctor and had one of these at the reception desk in his office attached to their house. I have happy memories of fiddling about with the switches and typing on it when visiting him as a little kid. The sound of it in this video gave me a *HUGE* rush of nostalgia.
As an Italian, I love that you featured this! This model was designed by architect and designer Ettore Sottsass, of the Chicago Group fame. He was the same designer of the Valentine model
Ok so this is my first type writer ! I saw it at an antique store and had to have it !!! It is a very special machine . I’ve loaded mine with a matching green ribbon tape and it is typing Nirvana ! I don’t have anything to compare it to , but this machine is a joy to use - very pleasing sounds and touch /feel. Thank you for your channel❤
I have two of these. In both, the socket for the power cord was cracked. I replaced these with a conventional computer three-prong socket and use a computer power cord. In one Praxis 48, one of the three springs for a typebar/keycap linkage was missing and while the other springs could be removed/replaced fairly easily, access to this one is abominable and I haven’t been able to put in a replacement. BTW, often people think a machine is broken because the keyboard is locked up - which happens when two keys are pressed at the same time - but pressing the backspace key unlocks it.
Loved your Praxis 48 RUclips. I am offering you any info/assistance you may require on Underwood and Olivetti machines. I hired on with Underwood Olivetti in May of 1964 and left in 1980. I left there to open my own repair shop and ran that business for 13 years. My position was shopman. That simply means I got the hard stuff too difficult or time consuming for the territory servicemen. We were a branch office for Olivetti dealing in mostly full-sized office machines. So, my expertise is P48/Editor 2-3-4 and 5. I was also factory trained on many of the Underwood machines. I still have an assortment of parts here. Your 'fix' for the Praxis 48 carriage return clutch caught my attention. So, if you ever need anything just ask. But, at 79 years of age ya need to ask sooner than later.
I have purchased a used olivetti praxis 48 and the majority of my keyboard does not function. The enter and half space keys work, but are sluggish. I am attempting to perform a tune-up on my own since there are no local typewriter repair companies local to the Austin area. I would much appreciate any assistance or advice either of you may have to offer.
This is a beautiful and unique design. The Italians do style so well. Being from the Emerald Isle the green looks very fetching to me. I live your ability to problem solve and fix things. The sandpaper circle was genius.
A great video featuring an iconic typewriter. I already own a very nice1976 Olivetti Linea 98 standard, but I also hope to own one of these magnificent machines some day.
Underwood standard typewriters have the centering feature. The idea is the paper is centered in the carriage, the carriage is set to zero on the regular scale, then space the number of characters in the header, read the centering scale and place the carriage at that number on regular scale, type the header which will be centered.
Oh my goodness, this is a cool looking and beautiful machine Joe! Love the vibrant green color accents and the interesting shapes. You're right- those keys would be perfect for those with smaller finger pads and longer finger nails. My nails grow fairly quickly, and I cut them short as soon as I can no longer type on my MacBook Pro keyboard (almost weekly). Something like this would allow me to wear longer nails and continue typing! 😂
I like reading blog articles from the future, myself. Anyway, I have a friend who loves this exact machine. An acquired taste, I'd say - that hum gets to me and it just looks like the 70's personified. It does have so great features though, I will admit.
Hey Joe, I'm not sure if I'm seeing or hearing correctly on this and your other Praxis 48 video titled, "Repair Failure." At 11:25 in the other video "Repair Failure" (RF here on out) you are talking about how it doesn't activate but the backspace still works....WELL I noticed something there that I had to come back here to compare with BUT. HERE at 3:33 that clutch is spinning when the machine is on...at least it sounds like it in fact you had to adjust the cam spring inside as you heard it was too close... Well in the RF video, I see that same side and when the Praxis 48 is on, it's not spinning, doesn't sound like it or look like it. I hope that helps. Another thing you could try is to buy another Praxis 48 as a Donor machine, which is what I did when the first one I got came rather broken and I got that one for hmmm I don't remember, it wasn't much more for being broken lol, then found another for 40 on the dot, turns out that one works better but it's keys look like a dog chewed on them. An interesting project I plan to begin come this winter when things turn really cold and I'm stuck inside. Anyway I hope that video spotting helps and look for a cheap Praxis 48 on eBay or something for a donor...I have found if you find one without the cord you can get one a bit less expensive. Cheers my friend 👍
The steel disc of the clutch always turns when the motor is on because it’s connected to the drive shaft that’s powered by the belts and motor. The plastic clutch disc with the draw cord wrapped around it doesn’t turn unless the carriage return is activated, in which case the power cam turns 180 degrees and pulls a linkage that pulls the plastic clutch disc against the steel disc, which initiates the carriage return. When the carriage gets to the left margin a series of linkages is supposed to trigger the power cam to complete the second 180 degrees of rotation back to its idle state. This is where the problem is. I’ve decided to use the machine without the powered carriage return feature, it’s too nice to otherwise trash.
Love this video of this unique machine...it looks to be in pristine condition. I was struck however by your mechanical calculator. I have a much smaller calculator called the Curta ( resembles a pepper grinder) which uses the same principal of the number of key winds to get to the answer.
About your final statement: How would you compare the Praxis 48 and a IBM Selectric II (for example)? How about making a type-and-show video of those two elephants ampngst the electrical typewriters?
OK SO I NEED SOME HELP WITH MINE, at the store I had accidentally moved the carriage and one of the strings that move the carriage got hung up on something inside, is there a way I might be able to unhook it without opening it up? I have been struggling to get it open, broke my multi tool, and a screwdriver I bought won’t fit the slots on the screws on the bottom!
What makes you think that? Just because he was born in Innsbruck in 1917? His father, Ettore Sottsass sr., was an italian architect, moving after WW I to Trentino and moved to Turin in 1929. And really no serious biography has ever called ES jr. an Austrian.
@michaelh.gerloff3659 his father was Trentino, so Austrian as well. Is not a thinking thing. It's the truth. I live in his same region and I use to know his relatives.
@@agricolturadimontagna2.0 I guess since the 19th centurey there were "some" people living in Trentino claiming to be Italian (or Trentini), not Austrian. But I admit that the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is quite a complex one :)
Great video. I was able to pick up one of these machines today from the original owner who was cleaning out her attic. She bought it in Corvallis, OR when she was in high school. And a retired industrial designer, I'm very pleased to have this gorgeous, nearly brutalist example of architecture-turned product. I told her I would treasure it. Best of all, it works. Thank you, Joe!
Congrats!
My grandfather was a country doctor and had one of these at the reception desk in his office attached to their house. I have happy memories of fiddling about with the switches and typing on it when visiting him as a little kid.
The sound of it in this video gave me a *HUGE* rush of nostalgia.
As an Italian, I love that you featured this! This model was designed by architect and designer Ettore Sottsass, of the Chicago Group fame. He was the same designer of the Valentine model
Ok so this is my first type writer ! I saw it at an antique store and had to have it !!! It is a very special machine . I’ve loaded mine with a matching green ribbon tape and it is typing Nirvana ! I don’t have anything to compare it to , but this machine is a joy to use - very pleasing sounds and touch /feel. Thank you for your channel❤
I have two of these. In both, the socket for the power cord was cracked. I replaced these with a conventional computer three-prong socket and use a computer power cord. In one Praxis 48, one of the three springs for a typebar/keycap linkage was missing and while the other springs could be removed/replaced fairly easily, access to this one is abominable and I haven’t been able to put in a replacement. BTW, often people think a machine is broken because the keyboard is locked up - which happens when two keys are pressed at the same time - but pressing the backspace key unlocks it.
Thank you!
Loved your Praxis 48 RUclips. I am offering you any info/assistance you may require on Underwood and Olivetti machines. I hired on with Underwood Olivetti in May of 1964 and left in 1980. I left there to open my own repair shop and ran that business for 13 years. My position was shopman. That simply means I got the hard stuff too difficult or time consuming for the territory servicemen. We were a branch office for Olivetti dealing in mostly full-sized office machines. So, my expertise is P48/Editor 2-3-4 and 5. I was also factory trained on many of the Underwood machines. I still have an assortment of parts here. Your 'fix' for the Praxis 48 carriage return clutch caught my attention. So, if you ever need anything just ask. But, at 79 years of age ya need to ask sooner than later.
Thank you! I’m fascinated by people who worked in the industry.
I have purchased a used olivetti praxis 48 and the majority of my keyboard does not function. The enter and half space keys work, but are sluggish. I am attempting to perform a tune-up on my own since there are no local typewriter repair companies local to the Austin area. I would much appreciate any assistance or advice either of you may have to offer.
Your collection is growing by the month! :D
Thank you for showing.
This is a beautiful and unique design. The Italians do style so well. Being from the Emerald Isle the green looks very fetching to me. I live your ability to problem solve and fix things. The sandpaper circle was genius.
A great video featuring an iconic typewriter. I already own a very nice1976 Olivetti Linea 98 standard, but I also hope to own one of these magnificent machines some day.
Again a great video from you, making me hungry for that machine. This thing is much more a design icon than the Valentine.
Agreed! I am loitering around this machine since long long time, always buying something else instead. Maybe I will found the right one some day.
Beautiful machine! Great video. I want one. Not because I am a great typist. I just really enjoy the look of that machine.
When you press the space bar at the same time as any repeat key you'll get a space between the repeat key, like this: . . . . . .
Underwood standard typewriters have the centering feature. The idea is the paper is centered in the carriage, the carriage is set to zero on the regular scale, then space the number of characters in the header, read the centering scale and place the carriage at that number on regular scale, type the header which will be centered.
Oh my goodness, this is a cool looking and beautiful machine Joe! Love the vibrant green color accents and the interesting shapes.
You're right- those keys would be perfect for those with smaller finger pads and longer finger nails. My nails grow fairly quickly, and I cut them short as soon as I can no longer type on my MacBook Pro keyboard (almost weekly). Something like this would allow me to wear longer nails and continue typing! 😂
I like reading blog articles from the future, myself. Anyway, I have a friend who loves this exact machine. An acquired taste, I'd say - that hum gets to me and it just looks like the 70's personified. It does have so great features though, I will admit.
Hey Joe,
I'm not sure if I'm seeing or hearing correctly on this and your other Praxis 48 video titled, "Repair Failure."
At 11:25 in the other video "Repair Failure" (RF here on out) you are talking about how it doesn't activate but the backspace still works....WELL I noticed something there that I had to come back here to compare with BUT.
HERE at 3:33 that clutch is spinning when the machine is on...at least it sounds like it in fact you had to adjust the cam spring inside as you heard it was too close...
Well in the RF video, I see that same side and when the Praxis 48 is on, it's not spinning, doesn't sound like it or look like it.
I hope that helps.
Another thing you could try is to buy another Praxis 48 as a Donor machine, which is what I did when the first one I got came rather broken and I got that one for hmmm I don't remember, it wasn't much more for being broken lol, then found another for 40 on the dot, turns out that one works better but it's keys look like a dog chewed on them.
An interesting project I plan to begin come this winter when things turn really cold and I'm stuck inside.
Anyway I hope that video spotting helps and look for a cheap Praxis 48 on eBay or something for a donor...I have found if you find one without the cord you can get one a bit less expensive.
Cheers my friend 👍
The steel disc of the clutch always turns when the motor is on because it’s connected to the drive shaft that’s powered by the belts and motor. The plastic clutch disc with the draw cord wrapped around it doesn’t turn unless the carriage return is activated, in which case the power cam turns 180 degrees and pulls a linkage that pulls the plastic clutch disc against the steel disc, which initiates the carriage return. When the carriage gets to the left margin a series of linkages is supposed to trigger the power cam to complete the second 180 degrees of rotation back to its idle state. This is where the problem is.
I’ve decided to use the machine without the powered carriage return feature, it’s too nice to otherwise trash.
I like typewriters. I have my Dad's, my Mom's & my own. All manual! They all need some TLC. I'd love to get ahold of an IBM Selectric someday.
Love this video of this unique machine...it looks to be in pristine condition. I was struck however by your mechanical calculator. I have a much smaller calculator called the Curta ( resembles a pepper grinder) which uses the same principal of the number of key winds to get to the answer.
I will soon be making a video about that Marchant pinwheel calculator!
Brilliant! Smiled all the way through the calculator segment.
About your final statement: How would you compare the Praxis 48 and a IBM Selectric II (for example)? How about making a type-and-show video of those two elephants ampngst the electrical typewriters?
OK SO I NEED SOME HELP WITH MINE, at the store I had accidentally moved the carriage and one of the strings that move the carriage got hung up on something inside, is there a way I might be able to unhook it without opening it up? I have been struggling to get it open, broke my multi tool, and a screwdriver I bought won’t fit the slots on the screws on the bottom!
Very cool! I wish my Royal Academy could prevent flying caps! 😅
My interest in and knowledge of typewriters (out of 10): 3
My interest in this video: 1,000,000
Captivating!
Interesting machine 😃
👍
Subbed
Sottsass, the designer of this machine and the Valentine's also, isn't even Italian. He is Austrian.
What makes you think that? Just because he was born in Innsbruck in 1917? His father, Ettore Sottsass sr., was an italian architect, moving after WW I to Trentino and moved to Turin in 1929. And really no serious biography has ever called ES jr. an Austrian.
@michaelh.gerloff3659 his father was Trentino, so Austrian as well. Is not a thinking thing. It's the truth. I live in his same region and I use to know his relatives.
@@agricolturadimontagna2.0 I guess since the 19th centurey there were "some" people living in Trentino claiming to be Italian (or Trentini), not Austrian. But I admit that the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is quite a complex one :)
@michaelh.gerloff3659 only a few. At the beginning of WW1 only about 800 claim to be Italian.
he was just born in austria, he’s father was italian and since he was kid he lived studied and grew up in italy