How to Re-Spool a Ribbon
This Page is Currently Under Construction
How to put a new ribbon onto an old Spool
These days, when you buy a new ribbon for your typewriter, the ribbon is supplied to you on plastic spools. These new spools may be a lot bigger or very different in size or shape to the spools that your typewriter normally uses.
If this is the case, don't panic - you do not have to throw the typewriter away, but you will need to unwind the ribbon from the new spools and wind it back onto your old spools.
This can be a messy job, but here is a rough guide on how to do it without getting ink all over your hands.
Step 1 - Unwind the old ribbon
Take your old spools off your machine and unwind any old ribbon that may be on it. This should be a fairly clean job as the old ribbon will probably be dry. Be careful not to lose any clips that may hold the ribbon onto the spools or any screws that may hold the spools onto the typewriter.
Some spools use a clip to hold the ribbon onto the spool and in some cases the ribbon is held on with a spike that goes through the ribbon.
You will now have an empty spool ready to take the new ribbon.
Step 2 - Preparing to wind on.
Take the new ribbon and new spools and wind the new ribbon back onto the full new spool until you expose the clip or spike holding the ribbon on the empty new spool.
Wrapping the full new spool in a tissue either pull the ribbon off the spike of the empty new spool or cut the ribbon as close to the spike as possble. If you can pull the ribbon off the spike this will leave you with a ready made hole that can be slipped over the spike of your old spool (If your ribbon is held on by a clip this is not important).
Put the new ribbon onto the spike of one of the old empty spools or clip the ribbon onto one of the old empty spools as necessary. Notice the direction of the spike, because you will be winding the ribbon onto the old spool in the opposite direction. (Otherwise the ribbon will come loose).
Step 3 - Winding on
In your right hand take the new full spool and in your left hand take the empty old spool with new ribbon attached. Make sure that the ribbon is flat and not twisted.
Place the two spools and place on an easy to wipe down surface (not material) so that they look like two wheels (see picture above).
Allowing the spools to roll like wheels (so lightly hold the middles only) pull your right hand slowly to the right and amazingly the left spool will follow and will wind up the ribbon (I think its something to do with static).
Pick both spools up and return to the starting position and repeat the above steps.
Keep doing this until all the new ribbon is wound onto your old spool. It takes a bit of practice, but it does work. When you have finished the once full new spool will now be empty and showing its spike or clip. Wrap the old full spool in tissue and pull the new ribbon off the now empty new spool and attach it to the spike on remaining empty old spool.
Hey presto - you have completed the taks with hopefully little or no mess.
I hope this has been useful