The other day I scored an Olivetti 36 for $10. The seller warned me that five keys are “dead” on the electric.No problem. I’ve been on the lookout for a parts Olivetti 36 for months. I need drive belts for the one I already have.
Surprise, surprise — they don’t make them any more. In fact, Olivetti barely survived into the new century.
The belts on my recent purchase (that's the one on the left in the photos) are fine. In fact this is a better looking machine than the one I have. Now I’m thinking I’ll try to fix the keys on the new purchase first. If that doesn't work, I'll mess around with removing and installing the fragile belts on the old machine (which, by the way, came with manuals, tools and a better case.)
Besides, there’s the possibility that if I do the belt installation, the old machine’s keys could be dead too.
Such is my faith in Olivettis. Famously beautiful machines but notoriously unreliable. (I know some people like that — replete with the human equivalent of dead keys and frayed drive belts.)
I’ll let you know what happens.
4 comments:
I saw one of these last week at a church flea market for $5. I'm going back tomorrow...
Dear jesus, Olivetti made it into the new century? I thought they folded long ago...my dad worked for them back in The Day, then got sold off to a company called ComputerLand and I just figured Olivetti didn't live long after that. Or maybe it was just the typewriters-and-adding-machines-breakfix division in Southeast Michigan that didn't.
Huh.
Those are pretty spiffy, for electrics.
I owned an Olivetti Praxis 48, which was the one I used daily at my office until recently, when the drive belt worn out. I have to find the bel without success. Any idea where I can find it? Please send comments to lic_quinones@yahoo.com. Thanks a lot. /DANIEL.
Sorry, I should have said ...I owned an Olivetti Praxis 48, which was the one I used daily at my office until recently, when the drive belt worn out. I have tried to find the belt without success. Any idea where I can find it? Please send comments to lic_quinones@yahoo.com. Thanks a lot. /DANIEL.
Post a Comment