[GreenKeys] Teletype ribbons

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Nagle" <nagle at animats.com>
To: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Teletype ribbons


> On 3/27/2013 11:51 AM, greenkeys-request at mailman.qth.net 
> wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 3/27/2013 8:47:14 A.M. Mountain 
>> Standard Time,
>> Til128 at aol.com writes:
>>
>> I swear by (not at) these people!
>> _http://www.neximaging.com/Product.asp?ID=7388_
>> (http://www.neximaging.com/Product.asp?ID=7388)
>> It says purple but they send black.
>> And at a buck sixty nine for 6, it's a steal!
>>
>> Plastic spools.  Might want to save your metal ones.
>
>   I've updated my Teletype supplies page.
>
>     http://www.aetherltd.com/supplies.html
>
> I'm currently trying Scantracker SC-73 (black) ribbons.
> Metal spools, and blacker printing than the Nukote
> B76 ribbons.  I'm not sure how long the life is, so I
> have a Model 15 printing away.
>
> They're especially good for the Model 14 tape printers 
> with
> that paper tape I sell. That's rice-paper tape, stronger 
> than
> the original newsprint tape, but not as ink-absorbing. 
> With
> a B76 ribbon, the typing wasn't as dark as it should be.
> The Scantracker ribbon produces a nice black.
>
> I don't have any late-model Teletypes, so I can't suggest
> what works best in then.
>
> John Nagle
>
    I thought most Teletype machines use the same ribbon as 
used in standard, office size, Underwood typewriters.  This 
size ribbon and spools are used in a ton of different 
typewriters, probably the most common size. Teletype ribbons 
may differ in some way because they mostly got much heavier 
use the even office typewriters but the strength of the 
impact of the type bars should not be much different. 
Sometimes typewriters punch holes in the ribbon and paper 
due to hardened platens or mis-adjustment of the spacing of 
the type bar stops.  In any case, there are many sources of 
typewriter ribbons although I understand that most are made 
by a single company and sold in long rolls which are cut 
down by the retailer.
    Old style metal spools are getting hard to find but can 
be reused forever.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com