In Mechanica Antiqua

The shuttle guard on a Hammond typewriter is an important bit of metal that is responsible for ensuring that only one letter strikes the page at a time.  Due to the unique construction of the machine, the striking force is delivered from the rear, rather than from the front.  This presses the paper, which is held straight and vertical, into the type.  All three rows of letters on the type shuttle contact the surface of the page, and the shuttle guard ensures that only the desired letter is inked and impressed.  This piece undergoes a lot of wear in the course of a century, and sometimes needs to be replaced.  I was contacted by J. Posey to fabricate a new shuttle guard for his Hammond Multiplex.









Starting with several photographs, I outlined rough shape and dimensions of the part and transferred it onto some lightly tempered steel.  The steel is paper thin and was cut with scissors.

The two wire clips on the sides were similar to older paper clips of a thick stock wire.  These were solde…

I listen to a lot of music, I have no favorite song or artist, or even a favorite genre.  However, I do have a favorite album.  I’m the kind of person who’ll pick a single great song out of an entire stack and hate the rest.  But just one album has seemed to hold the only spot in my favorites category every day since I first heard it in 2005.  The indie album “Illinois” by Sufjan Stevens. I’m not sure why this one album enraptured me so much.  Maybe because it had been engrained in my life for so long.  Now this isn’t the only album from Stevens that I love.  “Carrie & Lowell” is excellent, and several songs cherry picked from a few other albums made my playlist as well.  “Illinois” though, man...don’t even get me started on track 9.  That’s my jam.  I’ve got it on all my devises, I covet the CD, and have a backup cassette just in case ;)

Topping the charts back in 2005 doesn’t seem to do it enough justice.  It should’ve stayed there, though it did make the top 100 songs of this cen…

So, I was asked what a typewriter ribbon does.  Of course I gave the simple technical answer about the medium for transferring ink to a page, but it really got me thinking.  What really is a ribbon? In a way—in a far-fetched, metaphorical way—a ribbon is akin to a soul.  It’s a medium people use to express their ideas.  Not just those, but their sentiments, their intellect, and all these are recorded through a silk ribbon soaked in ink.  Sometimes one feels that the ribbon will go on forever, pouring out words at their command, but then it unwinds completely, what was once happening, has now ceased. A life only stretches so far, only carries...only gives, so much.  And when that ribbon runs dry, and all those ideas have been committed to a page, it’s purpose has been fulfilled.  When one has given all they’ve got, when one has poured themselves out completely, when one can no longer hold on, they have fulfilled their purpose.  The end of the spool falls away.
Perhaps now, it doesn’t seem…

The nice thing about all metal typewriters, is the fact that I can put magnets on them.  Like this Snoopy picture I drew.  I have also found out that magnetic legos can be used as a sort of office caddy.  Not like I’d use it myself, but the option still stands.  They’re quite strong.




Very strong...

Well, here's one of my ideas.  Me and a buddy are going to open up an etsy shop sometime mid July.  We'll be buying and selling, and repairing.



And that's that.  Trash into Cash, right?  Got our sights on two early Underwood 5's, a Remington Super Speed, and a 5, as well as a 2 Royal KMMs an Underwood SX, and a L.C.Smith.

This photograph was taken in April of 1912, the photograph itself was one of numerous copies printed in early May of the same year.  I’m a lucky individual to have such a nice copy of it.  It shows wear, but it is over 100 years old.

The Titanic disaster was perhaps the most infamous marintime disaster in human history.  The Unsinkable ship strikes an Iceberg off Newfoundland and sinks, killing over a thousand people.

A lot of people have speculated over the years, about whether or not this really was an accident.  From sub-quality rivets, to a plot by J. P. Morgan.  The second, being the most interesting.  Morgan owned white star line, and the Titanic.  When the Titanic’s sister ship struck another vessel in September 1912, the company lost a lot of money.  Repairs, lost tickets on the liner, and the Titanic’s sail date was moved up to April costing them further tickets.  Not to mention the fact that Morgan’s investments in Nikola Tesla’s electricity were being ignored in favor for …