Cool video! I joined Burroughs as a field tech in 1974 and the interview went on all day. Most of the time it involved one of these adding machines - the interviewer would put something out of adjustment and then give me twenty minutes to figure out what was wrong. I got the job so I guess my spatial and logic skills were up to it! Cheers, John
whaaaat. it blows my mind that at one point we were doing math completely mechanically and blows my mind even more that modern processors still more or less at their simplest just emulate these machines.
New sub to your excellent channel. As an aging member of the class of '82, I think we may have been the last high school students in America to learn to use an adding machine, electronic calculator, typewriter, word processor, computer and slide rule before we graduated. This particular video spoke to me on several nostalgic levels.
TRS-80's. Our school was also fortunate enough to have a large manufacturing company a couple miles away that sort of adopted it, and they donated a late 60's era IBM 1620 mainframe that we used for our FORTRAN enrichment. The TRS-80's were a lot more fun.
I'm from the class of 2001, and I used one of these adding machines, learned to use slide rules, and typed all of my essays on either a typewriter or Brother brand "electronic" typewriter...
My dad was a Burroughs Adding Machine field engineer (then called "serviceman") in the 1940s. He told me they were encouraged to sell accessories to customers they visited. One accessory was Cushion Key Tops. These prevented operators breaking their fingernails.
This was really interesting. My father started his computing career working for Burroughs in the UK. He worked with their punch card machines I believe. He left to work for Sun as an SSE and gradually claimed the ladder into the Oracle era before redundancy a couple of years before retirement (for which he got the last laugh as he got them to cover the pension contributions so he didn't lose out by having his pension early and after he'd left they ended up requiring his assistance and had to pay consultancy rates for his time as he was one of the few who still knew how something worked and had been installed at a big bank).
Wow! This was so involved. After seeing these in movies/TV it's nice to actually get a close up look at how they worked, I've always been very curious. Thanks for taking the time for this vid.
I used these in the early ‘80’s in a bank in Australia. I was always fascinated by them. We changed to electric machines with a modern keypad not long after I started, but these always had a charm that could not be duplicated.
So... I had one of these as a kid. My dad got it from someone he did a job for (general contractor making friends, old timer giving things away sort of deal)... I'm 35 now, and this was back when I was like, 6 or 7 maybe... It stuck around a long time after, just sitting in the basement. Not sure how many digits it had, but it was for sure a Burroughs, and in exact similar fashion to this one you have. Exact similar fashion, except mine was the lever style subtract... which even confirmed things more here for me. I feel like the entire face was keys though, so maybe all digits. I do recall playing with it as a kid, and getting a very intimate knowledge of how it worked. I mean, this is like, reiterating exactly what young kid me was discovering on my own. I used to play with shit like this, this... this was kid Brett's toys. This and soldering, tinkering, making and fixing. I see kids these days and feel like we've regressed so so much. Not to toot my own horn, many of my friends had very similar hobbies and skills of their own. Kids today, damn... the derp is real. Society overall really. Shame.... Feel like I digressed a bit there. Nah...
They used to build stuff to last a century, as they probably expected such devices would be used in a century. The idea that it would be obsolete in a few decades probably never occurred to them.
Makes me want to pick one up locally (there’s one like this available) and put it back to work at my part time job. I do a lot of purchasing and being able to do calculations on a vintage machine would be so fun!
My grandpa had these Burroughs adding machine, a different one, and I didn’t know what it was a kid, I would just fuck with it a lot. Well today my mom dropped it off at my house, saying she knows I used to love playing with it, and I love old stuff and learning about it. So here I am, learning. Thanks!!
sabías que el hijo de William inventor es WilliamBurroughs? magnifico escritor que ha salido en películas, ha compartido con estrellas del rock y del arte de los 60 y bueno, es bien conocido.
fantastic video! I have a very similar if not identical Burroughs adding machine that was used in my Great grandfathers general store on the 1920's. I remember being intrigued by it as a kid. And even today (until now) never really knew how to use it. Can you imagine the time and creativity required to design and mass produce something like this. Its a true lost art.
My Grandfather (currently 101 yrs old and still kicking!) had one of these in his office. He'd used one _a lot_ as a young accountant. For an entertain the grandkids trick he'd ask us for a number, then he'd contort his hand into a weird shape and stab the machine all at once, up to 5 digits. He was so skilled with the thing that he could "chord" numbers on it.
It's amazing how much we take for granted nowadays, being able to type numbers into a magic box and do all sorts of math on them instantly without having to worry about gears and platen heads and nine's complement and whatever you did to get division working on that machine.
I'm all nostalgic now for the Remington typewriter and adding machine of long-forgotten make I had as a kid >30 years ago, gifts from a family friend who ran a surplus store that seemed to specialize in antique office equipment. If I recall correctly, the adding machine had subtraction and multiplication. I didn't get a manual with it, and nobody around me knew anything about them, so it's only the last few years I've learned how you can do other operations on even a machine that just does addition.
Also the last time I needed to buy a ribbon for my typewriter, in something like 1987, the guy at the office supply store had a hard time finding a suitable ribbon with both black and red ink-if memory serves after all these years, he said that for some reason, demand for them had dried up, so they weren't really being made any more? Who knows, he was probably just making it up,,,
Such a lovely machine! Its look, it's sound, everything! I think you cleaned it just enough, so that it retains its character and history while not looking like it spent the last 80 years in a barn.
My first typewriter was a 1949 Royal KMG, so it's really cool to see you have a KMM! :D I'm sure you already know, but the KMM is what Rod Serling typed on.
What a lovery bit of equipment. My dad had a cash register in his shop which was of a very similary design, but with a cash drawer and a visible total in pop up flags in a glass fronted frame at the top. By the way I think the 'S total' button is a 'sub-total' rather than 'sum total'.
Children... These old machines invariably ended up in the hands of kids back in the late 70s and early 80s, back before they were seen as holding historical value, and when they were just viewed as useless and obsolete, with the advent of cheap, pocket calculators, and electronic desktop adding machines. These used to end up in garage sales for pocket change, and they more often than not ended up as a cheap novelty for kids to bang on till they broke it or got bored with. Kid had a red pen or marker or crayon, and decided to try and fill in the 8. I've seen it before, and I guarantee that this adding machine probably spent a portion of it's existence as a kid's toy. I know I went through a few as a kid!
On the Royals, once you hit the margin, the platin basically locks. If you want to release it, you need to backspace first. Otherwise, it expects you to do a carriage return.
Fascinating. I love mechanical calculators, adders, etc. And I think the key (heh, pun intended) is to "clean" not "refurbish." Get rid of dirt, dust, sticker residue, etc. but that's it. Chipped paint, worn lettering, etc. is all part of the patina, and IMHO shouldn't be re-done. Unfortunately there's no way of fixing things like stuck mechanisms, etc. without disassembling the thing -- there's probably a ton of ancient grease in there that has congealed over the years. They're not impossible to take apart -- if you're careful and methodical and document your work, it is very doable. Another RU-vidr, Robert Baruch, took apart a different adding machine (a Monroe Model K) and documented the process thoroughly. If you had a oiler with a very fine tip, you MIGHT be able to fix some sticking if you squirt a little oil in various parts without having to disassemble the whole thing. BTW one thing to watch out for when taking one of these apart is that in a lot of these older machines, any plastic parts -- keys, number wheels, handles, etc. -- might be made out of cellulose, which is how they made certain plastics back in the day. Yes, the very same cellulose that motion picture film used to be made out of, that was the cause of many a theater fire, as well as some major fires that destroyed almost all of the silent picture-era films. Get one of these a wee bit too close to a heat source, and poof. The RU-vidr I mentioned above used a heat gun in one of his disassembly videos to try and get some tight fitting components in one of the number wheels to separate (using thermal expansion/contraction) and yeah, the number wheel spontaneously combusted live on camera. Oops.
It's worth noting that most algebraic-entry simple/old calculators and many adding machines have a register for the operator; others use a field within the work register for the operator.
I just found one of these in what looks like a newer iteration maybe from the 60’s or 70’s in great condition in an old abandoned office in the woods near me. It even had a semi-full roll of paper in it.
For division: one workaround for the "no repeated subtraction" would be to start with a *negative* number, and then use repeated addition until it becomes positive (or zero).
I'll come out and admit it: I'm actually more confused now as to the distinction between adding machines and calculators than before AkBkukU explained it.
I actually picked up one of these from a Salvation Army about a month ago for $25. I have to add one correction to your list though. The one I picked up is a SEVEN column model (5 & 2), but is otherwise the same as the 8 column model you have. Mine also has the "dry lake bed" texture. Opened the thing up to find out why it wasn't working and discovered it was full of mouse droppings. Probably sat for years in a barn somewhere. Yours must have been taken care of, because yours is a lot cleaner inside than mine was when I got it. I've cleaned it up a bit and got it MOSTLY working, though the [Total] function doesn't lift the hammers fully and displays half-way between the two sets of numbers. At some point, I want to take the thing completely apart and give it a through cleaning and scrub the rust out, but that will be for a time when I have my workspace completely cleared out and I can make complete photo documentation so I know what goes where.
Such a cool find. If you ever are looking at rebuildign one or needing new springs you could always look at Steve Young's Pinball Resources. They do mechanical pinball parts, and springs, so they might be able to fabricate metal parts or springs.
I have a version of your white mechanical, however mine has an electric motor, I also have an early Nixie tube 'Anita' machine. The Anita is easy to use, however the mechanical one, I've just put it into the too hard category. for display only. Of the electronic adding style calculators (the ones with a '+=' key) I discovered a handy hack, if you extend that key out by means of a relay, then it can be made into a counter, that can count in any obscure number you can think of. Say you have a wheel that is 1.232 meters in circumference, then you enter 1.232 into the calculator, then have the wheel trip the relay on every rotation. after you have travelled a distance the calc will display the exact distance (within one rotation). The only limit is how fast (not very) the calc can take these external pulses.
Last week, i did find an adding machine in the thrift shop. It is the Addo-x serie 40 and did cost only €22.50. The machine didn't work, was jammed and stuck due to very old oil or grease. But now, it's working for the most part. The are doc's to find on internet, only with some missing pages which may have info i need.
I had the opportunity to choose between a Royal typewriter, and one of these. I chose the typewriter, because it was more useful to me and in better condition. I do not regret my decision, but I do regret not having one of these cool things!
Thank You for a great explanation, i found the 6 row machine on a fleamarket last summer, probably an earlier or later model since it has both wisible numbers in the bottom and 2 colour as it seems
Hey Shelby, I actually have the electric "automatic" version of this machine. I certainly don't need it in college, so if you're interested let me know!
Fully cleaning this and restoring it to factory-condition would be some CuriousMarc-level stuff. I'd enjoy watching it, but It's very understandable that you're hesitant.
I had that Casio color graphing calculator . I had no business using it . But I liked it. I want to find a lever adding machine . Oh to have lived when everything was an invention “OH WHAT IF WE WERE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF RECEPTACLE IN WHICH TO DEPOSIT REFUSE” I’ve just invented sanitation….
I have one of these too! Not in as good a shape as my Comptometer model J. The ribbon is very dry and the ink hardly shows on the paper. I think mine has a small mechanical issue too, sometimes the crank acts up and doesn't actuate fully. Still, got it for just a couple dollars at my local goodwill.
Me at 1:00 am watching a guy clean an 80yo adding machine: “Is this worth sleeping only 4 hours and be tired all next day?” Also me: “This is so worthy it could lift Thor’s hammer”
they keys are just pressed onto the piece they push down. the white keys are fragile, but the black keys are decent (at least on mine). you only need to pull on the keys to remove them
I have two mechanicals calculator(they aren't that old) but they are still fully mechanical. Both of them wasn't working when I got them but theres a old guy who is/was a mechanical engineer that disassembled and fixed them. Sometime I have to ask him if he would let me do a documentary/video of him fixing it(which I believe he woudn't mind but because he's schedule is very tight it would be troublesome)
You should have done the first subtraction a little different... Instead of 10 minus 5, how about 10 minus 7... That way you know the answer, 3, is different from both numbers you started with... I have an old adding machine sitting in the basement -- or storage -- that I've had for at least 20 years... I think it was from the 50's or 60's... As I think about it -- at one in the morning; sleep? what's that?? -- it has the look of cars with fins... Definitely not 40's... Anyway, very good video... I seem to be binging on videos of fixing, cleaning, learning how stuff works... Also doing that for myself, for real, with a leaf blower, weed whacker, and hedge trimmer... Trying to see what's going on in there... God, this is waaay too long... Need sleep.... Thanks... : )
I'll have to admit that i find it very confusing to understand how functions like division and multiplication work on those machines, and even if you were to explain it i'd already forget about it if i weren't using such a machine day by day. I hope there were guidebooks for this kind of thing, so that people who had yet to learn how adding machine functions work can understand
I have a similar machine. The ink ribbon is too dry to print. Is there a way to get ribbon replacement or ink it? Not sure how that part (ribbon) is addressed. I use to love to "play" I was a young kid visiting my dad's office where if was their regularly used adding machine. It worked great and handle was fun to pull.
On only a few columns when I press a number and pull the crank does the number arms move up a strike the paper. I'll punch in 7655 and only one arm moves up and strikes. I'm using Ativa Cleaning Duster (compressed air) to try to clean out under the key pad. What else should I look for?
Ut oh! Before looking at this video I cleaned my Burroughs Portable by spraying 409 on the keypad and scrubbing between the keys with a Q-Tip. Did I mess things up by not preventing fluids from seeping down the keys?
Hi great video!! I just got my Burroughs adding machine from goodwill. But, the keys aren’t going down. None of them press down. Does that mean it’s broken? Help
That isn't an 8... That's your total or "=" key... He explains that in the first 12 minutes of the video... So I watched to later and realized I was mistaken on your question. That red 8 gives a visual indicator of where the decimal should start.
@@aj383 Not that key. I am taking about the 8 key in the first decimal place. When he cleans the keys you can see that the 8 has red lettering. I was wondering if this colour had any meaning or is it damage to the key.
What happened to calculators in the mid 80's seemed to happen to cars in the early 90's, at least hear in the UK I noticed that homogenizing effect. Anyway, how I came across your channel, I don't know, but I'm staying.
Hi there, a different question for you. Might you by chance have just purchased a small adding machine from the Old House Revival in Winnipeg? If so could you email us.
