24 Comments

Add a Comment
  1. Okay, darn, now I have Sharp thermal printing wedgie GAS.

    1. I have a PA-1050 that only prints when I hold the print head against the paper. Isn’t the little white arm supposed to push the print head onto the paper? On mine, the arm doesn’t even push it far enough when fully extended. I bought it from the original owner, and she said it worked fine. But I don’t see how that’s possible if it is indeed the job of the arm to push the print head against the paper. It literally can’t reach! I guess I’m hoping you can shed some light on how the print head works.

  2. Awww, baby wedges … so kewt!

    Now I’m going to be keeping my eyes open for these things (and thermal fax paper) when I’m in the thrift store.

  3. Did the Brother EP-20’s print quality improve when you used it with the thermal fax paper?

    1. yes, it’s still dot-matrix, but doesn’t have gaps and dropped pixels like the ribbon produced. Fax paper works very well. (:

  4. hello, you say the pa 1050 has a nice feeling keyboard, could you tell me what switches it uses?

  5. Hey Munk, I’ve read this article three times since you shared it with me, and I’m getting so excited for my baby wedge! Thank you again :-)

    1. No problem, they’re delightful little machines. Great keyboards on the Panasonic ones. (:

  6. Question: How are you dealing with the paper rolling around, or is that not an issue? I picked up a few rolls today in anticipation of the coming baby wedge, and am also gluing to take a page from Joe’s book and set up a hanger apparatus on one of the ultra portables for the Jack Kerouac experience. :-)

    1. Yeah, it gets curly. I store it in scrolls and scan it immediately. my files are full of cocktail napkins, scrolls, and a thousand other wildly varied papers of opportunity. (:

  7. LOL that’s cool. I think I get a little too wrapped up in “proper writing supplies” and should just loosen up a bit. I have too many notebooks and it gets a little crazy trying to remember where I jotted which note! Have you set up a system to keep the paper near the machine instead of wandering off the writing surface, or is that not an issue with this?

    1. constructing a JVC-style paper holder would be ideal. Mostly I either put the lid behind the machine and the paper roll in the lid to keep it from wandering off, or like stick something behind the roll like a pair of pliers. I’m the sort that plays it fast & loose. :D

  8. LOL. I actually attempted a make-shift (temporary) holder out of a coat hanger and a couple binder clips today, as time was an issue, and a trip to the hardware store wasn’t an option. My experiment was unsuccessful, but no typewriters were inured in the process ;-)

  9. I’m about to but one of these, thanks for a LOT of info on that! What is the name of the cartridge in the 1050, given the fact that the one I’ll get will eventually run out?

    1. good question. I dunno – I just use thermal fax paper because the ribbons are all 20-30 years old and made of unobtainium. :D

  10. I have a PA-1050 that only prints when I hold the print head against the paper. Isn’t the little white arm supposed to push the print head onto the paper? On mine, the arm doesn’t even push it far enough when fully extended. I bought it from the original owner, and she said it worked fine. But I don’t see how that’s possible if it is indeed the job of the arm to push the print head against the paper. It literally can’t reach! I guess I’m hoping you can shed some light on how the print head works.

    1. No idea. I gave this one away and don’t have it anymore.

  11. crystal zimmerman

    I have a pa1050 sharp typewriter I need a cartridge for it

  12. crystal zimmerman

    can anyone tell me where I can find a cartridge for a pa1050

    1. ebay, but they haven’t made any in 30 years. They’ll all be bad.

  13. Hi Can you tell me where i can get a adaptor, my machine is a SHARP PA-1050 NUMBER ON MACHINE IS 71000449.
    Any help you can offer will be most helpful, all the best Ted

    1. Dunno, I don’t have the machine anymore (:

  14. Anyone anyone know about a Sharp Model 60? Won one online. All that I know is it is thermal and the keys are a mix of Englins and Oriental.

Leave a Reply to Richard P Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.