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Pilot P1

The predecessor to my Pilot P3, as developed by the Keybar calculating machine company, but production continued in the 1960s under the Pilot name. Inside, the machines are much the same, as you can see by the comparison of the undressed mechanisms below. It was sold to me as "not working" and that turned out to be true. All the pinwheels in the cylinder were perfectly free and functioned effortlessly, but one was stuck - really, really stuck. The hope of being able to free it up with some violence was quickly thwarted when the setting pin tore off, and I had to do what I should have done all along - disassemble the damn thing.

That's where we have arrived here:

Pilot

After taking the macine and the pinwheel cylinder apart, the broken pin was silver-soldered back together

Pilot

Like this:

Pilot

Then it's a simple question of re-assembly ...

Pilot

Pilot

The pin was now slightly on the long side, and wouldn't clear the cover and zeroing mechanism...

Pilot

Pilot

Pilot

...so it had to be filed down a little so it would fit.

Pilot

Pilot

Pilot

Phew...!

The machine came with its vinyl cover, which has a push button at the bottom right corner to close around the crank. Unfortunately, it is a bit prone to tearing the vinyl, so it is no longer in perfect condition.

Pilot

The rest of the machine looks great though - here is its portrait:

Pilot

Pilot

Pilot

Pilot

The carriage slides out 6 places to the right, and springs back one stop at a time by the pushbutton in the lower left - so you are making your multiplications in the "wrong" order, from high ranks to low.

Pilot

Pilot

The blind in the revolution counter shifts to the right when giving the crank a negative turn, and the indicator on the right goes from x to a "divide" symbol in yellow - the numbers also change to yellow.

Pilot

With its bakelit cast handle post, it is a very interesting and small machine. The serial number is 1003709, which seems to indicate the 3709th machine of the model P-1.