Repaired the color shift tape for the 1053 console printer

1053 CONSOLE PRINTER RESTORATION

I worked out the best process for repairing the ribbon color tape - a plastic tape that travels over rollers as the carrier moves, but with a shift in tension on the tape it can trigger the carrier to move the ribbon higher or lower, typing through the red or black half of the ribbon. On my tape, one end tore open where it was looped to hold a metal hook. The loop in the tape was originally heat-welded.

I am using Bondic, a ultraviolet light curing adhesive very similar to what dentists use to fill cavities in teeth. First, the surface of the tape was lightly roughed up to create a better bonding surface. Then, I folded the torn end of the tape and began building up the material on the outsides and edges. Once it formed a solid blob around the tape, it had secured the two ends inside firmly.

My test piece used a loop in the middle of my spare tape - after bonding I yanked as hard as I could but there was no slippage or detachment. With that success behind me, I slowly and carefully built up the end of the proper length tape that I needed to repair. This worked well and I now can install it to provide ribbon color shifting on my console.

Test loop to verify bond strength on wrong length tape

Repaired tape end ready to be reinstalled in 1053

I have to go back to the diagnostic program and work on the 1053 until its typing and other behaviors are working well enough - spacing, backspaces, tab movement, carrier returns, line feeds, and color shifts.

SCANNED AND SHARED 1053 CONSOLE MANUAL

I scanned the FE Theory of Operations manual for the 1053 console printer, placing the resulting PDF up on my dropbox and also sharing it with the Golfball typewriter group. I will also offer it to Al to put up on Bitsavers.org, although he is quite busy right now with an office move and doesn't have the spare cycles; he has a backlog of other manuals I have scanned for upload.