1939 Erika 5


I regrettably didn’t take as many photos of this machine as I wanted to.  This machine was another repair, and it needed some escapement tuning and a bell tuning.  The bell was easy, the skipping escapement was not.  This machine doesn’t have a star wheel like most other typewriters, instead it has two teethed pieces that move in and out of alignment with the carriage rack, one of which is on a small compression spring that regulates spacing.  This makes the machine pretty sensitive.



 

The escapement was eventually fixed by reforming a section of the spacebar linkage over a torch, the same with the letter spacing leaver.  The rest was polishing.  That’s that, a very short story for a very interesting machine.  Wish I had more time with it!  I do want to note the level key top action, which does not cause the keys to shift forward or back more than a fraction of a millimeter.  Very remarkable!  The Coronas tend to lock up if you don’t let the keys travel a few millimeters forward.  These kept the keys level and straight, a joy to type on.   Got up to 107WPM with no skipping!!

 

Bringing it back, also had to replace the handle on the case, used a leather strap and some brass rivets.



Comments

  1. Richard PApril 17, 2019 at 7:55 AM

    107 wpm! Wow. These are very fine typewriters.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LxAugust 7, 2019 at 9:09 AM

    For me Eika's are the fastest machines I can type on. (Not sure if I can do 107 wpm, though) I just ordered a 1939 Erika 5 but reading your statement how delicate/sensitive these machines are, I truly hope it arrives in good condition from the other side of the country and no case. :S

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucas DulAugust 24, 2019 at 5:15 PM

      Any machine could suffer disasterous effects from shipping!! The entire carriage generally rides on a single pawl, so any shock is prone to sheering it clean in half. Having this issue on a gorgous green Royal A model. Good luck with the Erika! The german compression style escapements seem (to me at least) to wear out leaving much greater space between parts, hence the sensitivity.

      Delete

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