Ahoy! Thar Be Grommets!!

 Today, Saturday, they arrived - the grommets for the Olivetti, and I couldn't wait to install them. If you recall, the reason I needed the grommets was because the ones that were originally installed in the factory had deteriorated into tiny flecks of rubber, as is only natural for a machine that's been around for just over 70 years! And because of the lack of grommets, the machine's case would slide and rock on its frame since the screws were too long, having been chosen to allow space for both attach case to frame with the grommets between the two.  At any rate, I've described the process for you below:

Grommet Installation Process

Inserting the grommets into the Olivetti is a pretty simple process, and those are the words of a non-tinkerer. . . me. Just be sure to have things ready and not to lose the little parts you will be working with. Altogether, the whole process shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes, 30 minutes tops. 

Getting Things Ready

To get started, gather the parts and tools you will need to do the job. These include:

• 4 grommets (information on which to get and where to get them is provided at the end of the article)
• 1 narrow bladed straight end screwdriver

I also recommend having these items on hand, as they made the process so much easier:

• 1 folded bath towel or other protective non-slip mat to place the typewriter on.
• 1.small bar of hand soap (as a lubricant to help slide the grommets into place)
• 1 small flat plastic toothpick such as found on a Swiss Army Knife
• 1 small plate or box in which to place your parts while working (a small soy sauce plate is ideal)

Steps

1. First, remove the bottom panel of the typewriter, and set it aside until the job is complete. 
2. Once you've done that, remove the case from the frame of the machine. If you don't know how to do this, there is an excellent video, linked here, that shows how to do it. Please note that the video goes on to show how to remove the carriage as well, but you can skip that part since it is not necessary to remove the carriage for this job.
3. Once the frame and casing are separated, put the frame/mechanism aside since you won't be working on that, and place the case alone on your worktable. Make sure the workspace is covered with a towel so as to protect the paint finish on the case from scratching, etc.
4. Next take one grommet and rub one side of it (one of the two flanges) on the a of barely moist soap so as to lubricate it. This will make the next step so much easier.
5. Press the grommet into one of the holes on the case. It is best to do this from the top side of the case towards the underside, again to avoid any scratching of the paint during the next step. When the bottom flange of the grommet has gone through the opening and the top flange seems to be resting fully on the case upper surface, go on to the next step.
6. Turn the case over and work the rest of the bottom flange through the hole. This can be done with any fairly thin and flat tool or object, preferably non-metallic. The plastic toothpick tool in a Swiss Army Knife works perfectly for this purpose. When all of the flange is through the opening and spread to it full extent as on the upper side, you are done.
7. Use the same tool (flat plastic toothpick or a thin screwdriver) to remove any soap debris from the eyelet of the grommet. 
8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for each of the remaining holes. 
9. When all grommets are in place, reattach the case to the frame (place the washer on top of grommet, then insert the screw, and then screw down). Then replace the bottom panel.

Grommet insertion process steps

Where Do I Get the Grommets?

I found a tip on where to get the grommets from a user on a Reddit group. He provided the link for the item on Amazon UK, but fortunately the same item could be found on Amazon.com. This is the link: uxcell Rubber Grommets 4mm at Amazon.  They are not expensive (only about $5 for 20 of them) and I had them within a couple days of ordering them.

So How Did It Go?

How did it go? Perfectly! The process was easier and quicker than I had expected, and the grommets were a perfect fit! No trimming or cutting was necessary. The soap step I mentioned really sped things along, which I know from having to tried to insert the first grommet without soap. Yes, I managed, but it was a slower, more-force-required endeavor. That said, use the soap. Just regular ol' bar soap, slightly moist, but not creamy or soapy - still hard but damp enough to all the soap to rub off the bar.

Best of all, once I put everything back together, the loose case problem was gone, Top case connected snugly to the frame, just like it was designed to do. I felt quite pleased with myself for this little success. I am ready for more minor jobs in the future. 

There was one disappointment, however. I had hoped that perhaps fixing the loose case problem might also cure the problem I had been having with my line stop and bell.  Unfortunately, the problem remains, so it is obviously being caused by something else. Hopefully that problem will be fixed after the Lettera 22 takes its little trip to the repair shop in Albuquerque.