Follower Mitch Butler is repainting an Olivetti Lettera 22 portable typewriter and wrote asking about removing the paper plate. I probably hadn't helped matters much, because Mitch was looking at my blog post on the "Naked Lettera 22", in which I thoughtlessly replied to a comment by advising someone to use a small Allen key to remove the right-side platen knob in order to take the platen out. This advice, of course, applies to the Lettera 32, not the 22.
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Mitch wanted to remove the platen to take out and paint the paper plate, but this is not alone extremely difficult, it is also unnecessary. This is how I would go about it:
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Very gently push off the name plate from the two holes at the back of the paper plate. Slowly push something pointed into each hole, a bit at a time, to release the name plate very evenly, ensuring you do not bend it.
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Once the paper plate is repainted, everything goes back together again very easily - with the possible exception of the spring, which can be fiddly. Take special care not to stretch it when reattaching it to the hook at the bottom of the back section. The name plate needs two tiny dabs of glue at each end to hold it in place. Make sure the new paint is well and truly dry before doing this, otherwise the glue will soften the paint.
Mitch's machine, showing the two nuts holding the platen knob in place.
On the 22 the knob is gripped on to the platen rod by two nuts, which are impossible to shift. This will explain why Olivetti mechanics, when offering to repaint machines while servicing Lettera 22s, only ever repainted the mask and ribbon spools cover, never the paper plate. So often one will see a pistachio green Lettera 22, repainted from the original taupe, but still with a taupe-coloured paper plate.Mitch wanted to remove the platen to take out and paint the paper plate, but this is not alone extremely difficult, it is also unnecessary. This is how I would go about it:
Leave your nuts alone!
Unscrew the margin-set rail from the platen end plates.
This releases the back section, including the guide, paper supports and paper bail, to which the paper plate is screwed.
Upon unscrewing this back section, with the paper plate still attached, you will find it is held by a spring, hooked to the back section and at the other end almost underneath the platen.
After unhooking it, take great care to position this spring in such a way that you can easily access it later, otherwise it may drop down under the platen. The spring is vital to the correct positioning and functioning of the paper plate and back section, and you will need to reattach it to the hook (above) when replacing the repainted paper plate and the back section.
Unscrew the paper plate from the back section.
