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I'm BACK! ....for now

I've got too many things to do to keep a daily blog. But once in a while, I'll post. And this is one of those posts.


Hello all,

It's been a while. The university life does tend to take up a lot of time, and unfortunately, that means cutting back one some of the interwebs stuff. However, up and running we are.

And today I am bringing a creative idea what you could possibly do with old worn out typewriters. These machines are not worth a lot, but it does provide the option that you can do something artistic with it. Here is a sample.

I got this 1961 Underwood Typemaster as part of a payment for a Olympia SG1. The typewriter is a old lesson machine. It had a number on the back, and the keys didn't have any letters on them. The mechanism is still good but cosmetically, this typewriter has had it's time. So this is what my mother came up with. I'll show you what it looks like when it is finished.

 My mother going a little bit crazy and has started to paint her handbag.

Typewriter advertisements

Typewriter advertisements changed significantly throughout the 20th century. A clear difference between the ads of the 1920s and the 1960s is the amount of color used in these ads. Way more play is used in representing these machines. Less formalities were mixed in creating a interest into the public using a commercially based advertisement for these machines. In the early days of the 20th century, the marketing had strict rules. These faded away significantly after WW2 as can be seen in the following ads.

Late 19th century (1880 - 1900)

 

 

Early 20th century (1900 - 1940)

 

 

 



Mid 20th century (1940 - 1960)

 

 

 

 
 

Late 20th century (1960 - 1990) 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Do you notice the difference that the ads have, if you take the time periods into consideration? Some old advertisements from the 20's also used color. But in the 50's and 60's, they became so much more creative.

 

I love these things.

 

 

 

 

 

A royal Royal

Well, the first of the three typewriters that I bought last week-end is complete. The Royal 10, that I got along with a 1909 Underwood 5 and Remington Portable. And I have to say, this wonderful typer looks absolutly stunning. What a machine!

Unfortunately I don't have any images of what it looked like before i restored. Just a dark video on youtube. But I can assure you that the machine is like new compared to the condition that it was in when I bought it. There is a new ribbon installed, and everything is polished and cleaned

A advertisement I found on the Royal 10

This however, is supposed to resemble the older version of the #10. The window panels indicate this!

It is safe to say that this is a wonderful typewriter.

Excuses and Notice

Hi guys,

My apologies for long time no write. And at this time i won't be making a typewriter entry, except this.

Soon, a entry about my polished 1892 Empire and 1897 Remington 8 and my 1932 Royal 10 and maybe my 1909 Underwood 5 (my 2nd '09) and my Remington something portable.

See you soon.

Long time no type...

My apologies for not writing a entry for so long. I've been very busy with school and typewriters the past month, so I haven't been able to attend to Typosphere. However, here we are again...


I went thrift store hunting this week-end, to one thrift store. And it was very nice. This little store was up to its ceiling in little knick-knacks, clothes, camera's and even a Underwood typewriter. Nothing special and for the condition that it was in the price was a little steep. But I can make some money off of it for sure, and that is just what I am going to do.

 Here it is, all cleaned up.

Robust Remington!

Ah, another restoration process in restoring a old typewriter. In this case, that will be my 1926 Remington 12, which i bought in March of 2010, for $33. The paint on it isn't the greatest, and yes i did some touchups, with the help from the "basic typewriter restoration page" on the internet. The decals on this machine however, are wonderfull. And the paint that is still in good shape is in GREAT shape.
I started with stripping the machine apart, taking all the panels off and then the bell, margin release, and bar. Then the ENTIRE tab construction. The carriage belt i loosened so i could work on the escapement and ended up cleaning the whole thing up. I'll tell a bit with each picture.
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 The place where i was working. This image was taken just after the process of taking the parts off.

 Turtle Wax saved my life. My grandfathers '45 Olympia Elite was suffering from oxidation, but with this stuff, i got the whole thing polished again. It looks awesome and really have to thank Richard Polt with his basic typewriter restoration page. Thank you Richard!!!

 The guts, that's all there is to say.

 The front, back and side panels and the keyrest, all layed out. One side panel, as you can see, already has some wax on it.

Cleaning the keys with a toothbrush. I really recommend a toothbrush for the keys, as the hairs are quite firm and really get into the small parts of the keys.

A polished margin release, (i still have to wax the paint in this picture)

The typebasket was already rather clean. Just polish the chrome.

The escapement of the typewriter, in the picture below, you can't see it because of the metal painted part. Tilt your head sideways to the left, and you get the picture, horizontal.

See, only the backspace mechanism is visible. Goodlooking inside, right?

The escapement. This is usually covered up by a metal cover.

Those two parts on top of the typebasket were really rusted. Did you know vinegar is one of the best removers for rust i've ever seen?

Dirty...

...clean.

The most rusted part on the machine. The tab bar. I removed the whole thing, and let it soak overnight in vinegar, and the next morning...the rust wiped right off. A picture further below to see what it looks like after.

Bad picture. It was supposed to show the glossyness.

After this i started making a bit of a photoshoot when it was finished. The gloss on this typewriter had survived the abuse the paint has received over the years. The panels all were in good shape, and it was mostly the body that had some chipping of the paint. Again, thanks to RICHARD POLT, i managed to touch it up a bit with a black marker. The marks were really petite.

Enjoy.

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MY 1926 REMINGTON #12