07-07-2020, 10:39 PM
11
Re: Typewriters
Originally Posted by Pesta
->
I remember that 
Dodge, you did well! What's wrong with 60wmp? (for a bloke
)I remember we had to press the keys with our eyes closed and saying out loud:
A S D F G, space, semi-colon L K J H
When typing properly, your little finger is supposed to hit the shift key which would raise the print head so you could type a capital letter or one of the special characters. What I remember about this typewriter is everytime you released the shift key, you would always hear a 'thud' as the print head moved back into position
The most annoying thing about this typewriter is that when I had to practice my typing skills, if I typed too fast, the hammers would get stuck with one-another and you'd see the hammers sticking up, so annoying.
07-07-2020, 10:39 PM
12
Re: Typewriters
Originally Posted by Baz46
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It was deliberate for there not to be any letters on the keyboard, no point in looking down at them so nobody ever did. All we knew was where the 'home keys' were and as you write the keys in vertical rows plus those in horizontal rows.The final word count achieved per minute was also combined with only so many errors allowed. That was so long ago that I cannot recall the exact word count, not that the word count in printing would be the same anyway, our's was characters per minute with six characters being the average in a word including the word space. Also of course, no spell checkers in those days!
What sort of printing you were in?
07-07-2020, 10:58 PM
13
Re: Typewriters
Originally Posted by Dodge
->
The most annoying thing about this typewriter is that when I had to practice my typing skills, if I typed too fast, the hammers would get stuck with one-another and you'd see the hammers sticking up, so annoying.
I was given a portable machine which I couldn't get on with at all. I was used to uprights. No idea what happened to the portable. Must have chucked it out
I remember there were electric, golf ball and daisy wheel machines, although I had no experience of those.
08-07-2020, 12:06 AM
14
Re: Typewriters
Originally Posted by Pesta
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haha, yes the dreaded 'key clump' I used to call it. I was given a portable machine which I couldn't get on with at all. I was used to uprights. No idea what happened to the portable. Must have chucked it out
I remember there were electric, golf ball and daisy wheel machines, although I had no experience of those.
One thing I do remember about my typing classes is the use of Tippex
and before that the double ended pencil eraser that had a smooth end for removing pencil lead and a rough end for removing ink and the frustration of having to start all over again when you tried to erase the typing error but went to hard with the eraser and it tore a tiny hole in the paper!!!
08-07-2020, 02:16 AM
16
Re: Typewriters
When I was working at the Settlers Museum in Waipawa New Zealand, we sometimes had school groups through and we laid out old things they could touch and play with like butter churns, washboard, wringers and typewriters. The kids could type their names etc on a piece of paper in the typewriter.One of the most frequent comments from them was "Where's the delete button? "
08-07-2020, 08:13 AM
17
Re: Typewriters
Originally Posted by Pesta
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Yes, that's true. It amazes me sometimes reading online papers... I think some forget about spell checker. What sort of printing you were in?
Everyone should always check what they have typed before posting, spell checkers are often quite useless! 
Almost every kind of printing has been experienced during my 55-year working life. I started out with a six-year apprenticeship at a general printers. Then into book and general printing, followed by newspapers. Next it was the advertising industry and then finally working as self-employed doing anything and everything, including producing and publishing a magazine for the last twelve years before retiring. Definitely a varied and interesting working life, from the old, traditional 'hot metal' methods to the latest modern computerised technology and all in the same trade too.
08-07-2020, 09:36 AM
18
Re: Typewriters
My sister's carer (and her son) set up and run an online typewriter shop. Just in case anyone's interested
08-07-2020, 12:41 PM
20
Re: Typewriters
As a Radio Officer, in Cunard (1955) we had to download the news, from, for example, American Radio Stations (Amaganset?) out there on the Atlantic.That came at you at around 30 wpm, which is a bit fast for Morse.
We were advised to use typewriters as converting Morse code to hand writing got tricky at those speeds.
Mistakes were made - sometimes on the horse racing results! That went down well (not always) with the on ship Bookies!
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