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My first book was written on one of these, and my mother was an expert -- I remember her clacking away all day! But she has passed away and I can't ask her, and all her machines have been thrown out.
A typewriter ribbon is going to play a key part in my WW2 novel. I want the character to be an assistant to a Nazi Gauleiter; I want her to change the spool so that the ribbon has only been used once, the letters are still clearly imprinted, and can be deciphered, but backwards.
So my question is this: I know that the ribbon, when it comes to an end, automatically reverses, and I assume this was also the case in 1940. Let's say it's a brand new ribbon, so the reverse letters are clear and not yet typed over. But when it reverses, would the second round of typing be imprinted on top of the first, or would it be above or below that, allowing two clear strips of writing? Would the assistant, in other words, need to remove the spool once it has reached the end once, and before it reverses, or can she wait until it has gone through a second round? I simply can't remember how they work.
I hope I've described the problem clearly enough, and there's somebody here old enough and/or experienced enough to help! I did try googling but of course this particular issue isn't answered, though there's a lot of info on spools and ribbons.
A typewriter ribbon is going to play a key part in my WW2 novel. I want the character to be an assistant to a Nazi Gauleiter; I want her to change the spool so that the ribbon has only been used once, the letters are still clearly imprinted, and can be deciphered, but backwards.
So my question is this: I know that the ribbon, when it comes to an end, automatically reverses, and I assume this was also the case in 1940. Let's say it's a brand new ribbon, so the reverse letters are clear and not yet typed over. But when it reverses, would the second round of typing be imprinted on top of the first, or would it be above or below that, allowing two clear strips of writing? Would the assistant, in other words, need to remove the spool once it has reached the end once, and before it reverses, or can she wait until it has gone through a second round? I simply can't remember how they work.
I hope I've described the problem clearly enough, and there's somebody here old enough and/or experienced enough to help! I did try googling but of course this particular issue isn't answered, though there's a lot of info on spools and ribbons.
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