A Country history like your shop tools etc. and items such as the type writer shows what was used through the ages. I love learning, seeing these thing still work thanks to folk like yourself who take the time and off course the knowledge to restore bygone age items. Well done sir hope the wife likes and uses said item!!!. 👍🏼👏👏👏
I love typewriters. One of my favourite parts is the cleaning and fixing process. There were somethings you did that were great, there were other things that almost gave me a heart attack. First I hope you kept the metal spools for the ribbon, because they will work far better than the new plastic ones. Second I would if you ever have to clean a typewriter again I would remove all the body pieces before cleaning, it just makes it easier. Third Simple Green is a miracle worker, and using the nylon brush was good, I would just recommend not scrubbing over the decals as aggressively. Fourth when you were clean the segment and the slugs you can use a wire bristle brush or a copper one, it won't hurt them, but I like to lift all the type bars up first and put either rags or paper towels under them so that any gunk that comes out doesn't drip to the moving parts under them. I also prefer lacquer thinner for that, some prefer denatured alcohol, others prefer mineral spirits. Also I would never put any kind of lubricant in the comb of the basket, there are no joints there so it doesn't need it. Some people also like to use WD40 to polish the paint on there typewriter, but with that said never use WD40 inside the machine. It's a typewriters worst enemy. But overall for a first time you did a pretty job.
VERY good. I too was the only male in "typing class"; in 1949 in Fenger High School; in Chicago, IL. So "yo sho nuf" brought back nostalgia for I am 88 yrs old now. Wow. Tears flowing. But I am soooooooooooooooo pleased that I took it; even though the boys laughed at me; for I use it today and fast. Would you believe that? Thanks Keith. It meant a lot kind Sir.
I actually enjoyed typing class in High School, and it turned out to be extremely valuable. The best typewriter we had was an ancient manual Underwood, and I could type faster on it than on a Selectric. After Basic Training I got shanghai'ed at the Battalion front desk by a Sergeant Major who informed me in great detail why I didn't want to go to the Motor Pool, and spent three years clerking for him there and at Brigade when he got bumped up. Then I set advertising type for a local newspaper to supplement my GI Bill while I was going to school. Typewriter repair shops used to dunk the entire mechanism in a cleaning tank followed by an oil tank.
Nice to see someone on RUclips who uses the word restore, without attaching it to a video, where they butcher antique objects. Keeping the paint, is definitely the way to go. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the typewriter, I am sure your wife will enjoy using it.
This is technically a conservation, where the device gets cleaned, lubricated, and possibly waxed / sealed up a bit to stop / sloe further deterioration. That said, you're absolutely right that too many "restoration" videos show some ignoramus destroying an antique. Fortunately, that's not Keith's style - when he does a restoration, it's a proper job with period correct parts and finish treatments.
After a while, the older typewriters platen would glaze and harden. You could even see the peaks and valleys after a while where the letters struck the paper then the platen. In our high school, the typing teacher would send the platens down to the shop teacher who would chuck them in the lathe and very gently file the rubber smooth and soft again. It looked nicer too. Keep up the videos. You certainly provide a variety!
I normally avoid touch-ups but I’d definitely repaint that ribbon cover. The only reason I wouldn’t is if there was an original decal that wold be lost in the process. I understand not wanting to remove original paint but you’re not changing its history, you’re adding to it. Remember, you are part of the timeline!
As ex typewriter engineer,we always steamed cleanrd,not air ppressure as you could blow spring loose.Not sure about the wax on the type arm,this my cause problems down the line.shame you don't live in uk,I would love to have fixed it for you
Don't let that stop you...Go out an find an "orphan" to repair! (In the States, if Y.T. is any indication, there IS a demand among crafters for typewriters! ...In Pink! Or Aqua!) The fixin' makes for good exercise of the brain cells!
@@bme7491 while i can't answer for the OP, in firearms we often use steam or boiling water rather than cold water as the heat from the water will heat the metal. as long as we get it hot enough and give it ventilation the hot metal will cause the water to evaporate off of it before it causes surface rust to form.
@@bme7491 I'm sure that some kind of moisture-removal & oiling step followed the steam cleaning. I guess I need to look into cleaning/repairing two antique typewriters and one Teletype here at home!
Your video brought back memories , I worked for Remington for many years both on the bench and as a field service mechanic, Your machine is the Remington model 17, the first of the Rand design machines . It was pleasing to see that you didn't rush in where angels fear to tread. The 17 was an easy machine to work on if, you knew how . The unit would come out of the base simply if you knew how and perchance you did get it out and didn't put it back in correctly the machine wouldn't work.......
What I remember, those machines and the KMC (which he actually has) came apart in six pieces. Again, if you know what to do, and you’ve got a little time, you can button ‘er up fairly easy.
I truly wished that I had taken a typing/steno class in high school. Back then, only "sissies" (if male) took those classes, but now I see that everyone calling folks sissies for taking typing were probably weenies! ;) Both skills would have helped me tremendously in college, work, & life after that. I still 2-4-finger everything that I type. :(
I did a slight resto on the smaller travel version of that machine and it had the same problem. I found the arm had a slight bend in it (hardly noticeable) causing it not to return to its location. After straightening it it was good to go. I believe it had a return spring to send the arm back after striking the paper, that spring may be weak also. Great video.....now my wife wants one. Thanks
I started with IBM servicing typewriters in 1972 and have restored and repaired hundreds of typewriters. We put them in a "washing machine" filled with mineral spirits and oil. Avoid compressed air or you blow away some delicate springs.
David, by 1972 we had dispensed with mineral spirits, we still used washing machines for with HOT water and a good detergent, the hotter the water the quicker the machine would dry. Compressed air had been used for years and years, it was never a problem in our workshops, your pressure regulator mus have been set must have set far too high
@@billogle4776 We still used mineral spirits and oil until 2018 in a high flow washer tank. Followed by dip in light oil and finally an over night drip dry with a fan blowing. I did learn quickly about air pressure regulators of course. A "do gooder" threatened to call the EPA so we shut down the whole cleaning operation. Amazing how well a 50+ year old Selectric typewriter still functions.
Desmontar uma máquina dessas é um enorme desafio, levado à cabo apenas por profissionais altamente especializados, que, praticamente não existem mais. A quantidade de peças contidas nessas máquinas chegam aos MILHARES!
I enjoyed this video. I took typing my sophomore year in high school (1959) for extra credit, didn't need it to graduate. Failed the class because I couldn't type fast enough and get the accuracy required. My teacher said she hated to fail me but I told her I didn't feel I was a failure because I just wanted to learn to touch type versus "hunt and peck". I suggested they offer a class for those who weren't going to type for a career but just wanted to know the correct way to do it. The year I graduated (1961) they started offering a "Personal Typing" course which I would have passed with flying colors!! Anyway, it has served me well over my entire career in engineering and computers.
I taught myself typing in 1980 when I was twelve. Maw gave me a typing book for Christmas. In 1974 I took typing in High School and I learned how to type strictly by touch. For a long time that’s how I thought all typists did it. You’d be surprised how many people out there use computers using the Columbus method-sight and land.
Brings back memories of typing research papers and reports. Errors were hard to fix. If there was a problem at the end of the page, the entire page needed to be re-typed. I was so happy to have word processing software. The biggest advantage of all manual typewriters, was that it came with a built-in printer !!!
That takes me back. Learned on one of those too. Ours in school had blank keys so you had to touch type, you couldn't peek. Used to be a guy who cleaned all the typewriters in the plant. All he ever used was denatured alcohol, three in one oil and occasionally wd-40 spray if the "basket" was sticky. Lots of soft cotton cloths, no paper towels. As long as it is used regularly they will probably type till the end of time.
I learned to type on an old underwood mechanical typewriter. It's the reason i have to have a mechanical keyboard today. if I don't get a click I tend to try to hammer the keys through the keyboard. that old typewriter was what started my fascination with mechanical linkages and how things work. I have used the black crackle paints to repaint sections of old radios and typewriters you can get a fairly close match and you don't have to deal with peeling paint. but i understand keeping the original finish.
Keith, I was factory trained on Varityper, Addressograph, Multigraph, Bruning, Rosbach, Challenge, Photolist, you get the idea. Alaska was considered an international division of A-M International. I then hand fabricated an eleven foot long surface grinder which could grind paper-cutter and Zamboni ice knives. Love your site
Nice, I have one also an old Remington from the 30's. I wanted it to sell it but after seeiing your video I'll keep it, and try to make it work for my daughter. Thanks. cheers from the Netherlands.
I worked on typewriters and copiers for IBM and others for 27 years. I mixed naphtha and 10 wt oil to spray typewriters out with, then blow out with air. The naphtha evaporates, leaving a coat of oil behind. Clean the platen and feed rolls with lacquer thinner. And as mentioned, you may have to do some type bar alignment. Have fun!
Enjoyed watching. My GGF(m) ran a dry-goods store, and served s postmaster of the small central MO town. He also was a photographer, and repaired typewriters for the local college.
Once upon a time I was that way. When I was 11, I had the carriage off my mother’s second typewriter. Couldn’t put it back on. She was mad to say the least of it. I never forgot it. Of course she got another but I was not allowed to try to fix it. I also acquired several more when I was 13-some I fixed, others I used for parts. Then I acquired an old 1955 Royal electric with a dislocated carriage. I had o take it off all the way to put its bearings back in. Long story short, I put it together successfully. Used it for a year till it developed other issues. I still have her 1948 Royal she bought-plus I have a 1957 Royal electric I bought from the same guy-nine years later. I still have both machines-and a gazillion more.
Remington "17" probably 2nd run of the model, an excellent machine, the fore runner of all subsequent models including including the Electrics with the exception of the Statesman....pleasant memories of days gone by for an old Remington Mechanic
Aaah!! Someone besides me renembers the STATESMAN!!! This was supposed to be Remington’s bid in a proportional spacing typewriter. These were essentially Remington Electri Conomy machines with dual ribbon mechanisms. They were slow, and had all the ills that plagued other Remington electrics. I had mine run for ten minutes and that was the last of that experiment. IBM Executive took over the lion’s share of the book-print looking proportional spacers.
15:32 a green scouring pad and meths and place in hand and roll it round ...not side to side..was a typewriter mechanic between 1979 ~1989 ...we strip em down,steam clean , and dry in front of fan heater then light oil with white spirit after ...light oil in segment ...send off platen for new rubber if shiny and hard.( if paper perforated with letter o )...we repaired Olivetti,Adler,Olympia , smith corona,Remington rand,silver Reed ,golf ball and daisy wheel types...then vdu appears and printers which killed typewriters....Tom hanks collects these...lol
Great Job! I was the only guy in typing class in junior high. I got an A. I took advanced typing in my Senior year. Best skill I learned in school. I worked as an aircraft mechanic for years and then got hired as an airline pilot. I retired (off the Boeing 767) after 44 years in aviation. My typing skills got me ahead of others in the company. Nothin’ like a Remington to help you look like a Professional.
At 15:30, that is the paper guide that brings the paper around from behind the platen where you put the paper into the typewriter. Those two smaller rollers are the pressure rollers that together with the platen move the paper in the typewriter forward or back as needed.
Never, never, never dry fire a typewriter! That's why the zero is sticking. You'll get nothing but spelling mistakes from that Remington now. This video really tickled my funny bone Keith! Awesome resto-cleanup! Coffee came out my nose when you pulled the lid off--maybe a bit rougher than you intended!?!
Hi Keith for the rubber rollers there is a product called "Rubber Roller Restorer", which cleans and softens dirty and hardened rollers. Originally you could only buy it from Xerox, made for their copiers and printers but now you can get it from Amazon. I use it on all my printer rollers and on the rubber film feed rollers in some of my vintage cameras.
I agree with you 100% about taking typing in high school. I had to take it as a requirement my junior year. As you did as life moved on it began to be more useful. I used it in my time in the Air Force, the first job I had when I got out was shipping / receiving so guess who got to type all the bill of laden and manifests. Then I bought a word processor that looked like a big typewriter and up to today on my desktop sending you this comment.
Remember those electric typewriters that had a dab of memory, and a screen in the "hood", that would let you enter, maybe, a line of text before printing?? That way you could make corrections before printing that line, and, one by one, each of the next. I'm not sure, but I THINK that was a Brother machine. I didn't get to use it very long; it went to the CEO's secretary (!!) But shortly after that our S&R Dept got one to help alleviate errors in their paperwork.
@@amkarei The one I have is a brother. I bought years ago for a small home business I had. Mine also has a small disk drive for document storage. I have not turned mine on in years but it is in the back corner of my closet.
Keith, Thanks for the wonderful video and great story. I too took “Typing” in high school and absolutely hated it. My high school did not offer Typing so my Dad insisted that I take the course over the summer in an old smelly hot high school miles away from our house. That was back in 1962. And I completely agree with you that Typing turned out to be a very valuable skill. Thanks again for all you do for your very enjoyable channel! Over and out, Kent
I learned to be reasonably fast but accurate using an 80 column card punch. One error and the entire card/line had to be done over. Eorres were very expinceve.
Most useful thing I learned in HS was touch typing Football coach delivered licks if you failed to perform well enough on your timed typing exercises. Best way to clean is pressure wash with Varsol (diesel if that's all you have), then blow dry with air. Then clean mating surfaces with carbon tetrachloride and tooth brush, the VERYVERY light application of light oil (gun oil, sewing machine oil, 10wt). Used to get carbon tet at local pharmacy, but no more. Works great on typewriters, teletype machines, etc. BTW: guys who designed these things must have had some really good drugs.
I learned how to type on a Remington Rand in High School...we were estatic that after 6 weeks we were allowed to move to the IBM Selectric electric typewriters. Such a dream after that Remington. As far as cleaning that typewriter, all the Simple Green will do is dissolve the grease/oils. Believe or not we use simple green as a degreasing agent in SCUBA when dealing with high Oxygen environments (Deco Bottles, Mixed gas bottles, regulators being used for high O2 use items, etc.). Oxygen and grease together are are NO BUENO! We soak and scrub all the "O2 Clean" parts with Simple green and "Purple Stuff". Both are great. doing what you did won't hurt anything as long as you re-oil the mechanisms after it's done.
My grandmother had two of them old typewriters back when we were kids. One was a Underwood and the other was a wide carriage Remington older than yours. Us grandkids were abusive on that old Remington, beating on the keys, jamming them up and so on. The Underwood, grandma threaten us by an inch of our life if we jammed a key on it! What she didn't know, well, we still alive. Recall grandma using some kind of solvent to clean the keys with. It was in a metal can with a brush in the lid, reminded me of Naptha today, didn't know that back then. Might be something to try. I don't recall what happen to the Remington, the Underwood, my brother has it and somewhere in my stuff I have the typing book that came with that typewriter. Recall the typewriter being a 1920 something vintage. Keith, thanks for sharing, a little different twist to old iron restoring. Ken
Could the product you're referring to be "Energene"? I need to check out the naphtha you mentioned to see if that's the odor I recall. Until about 2 years ago "LA's Totally Awesome Laundry Pre-Wash" (Dollar Tree) used a component that smelled very much like the STAIN REMOVER my grandmother used on her laundry. Sadly, the $-tree product no longer has that component, AND is NO LONGER an excellent stain remover.
Memory lane! Typed school papers on that typewriter in my mother’s home office. Setting tabs and margins. White out for corrections. And DOS WordPerfect. (I’ll keep my opinions to myself.). Thanks. Tricky when things you used when they were almost new turn up as antiques.
I suspect all of us older ones remember our typewriters....but maybe I'm really dated, cuz all I remember of the early computer eras is Fortran and then punch cards and nothing ever running properly!
That sure brought back memories of high school. When I took typing in my senior year it was on manual typewriters. The goal, if I remember correctly, was to be able to type 60 words per minute with no mistakes. I think I got close by the end of the class. It was one of the best courses I took in highschool.
Keith, if you stop by a local printing supply shop.... real offset printing, not photocopy printing... ask them about Rubber Rejuvenator. It is often referred to in the business as "Pink Lady". A little on a rag will return your rubber rollers to like new condition.
@@amkarei I have no experience with that material. On rubber rollers, they tend to glaze up and get hard. "Pink Lady" will break the glaze and give the old rubber a softer surface. If that's what you need to do, it might be the right product.
This brings back memories of a time I was in the service and had some time on my hands. I picked up an old typewriter at a pawn shop for a couple of dollars and proceeded to dismantle it. There were 100's of parts and I took every one out,then reassembled it,after which it worked fine, but I missed one small washer, to put it in would have required starting over,so I didn't. Lost interest in it and tossed it, as I had no need for it, just wanted it to see if I could do it.
I remember 1 computer lab in my school as a Sr. Commodore 64 and Tandy TRS-80 model III & 4. Used the 5.25" floppy drive and then 3.5" floppy disc. We were something then, that 3.5 floppy disc held 1.44 MB of data on them. Now a cell phone can have 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. A Terabyte of information fits on a fingernail yet the AGC (Apollo Guidance Computer) was equivalent to the TRS-80 in power. AGC was approx 24"x12"x6" or a cubic foot and 70 pounds. Those numbers are amazing to me. Keith we have witnessed this change in our lifetime but imagine our grandparents. From a 1 room school houses with 12 grades to massive universities, steam engines to hyper cars its almost overwhelming.
In HS i used to clean Typewriters for a school service unit. We used 777Dink to remove ink from keys and Fedron. Probably both are no longer made due to the heavy vapors they had. For the key that won't settle you will probably need to look at it carefully from the back and bottom. Look for pivot points or a loose spring. You will need a oiiler bottle with a very long hose. It is a dropper bottle with a straw like a wd-40 straw that you can use to reach in to hard places to oil. Or you could just run a spray can of oil along the pivot points on the inside very carefully.
Wow I learned so much about you your life and career matches mine to a certain degree I was also in the Air Force 1970 through 1974 I Learned to type on a typewriter as a senior in high school and it help me to learn the keyboard for my career in mechanical engineering And use of the computer in CAD thanks for sharing
I remember my dad rejuvenating dried out typewriter ribbons using methylated spirits (denatured alcohol). You can also re-ink them if the ribbon material is physically in good shape.
Dried ink cannot be rejuvenated with metho or any other substance,, nor can you successfully reink a ribbon, the last 25 years of my working life was to run a ribbon production company
@@billogle4776 No offence but that sounds like something someone who was trying to sell new ribbons might say! I know nothing about typewriter ribbons honestly but I have a strong memory of him doing both of these things and being successful. Perhaps it depends on the ink chemistry or the ribbon material?
I worked in a chemists office in the late 60's and we did assay calculations on a Smith Corona-Marchant manual calculator- I think they went out to 5 or 6 decimal points- that was a complex mechanical machine, probably weighed 50 #. When Texas Instruments came out with the electronic calculator those things went to the land fill by the trainload- just as the typewriters did when word processors were introduced.
Keith, really disappointed that you never finished the Victor safe restoration. I was particularly interested in seeing how you were going to restore the lock and dial.
I have a very nice WW1 typewriter and an extended carriage one that can handle poster board. Typewriters were some of the first complicated machinery mass produced.
In the early 70s I worked for SCM fixing typewriters. We had three large tanks: Varsol with Lick (nasty stuff), Varsol, and Varsol with 30 weight motor oil. Each had a pump and brush that the fluid pumped through. The typewriters soaked in each in turn and when they came out of the last tank were blown dry. This meant that they were clean and oiled. If I were restoring one today, I would use WD40 and paint brushes. Kerosene for cleaning and kerosene with some oil would work very well too. You still need oil inside each pivot point - you really need to spray it down with WD40 or similar and work it while doing it.
What a great old typewriter. Remington-Rand also made the Univac system. That was a big deal back in the day. I still have my mothers 1940 vintage Smith-Corona portable that's in excellent condition and I still use it. Uses the same ribbons I use in my Teletype ASR-28 machine. You can still get new ribbons for most typewriters. There was a program on Amazon Prime video last yr called 'The Typewriter'. Great video if you can find it. Love you channel, especially the segments on the museum's 040 Vulcan. Also can't wait to see the planer in action. Stay safe. Cheers.
That's the typewriter we used in High School for typing class, no electrics for us. I had a Royal Empress I used at work when I did invoicing for my Dad. The thin "tin" piece is a catcher for eraser crumbs.
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Must be something in the water because my Sweetie wanted an old manual typewriter and we found a 52 model Smith/Corona. I cleaned it with a tooth brush, carb spray, compressed air and a bath in Kroil. When it quit dripping she uses it on a regular basis. There is one key that sticks but she's happy. Guess who ELSE is!
That's the type machine I learned on, we had it at home, handme down from my aunt and mom's old typing book, but took typing in school also, almost have to stand and lean on these old things to type.
Yes, I took Typing in high school also.... Actually, I was in my Typing class when the announcement was made over the school intercom that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. Most of the typewriters were manuals, but we had six electrics and everyone got to type on one of them for six weeks during the year. I believe the manuals were Smith-Corona and the electrics were Remington-Rand... While working on a typing test that involved setting and using TAB keys for typing columns of figures, I had something come loose in the machine and the carriage flew completely out of the base and was hanging off the desk by the return strap. Everybody but the teacher got a big laugh out of that.... I have to agree, that was probably one of the most useful classes I took in school........
Though this machine is patterned after the Model 17 of 1939, it’s mostly like a KMC (Keyboard Margin Control) machine of 1946-1948. It has aftermarket keys, but the left shift key is missing). One could be had from a junker somewhere. Mine like this one was from Fort Hood, Texas, and still has the names of soldiers who used it-I’m leaving those names on-one name has December, 1947 after it!! I looked up on the database and it’s a 1947 model!! I put its third set of keys on from several Super-Rogers made in the early 1950s. The main keyboard is blank keytops so you have to know how to touch type to use the machine. It has elite type.
As a kid, I worked in a type writer repair shop 50 years ago. The plat-ten can be removed. All its' ridges and bumps can be removed by sanding. Use something like a drywall sanding screen and it will look brand new again. Use a very light machine oil.... like sewing machine oil and you might be surprised. Good luck.
Keith, when I was 12, back in 1963, I was FORCED to take typing on an electric typewriter in Summer School. I hated it and thought it totally useless. Then, in the mid 80's I got my first computer and, after a short while using it realized that I had learned to be a touch typist when I was twelve!
Ahh i remember those typewriters well. I had to type everything is high school my handwriting was so bad. My math teacher tried so hard to find a way for me to type my homework. I still have a Smith Corona portable with script type. Best to you and yours.
I too took a typing class in High School. It served me well in future career in computer programming, because if you type harder, the computer knows it needs to take you seriously.
Did this ever send me down a dark scary rabbit hole. I have a wide carriage Underwood that I've owned for nearly 50 years. My guess is it was made in April 1925. Now I have to clean it and find a ribbon. Thanks!
In the mid to late 70s we wrote search warrants on one just like that. Standing joke was the assistant DA asking where we got the probable cause and the standing answer was "Right out of this Remington Rand!" Good days. Thank you for the memories!
Learned to type in the sixties on an Underwood manual then later used an electric.. We had an old Underwood for years at home. Remember well mom using "coal oil" to clean the type and the arms inside.. Cheers.. Mike in Louisiana
19:02 Is that a felt pad on the inside of that back panel? I'm guessing for sound control. Seems rather advanced for pre-wwii(?) office equipment. Just when I think I have a decent understanding of the progression of technology, a gem like this pops up. Edit: 22:00 What are the chances that brush is an unsharpened typewriter correction eraser? With that sticking key, a common issue is that all of those long levers that the type faces are attached to are prone to bending and twisting. You might try typing the problem and adjacent letters with varying effort on to hard paper. You might notice one side of a printed letter is lighter and the other side is darker, so begging for a theta "field adjustment". Likewise, if you get out your feeler gauge set and try a few between the good working letters, you'll get an idea of the appropriate spacing interval. Then drag the feeler gauge along the levers in proximity to the sticking key. Often, a poor correction made to a key that's a few keys over cascades. You might have to straighten up a few arms nearby
I'm going to tell you what should do Keith.. Exactly what you just did.. you have a few people that have enough knowledge to help you get that typewriter up and running you have enough mechanical ability to know basically how it operates and don't worry about what the naysayers say I think you did an excellent job you might have to tweak that O lever linkage a little bit seems to me I've heard thru the grapevine before that O is the most used letter used on a mechanical typewriter...🤔..?? Anyway I think you did a fabulous job I think you're on the right track and I'm sure your wife will enjoy it for years to come thank you for the video...
I can completely agree. I too thought it was for "girls" when I took typing, but I took it in junior high school. Like you, I now feel it is a very valuable skill to have. I see younger people today that do not have that skill and hunt and peck, sometimes at a pretty good rate, but they have to always look at the keyboard and their hands. I can sit and look at a document or at the screen as I type, which allows me to intimately type things much faster. I typed this never looking at my keyboard or hands.
Not exactly a typewriter but way back in the day we used to clean teletype machines by immersing them in hot soapy water in a large ultrasonic cleaner. A fresh water rinse an air hose and a session in an oven to dry them out. Then lots of oil.
great video and good to see you do it how you want , as you will use it , it does not need to be perfect and its good it has some meaning to your family
I had the same experience with typing at high school. My mum - the most technophobic person I know - wisely pushed me to take typing in yr9, "Because you'll need to be able to type to use computers." After many years as a tradesperson, I now work in training, and being able to type at about 100wpm has been invaluable.
Made by the same Remington that made fire arms & bicycles. I went through the Remington museum @ their plant in NY. I was surprised at some of the things they made. The first IBM ball typewriter I saw was in 1964. It was connected to some sort of memory or tape drive system that allowed the operator to just put in the address and then let the machine type the rest of the form letter. Dorsey Laboratories had it.
My dad's Smith Corona was heard in the evenings as he prepared his analysis of what must be done to do a certain repair on Sikorski's with Lycoming engines. It seemed the oil filter was in the wrong place about half the time. I was ten before I figured out that Darned-Bureaucrats was not one word.
When I learned to type the only keys to have any identification on them were the two keys at the inner edge of the home row i.e.. F & H, That was to stop one from looking at the keyboard and only look at the work to be typed so as to increase your speed. To pass one needed to type at 45 words per minute or 750 characters per minute.
I remember poor Maw (God rest her soul) and all the typewriters I tried out on her-from a 1920s Underwood Model 5 to an IBM Selectric. The last machines she had were a 1959 Underwood Touch Master II and a Sears-Tower President script writer-I still have both machines.
I took typing as a junior in high school, I never could type over 30 -35 words a minute and nearly always had mistakes. Our typing room only had 3 or 4 electrics, and you had to be very good to use them, needless to say, I never touched them. I still can't type, it comes out as jibberish, so it's the two finger method for me. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Yeah, but is it a Pica or an Elite? I learned to type on an Underwood, and when I changed schools, I used an IBM Selectric. Those Selectrics were slick. That "0" key probably has a weak spring. There should be one tiny spring on each key lever.
It could be the spring, but the keys have a few riveted joints on the pusharms, a bit of rust or grime and it will stick. It should be accessible from underneath. I guess some light oil/solvent could fix it (WD-40, then some light mashine oil).
I have an old Underwood typewriter fr.an estate auction I've meant to restore for a year now. By the looks of it, it too was out in a barn forever and everything sticks.
You should dig your old typewriter out there’s actually several typewriter related Facebook pages. One I have found interesting is Typewriter pen pal page on Facebook
1965 i took typing and i remember the carriage came off. when you held a lever on each end back. late in business school after the army the electric ones would type when i just rested my fingers on the home row. 1938 and still works. not many things are built now that will last that long
Now this was a cool video, vintage yes, I remember taking typing in school. These like you said are mechanical marvels. There are so many moving parts and they have to work in a precision method or you don't type. Awesome video
12:24 Next video: hand scraping typewriter ways.
John Ladan hahahahaha
John Ladan 😂😂😂
Well, if this was Mads Sail Life channel we'd have Sanding Glorious Sanding...LOL, so why not Scraping Glorious Scraping. LOL
A Country history like your shop tools etc. and items such as the type writer shows what was used through the ages. I love learning, seeing these thing still work thanks to folk like yourself who take the time and off course the knowledge to restore bygone age items. Well done sir hope the wife likes and uses said item!!!. 👍🏼👏👏👏
I love typewriters. One of my favourite parts is the cleaning and fixing process. There were somethings you did that were great, there were other things that almost gave me a heart attack. First I hope you kept the metal spools for the ribbon, because they will work far better than the new plastic ones. Second I would if you ever have to clean a typewriter again I would remove all the body pieces before cleaning, it just makes it easier. Third Simple Green is a miracle worker, and using the nylon brush was good, I would just recommend not scrubbing over the decals as aggressively. Fourth when you were clean the segment and the slugs you can use a wire bristle brush or a copper one, it won't hurt them, but I like to lift all the type bars up first and put either rags or paper towels under them so that any gunk that comes out doesn't drip to the moving parts under them. I also prefer lacquer thinner for that, some prefer denatured alcohol, others prefer mineral spirits. Also I would never put any kind of lubricant in the comb of the basket, there are no joints there so it doesn't need it. Some people also like to use WD40 to polish the paint on there typewriter, but with that said never use WD40 inside the machine. It's a typewriters worst enemy. But overall for a first time you did a pretty job.
VERY good. I too was the only male in "typing class"; in 1949 in Fenger High School; in Chicago, IL. So "yo sho nuf" brought back nostalgia for I am 88 yrs old now. Wow. Tears flowing. But I am soooooooooooooooo pleased that I took it; even though the boys laughed at me; for I use it today and fast. Would you believe that?
Thanks Keith. It meant a lot kind Sir.
Oh, but I bet you were a hit with girls!! (My hubby took a Tai Chi class a few years back, wherein he was the only guy ... The ladies LOVED him!!)
@@amkarei :)
Glad to see all the comments from viewers who took typing in school !! That led me to communications in the Marines. Thanks Keith.
I actually enjoyed typing class in High School, and it turned out to be extremely valuable. The best typewriter we had was an ancient manual Underwood, and I could type faster on it than on a Selectric. After Basic Training I got shanghai'ed at the Battalion front desk by a Sergeant Major who informed me in great detail why I didn't want to go to the Motor Pool, and spent three years clerking for him there and at Brigade when he got bumped up. Then I set advertising type for a local newspaper to supplement my GI Bill while I was going to school.
Typewriter repair shops used to dunk the entire mechanism in a cleaning tank followed by an oil tank.
Nice to see someone on RUclips who uses the word restore, without attaching it to a video, where they butcher antique objects. Keeping the paint, is definitely the way to go. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the typewriter, I am sure your wife will enjoy using it.
This is technically a conservation, where the device gets cleaned, lubricated, and possibly waxed / sealed up a bit to stop / sloe further deterioration.
That said, you're absolutely right that too many "restoration" videos show some ignoramus destroying an antique.
Fortunately, that's not Keith's style - when he does a restoration, it's a proper job with period correct parts and finish treatments.
What bothers me are the ones where they fake damage by getting something rusty but burying them and then "restoring" it
@@robertoswalt319 WHO would go through THAT kind of work just to do a Y.T. video?!?
After a while, the older typewriters platen would glaze and harden. You could even see the peaks and valleys after a while where the letters struck the paper then the platen. In our high school, the typing teacher would send the platens down to the shop teacher who would chuck them in the lathe and very gently file the rubber smooth and soft again. It looked nicer too. Keep up the videos. You certainly provide a variety!
I normally avoid touch-ups but I’d definitely repaint that ribbon cover. The only reason I wouldn’t is if there was an original decal that wold be lost in the process. I understand not wanting to remove original paint but you’re not changing its history, you’re adding to it. Remember, you are part of the timeline!
As ex typewriter engineer,we always steamed cleanrd,not air ppressure as you could blow spring loose.Not sure about the wax on the type arm,this my cause problems down the line.shame you don't live in uk,I would love to have fixed it for you
Don't let that stop you...Go out an find an "orphan" to repair! (In the States, if Y.T. is any indication, there IS a demand among crafters for typewriters! ...In Pink! Or Aqua!) The fixin' makes for good exercise of the brain cells!
Steam cleaning didn't rust parts?
@@bme7491 while i can't answer for the OP, in firearms we often use steam or boiling water rather than cold water as the heat from the water will heat the metal. as long as we get it hot enough and give it ventilation the hot metal will cause the water to evaporate off of it before it causes surface rust to form.
@@bme7491 I'm sure that some kind of moisture-removal & oiling step followed the steam cleaning. I guess I need to look into cleaning/repairing two antique typewriters and one Teletype here at home!
Your video brought back memories , I worked for Remington for many years both on the bench and as a field service mechanic, Your machine is the Remington model 17, the first of the Rand design machines . It was pleasing to see that you didn't rush in where angels fear to tread. The 17 was an easy machine to work on if, you knew how . The unit would come out of the base simply if you knew how and perchance you did get it out and didn't put it back in correctly the machine wouldn't work.......
What I remember, those machines and the KMC (which he actually has) came apart in six pieces. Again, if you know what to do, and you’ve got a little time, you can button ‘er up fairly easy.
I took typing in my senior year of H.S. also. Been using those skills learned ever since. Recommend it for everyone.
I truly wished that I had taken a typing/steno class in high school. Back then, only "sissies" (if male) took those classes, but now I see that everyone calling folks sissies for taking typing were probably weenies! ;) Both skills would have helped me tremendously in college, work, & life after that. I still 2-4-finger everything that I type. :(
@buba garcia Thanks! I'll look into some of those lessons! :)
I did a slight resto on the smaller travel version of that machine and it had the same problem. I found the arm had a slight bend in it (hardly noticeable) causing it not to return to its location. After straightening it it was good to go. I believe it had a return spring to send the arm back after striking the paper, that spring may be weak also. Great video.....now my wife wants one. Thanks
I started with IBM servicing typewriters in 1972 and have restored and repaired hundreds of typewriters. We put them in a "washing machine" filled with mineral spirits and oil. Avoid compressed air or you blow away some delicate springs.
David, by 1972 we had dispensed with mineral spirits, we still used washing machines for with HOT water and a good detergent, the hotter the water the quicker the machine would dry. Compressed air had been used for years and years, it was never a problem in our workshops, your pressure regulator mus have been set must have set far too high
@@billogle4776 We still used mineral spirits and oil until 2018 in a high flow washer tank. Followed by dip in light oil and finally an over night drip dry with a fan blowing. I did learn quickly about air pressure regulators of course. A "do gooder" threatened to call the EPA so we shut down the whole cleaning operation. Amazing how well a 50+ year old Selectric typewriter still functions.
Desmontar uma máquina dessas é um enorme desafio, levado à cabo apenas por profissionais altamente especializados, que, praticamente não existem mais. A quantidade de peças contidas nessas máquinas chegam aos MILHARES!
Não poderia deixar de discordar menos de você.
I enjoyed this video. I took typing my sophomore year in high school (1959) for extra credit, didn't need it to graduate. Failed the class because I couldn't type fast enough and get the accuracy required. My teacher said she hated to fail me but I told her I didn't feel I was a failure because I just wanted to learn to touch type versus "hunt and peck". I suggested they offer a class for those who weren't going to type for a career but just wanted to know the correct way to do it. The year I graduated (1961) they started offering a "Personal Typing" course which I would have passed with flying colors!! Anyway, it has served me well over my entire career in engineering and computers.
It does our hearts good to know that we may have impacted our world in a positive manner. I SO wish EVERY one would make the effort to do so.
I taught myself typing in 1980 when I was twelve. Maw gave me a typing book for Christmas. In 1974 I took typing in High School and I learned how to type strictly by touch. For a long time that’s how I thought all typists did it. You’d be surprised how many people out there use computers using the Columbus method-sight and land.
Brings back memories of typing research papers and reports. Errors were hard to fix. If there was a problem at the end of the page, the entire page needed to be re-typed. I was so happy to have word processing software. The biggest advantage of all manual typewriters, was that it came with a built-in printer !!!
That takes me back. Learned on one of those too. Ours in school had blank keys so you had to touch type, you couldn't peek. Used to be a guy who cleaned all the typewriters in the plant. All he ever used was denatured alcohol, three in one oil and occasionally wd-40 spray if the "basket" was sticky. Lots of soft cotton cloths, no paper towels. As long as it is used regularly they will probably type till the end of time.
I learned to type on an old underwood mechanical typewriter. It's the reason i have to have a mechanical keyboard today. if I don't get a click I tend to try to hammer the keys through the keyboard. that old typewriter was what started my fascination with mechanical linkages and how things work. I have used the black crackle paints to repaint sections of old radios and typewriters you can get a fairly close match and you don't have to deal with peeling paint. but i understand keeping the original finish.
Keith, I was factory trained on Varityper, Addressograph, Multigraph, Bruning, Rosbach, Challenge, Photolist, you get the idea. Alaska was considered an international division of A-M International. I then hand fabricated an eleven foot long surface grinder which could grind paper-cutter and Zamboni ice knives. Love your site
W-O-W!!! You got pictures??
@@amkarei One or two email earl_squirrel@att.net
Nice, I have one also an old Remington from the 30's. I wanted it to sell it but after seeiing your video I'll keep it, and try to make it work for my daughter. Thanks. cheers from the Netherlands.
I worked on typewriters and copiers for IBM and others for 27 years. I mixed naphtha and 10 wt oil to spray typewriters out with, then blow out with air. The naphtha evaporates, leaving a coat of oil behind. Clean the platen and feed rolls with lacquer thinner. And as mentioned, you may have to do some type bar alignment. Have fun!
Enjoyed watching. My GGF(m) ran a dry-goods store, and served s postmaster of the small central MO town. He also was a photographer, and repaired typewriters for the local college.
I typed a bunch of term papers on a manual typewriter.
Great nostalgic video.
Thanks,
John
PS. Typing class was were the cute girls were. 😁
Thanks again,
John
I am not a typewriter expert *bits go flying everywhere* " Imma call this the hood..." that shit had me in tears.
@TheMrSnyder do not underestimate the importance of the brownie point.
Yep. Lost a bit of coffee on that one myself. I don't think Keith is a cusser but I think this job had him at least grumbling a bit under his breath.
Once upon a time I was that way. When I was 11, I had the carriage off my mother’s second typewriter. Couldn’t put it back on. She was mad to say the least of it. I never forgot it. Of course she got another but I was not allowed to try to fix it. I also acquired several more when I was 13-some I fixed, others I used for parts. Then I acquired an old 1955 Royal electric with a dislocated carriage. I had o take it off all the way to put its bearings back in. Long story short, I put it together successfully. Used it for a year till it developed other issues. I still have her 1948 Royal she bought-plus I have a 1957 Royal electric I bought from the same guy-nine years later. I still have both machines-and a gazillion more.
Remington "17" probably 2nd run of the model, an excellent machine, the fore runner of all subsequent models including including the Electrics with the exception of the Statesman....pleasant memories of days gone by for an old Remington Mechanic
Aaah!! Someone besides me renembers the STATESMAN!!! This was supposed to be Remington’s bid in a proportional spacing typewriter. These were essentially Remington Electri Conomy machines with dual ribbon mechanisms. They were slow, and had all the ills that plagued other Remington electrics. I had mine run for ten minutes and that was the last of that experiment. IBM Executive took over the lion’s share of the book-print looking proportional spacers.
15:32 a green scouring pad and meths and place in hand and roll it round ...not side to side..was a typewriter mechanic between 1979 ~1989 ...we strip em down,steam clean , and dry in front of fan heater then light oil with white spirit after ...light oil in segment ...send off platen for new rubber if shiny and hard.( if paper perforated with letter o )...we repaired Olivetti,Adler,Olympia , smith corona,Remington rand,silver Reed ,golf ball and daisy wheel types...then vdu appears and printers which killed typewriters....Tom hanks collects these...lol
Great Job! I was the only guy in typing class in junior high. I got an A. I took advanced typing in my Senior year. Best skill I learned in school. I worked as an aircraft mechanic for years and then got hired as an airline pilot. I retired (off the Boeing 767) after 44 years in aviation. My typing skills got me ahead of others in the company. Nothin’ like a Remington to help you look like a Professional.
At 15:30, that is the paper guide that brings the paper around from behind the platen where you put the paper into the typewriter. Those two smaller rollers are the pressure rollers that together with the platen move the paper in the typewriter forward or back as needed.
Yeow. Brings back anxious memories of trying to type papers when in college during the 70's.
So who else, now sat at their keyboard furiously typing comments, thought typing classes were a waste of time?
Never, never, never dry fire a typewriter! That's why the zero is sticking. You'll get nothing but spelling mistakes from that Remington now. This video really tickled my funny bone Keith! Awesome resto-cleanup! Coffee came out my nose when you pulled the lid off--maybe a bit rougher than you intended!?!
Kudos for trying something out of your normal comfort zone. We only learn by trying new things.
Hi Keith for the rubber rollers there is a product called "Rubber Roller Restorer", which cleans and softens dirty and hardened rollers. Originally you could only buy it from Xerox, made for their copiers and printers but now you can get it from Amazon. I use it on all my printer rollers and on the rubber film feed rollers in some of my vintage cameras.
I agree with you 100% about taking typing in high school. I had to take it as a requirement my junior year. As you did as life moved on it began to be more useful. I used it in my time in the Air Force, the first job I had when I got out was shipping / receiving so guess who got to type all the bill of laden and manifests. Then I bought a word processor that looked like a big typewriter and up to today on my desktop sending you this comment.
Remember those electric typewriters that had a dab of memory, and a screen in the "hood", that would let you enter, maybe, a line of text before printing?? That way you could make corrections before printing that line, and, one by one, each of the next. I'm not sure, but I THINK that was a Brother machine. I didn't get to use it very long; it went to the CEO's secretary (!!) But shortly after that our S&R Dept got one to help alleviate errors in their paperwork.
@@amkarei The one I have is a brother. I bought years ago for a small home business I had. Mine also has a small disk drive for document storage. I have not turned mine on in years but it is in the back corner of my closet.
Ah fingers stuck between the keys, still beautiful engineering.
Keith, Thanks for the wonderful video and great story. I too took “Typing” in high school and absolutely hated it. My high school did not offer Typing so my Dad insisted that I take the course over the summer in an old smelly hot high school miles away from our house. That was back in 1962. And I completely agree with you that Typing turned out to be a very valuable skill. Thanks again for all you do for your very enjoyable channel! Over and out, Kent
I learned to be reasonably fast but accurate using an 80 column card punch. One error and the entire card/line had to be done over. Eorres were very expinceve.
Most useful thing I learned in HS was touch typing Football coach delivered licks if you failed to perform well enough on your timed typing exercises. Best way to clean is pressure wash with Varsol (diesel if that's all you have), then blow dry with air. Then clean mating surfaces with carbon tetrachloride and tooth brush, the VERYVERY light application of light oil (gun oil, sewing machine oil, 10wt). Used to get carbon tet at local pharmacy, but no more. Works great on typewriters, teletype machines, etc. BTW: guys who designed these things must have had some really good drugs.
You are a good man Keith. You put your heart into everything you do. All the best, Edgar
I learned how to type on a Remington Rand in High School...we were estatic that after 6 weeks we were allowed to move to the IBM Selectric electric typewriters. Such a dream after that Remington.
As far as cleaning that typewriter, all the Simple Green will do is dissolve the grease/oils. Believe or not we use simple green as a degreasing agent in SCUBA when dealing with high Oxygen environments (Deco Bottles, Mixed gas bottles, regulators being used for high O2 use items, etc.). Oxygen and grease together are are NO BUENO! We soak and scrub all the "O2 Clean" parts with Simple green and "Purple Stuff". Both are great. doing what you did won't hurt anything as long as you re-oil the mechanisms after it's done.
My grandmother had two of them old typewriters back when we were kids. One was a Underwood and the other was a wide carriage Remington older than yours. Us grandkids were abusive on that old Remington, beating on the keys, jamming them up and so on. The Underwood, grandma threaten us by an inch of our life if we jammed a key on it! What she didn't know, well, we still alive. Recall grandma using some kind of solvent to clean the keys with. It was in a metal can with a brush in the lid, reminded me of Naptha today, didn't know that back then. Might be something to try. I don't recall what happen to the Remington, the Underwood, my brother has it and somewhere in my stuff I have the typing book that came with that typewriter. Recall the typewriter being a 1920 something vintage. Keith, thanks for sharing, a little different twist to old iron restoring. Ken
Could the product you're referring to be "Energene"? I need to check out the naphtha you mentioned to see if that's the odor I recall. Until about 2 years ago "LA's Totally Awesome Laundry Pre-Wash" (Dollar Tree) used a component that smelled very much like the STAIN REMOVER my grandmother used on her laundry. Sadly, the $-tree product no longer has that component, AND is NO LONGER an excellent stain remover.
Memory lane! Typed school papers on that typewriter in my mother’s home office. Setting tabs and margins. White out for corrections. And DOS WordPerfect. (I’ll keep my opinions to myself.). Thanks. Tricky when things you used when they were almost new turn up as antiques.
I suspect all of us older ones remember our typewriters....but maybe I'm really dated, cuz all I remember of the early computer eras is Fortran and then punch cards and nothing ever running properly!
That sure brought back memories of high school. When I took typing in my senior year it was on manual typewriters. The goal, if I remember correctly, was to be able to type 60 words per minute with no mistakes. I think I got close by the end of the class. It was one of the best courses I took in highschool.
Good job bringing this old machine back to life. Who knows...sometime in the future the world may turn back to this old technology!
Keith, if you stop by a local printing supply shop.... real offset printing, not photocopy printing... ask them about Rubber Rejuvenator. It is often referred to in the business as "Pink Lady". A little on a rag will return your rubber rollers to like new condition.
Any info as to whether this might work on RED RUBBER STAMPS used by card-making crafters? The info would be VERY much appreciated!!
@@amkarei I have no experience with that material. On rubber rollers, they tend to glaze up and get hard. "Pink Lady" will break the glaze and give the old rubber a softer surface. If that's what you need to do, it might be the right product.
This brings back memories of a time I was in the service and had some time on my hands. I picked up an old typewriter at a pawn shop for a couple of dollars and proceeded to dismantle it. There were 100's of parts and I took every one out,then reassembled it,after which it worked fine, but I missed one small washer, to put it in would have required starting over,so I didn't. Lost interest in it and tossed it, as I had no need for it, just wanted it to see if I could do it.
I remember 1 computer lab in my school as a Sr. Commodore 64 and Tandy TRS-80 model III & 4. Used the 5.25" floppy drive and then 3.5" floppy disc. We were something then, that 3.5 floppy disc held 1.44 MB of data on them. Now a cell phone can have 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. A Terabyte of information fits on a fingernail yet the AGC (Apollo Guidance Computer) was equivalent to the TRS-80 in power. AGC was approx 24"x12"x6" or a cubic foot and 70 pounds. Those numbers are amazing to me. Keith we have witnessed this change in our lifetime but imagine our grandparents. From a 1 room school houses with 12 grades to massive universities, steam engines to hyper cars its almost overwhelming.
In HS i used to clean Typewriters for a school service unit. We used 777Dink to remove ink from keys and Fedron. Probably both are no longer made due to the heavy vapors they had.
For the key that won't settle you will probably need to look at it carefully from the back and bottom. Look for pivot points or a loose spring. You will need a oiiler bottle with a very long hose. It is a dropper bottle with a straw like a wd-40 straw that you can use to reach in to hard places to oil. Or you could just run a spray can of oil along the pivot points on the inside very carefully.
Just don’t use gasoline-that stuff will lead you to whirling and hurling.
Wow I learned so much about you your life and career matches mine to a certain degree I was also in the Air Force 1970 through 1974 I Learned to type on a typewriter as a senior in high school and it help me to learn the keyboard for my career in mechanical engineering And use of the computer in CAD thanks for sharing
I still remember those nice mechanical typewriters.. My dad used them in the office many many years ago..
That special feel typing with them....
I remember my dad rejuvenating dried out typewriter ribbons using methylated spirits (denatured alcohol). You can also re-ink them if the ribbon material is physically in good shape.
Dried ink cannot be rejuvenated with metho or any other substance,, nor can you successfully reink a ribbon, the last 25 years of my working life was to run a ribbon production company
@@billogle4776 No offence but that sounds like something someone who was trying to sell new ribbons might say! I know nothing about typewriter ribbons honestly but I have a strong memory of him doing both of these things and being successful. Perhaps it depends on the ink chemistry or the ribbon material?
I worked in a chemists office in the late 60's and we did assay calculations on a Smith Corona-Marchant manual calculator- I think they went out to 5 or 6 decimal points- that was a complex mechanical machine, probably weighed 50 #. When Texas Instruments came out with the electronic calculator those things went to the land fill by the trainload- just as the typewriters did when word processors were introduced.
Keith, really disappointed that you never finished the Victor safe restoration. I was particularly interested in seeing how you were going to restore the lock and dial.
I have a very nice WW1 typewriter and an extended carriage one that can handle poster board. Typewriters were some of the first complicated machinery mass produced.
In the early 70s I worked for SCM fixing typewriters. We had three large tanks: Varsol with Lick (nasty stuff), Varsol, and Varsol with 30 weight motor oil. Each had a pump and brush that the fluid pumped through. The typewriters soaked in each in turn and when they came out of the last tank were blown dry. This meant that they were clean and oiled. If I were restoring one today, I would use WD40 and paint brushes. Kerosene for cleaning and kerosene with some oil would work very well too. You still need oil inside each pivot point - you really need to spray it down with WD40 or similar and work it while doing it.
very good video..thanks for your time
l to took typing in high school back in 1962.....Thanks Keith looks good to me my friend...!
What a great old typewriter. Remington-Rand also made the Univac system. That was a big deal back in the day. I still have my mothers 1940 vintage Smith-Corona portable that's in excellent condition and I still use it. Uses the same ribbons I use in my Teletype ASR-28 machine. You can still get new ribbons for most typewriters. There was a program on Amazon Prime video last yr called 'The Typewriter'. Great video if you can find it. Love you channel, especially the segments on the museum's 040 Vulcan. Also can't wait to see the planer in action.
Stay safe.
Cheers.
That's the typewriter we used in High School for typing class, no electrics for us. I had a Royal Empress I used at work when I did invoicing for my Dad. The thin "tin" piece is a catcher for eraser crumbs.
I learned how to type on a typewriter just like that in high school. The keys would always stick together.
[his is where QWERTY came from; the desire to minimize that...
SheemOn Dallas
Readers might find this link informative:
www.theverge.com/2019/2/17/18223384/dvorak-qwerty-keyboard-layout-10-years-speed-ergonomics
RL
Must be something in the water because my Sweetie wanted an old manual typewriter and we found a 52 model Smith/Corona. I cleaned it with a tooth brush, carb spray, compressed air and a bath in Kroil. When it quit dripping she uses it on a regular basis. There is one key that sticks but she's happy. Guess who ELSE is!
That's the type machine I learned on, we had it at home, handme down from my aunt and mom's old typing book, but took typing in school also, almost have to stand and lean on these old things to type.
Yes, I took Typing in high school also.... Actually, I was in my Typing class when the announcement was made over the school intercom that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.
Most of the typewriters were manuals, but we had six electrics and everyone got to type on one of them for six weeks during the year. I believe the manuals were Smith-Corona and the electrics were Remington-Rand... While working on a typing test that involved setting and using TAB keys for typing columns of figures, I had something come loose in the machine and the carriage flew completely out of the base and was hanging off the desk by the return strap. Everybody but the teacher got a big laugh out of that....
I have to agree, that was probably one of the most useful classes I took in school........
Though this machine is patterned after the Model 17 of 1939, it’s mostly like a KMC (Keyboard Margin Control) machine of 1946-1948. It has aftermarket keys, but the left shift key is missing). One could be had from a junker somewhere. Mine like this one was from Fort Hood, Texas, and still has the names of soldiers who used it-I’m leaving those names on-one name has December, 1947 after it!! I looked up on the database and it’s a 1947 model!! I put its third set of keys on from several Super-Rogers made in the early 1950s. The main keyboard is blank keytops so you have to know how to touch type to use the machine. It has elite type.
As a kid, I worked in a type writer repair shop 50 years ago. The plat-ten can be removed. All its' ridges and bumps can be removed by sanding. Use something like a drywall sanding screen and it will look brand new again. Use a very light machine oil.... like sewing machine oil and you might be surprised. Good luck.
Keith, when I was 12, back in 1963, I was FORCED to take typing on an electric typewriter in Summer School. I hated it and thought it totally useless. Then, in the mid 80's I got my first computer and, after a short while using it realized that I had learned to be a touch typist when I was twelve!
Great piece of family history!
Ahh i remember those typewriters well. I had to type everything is high school my handwriting was so bad. My math teacher tried so hard to find a way for me to type my homework. I still have a Smith Corona portable with script type. Best to you and yours.
You didn't learn cursive from a NUN!!
I too took a typing class in High School. It served me well in future career in computer programming, because if you type harder, the computer knows it needs to take you seriously.
And WHERE did you get a computer with A.I. and nerve endings???
Did this ever send me down a dark scary rabbit hole. I have a wide carriage Underwood that I've owned for nearly 50 years. My guess is it was made in April 1925. Now I have to clean it and find a ribbon. Thanks!
We used to clean early model Teletype machines by putting them in the dish washer. They needed to be dried and re-oiled quickly to prevent rusting.
In the mid to late 70s we wrote search warrants on one just like that. Standing joke was the assistant DA asking where we got the probable cause and the standing answer was "Right out of this Remington Rand!" Good days. Thank you for the memories!
In some jurisdictions, I wish that were more of a joke.
@@Digital-Dan AGREED!!
Learned to type in the sixties on an Underwood manual then later used an electric.. We had an old Underwood for years at home. Remember well mom using "coal oil" to clean the type and the arms inside.. Cheers.. Mike in Louisiana
Re ink That Ribbon Brings Back Memories Nice Work
19:02 Is that a felt pad on the inside of that back panel? I'm guessing for sound control. Seems rather advanced for pre-wwii(?) office equipment. Just when I think I have a decent understanding of the progression of technology, a gem like this pops up.
Edit: 22:00 What are the chances that brush is an unsharpened typewriter correction eraser?
With that sticking key, a common issue is that all of those long levers that the type faces are attached to are prone to bending and twisting. You might try typing the problem and adjacent letters with varying effort on to hard paper. You might notice one side of a printed letter is lighter and the other side is darker, so begging for a theta "field adjustment". Likewise, if you get out your feeler gauge set and try a few between the good working letters, you'll get an idea of the appropriate spacing interval. Then drag the feeler gauge along the levers in proximity to the sticking key. Often, a poor correction made to a key that's a few keys over cascades. You might have to straighten up a few arms nearby
@@lwilton Is that in reply to something I've written?
Hi
You can remove the rubber covered platen and flush the rest with mineral spirits to get rid of most of the dust and dirt.
Good luck
I'm going to tell you what should do Keith..
Exactly what you just did.. you have a few people that have enough knowledge to help you get that typewriter up and running you have enough mechanical ability to know basically how it operates and don't worry about what the naysayers say I think you did an excellent job you might have to tweak that O lever linkage a little bit seems to me I've heard thru the grapevine before that O is the most used letter used on a mechanical typewriter...🤔..??
Anyway I think you did a fabulous job I think you're on the right track and I'm sure your wife will enjoy it for years to come thank you for the video...
I have taken a portable Corona and changed the Keyboard and type faces to the DSK layout, somewhere I still have that typewriter.
I can completely agree. I too thought it was for "girls" when I took typing, but I took it in junior high school. Like you, I now feel it is a very valuable skill to have. I see younger people today that do not have that skill and hunt and peck, sometimes at a pretty good rate, but they have to always look at the keyboard and their hands. I can sit and look at a document or at the screen as I type, which allows me to intimately type things much faster. I typed this never looking at my keyboard or hands.
Interesting video, thank you. Always impressed with these mechanisms.
Not exactly a typewriter but way back in the day we used to clean teletype machines by immersing them in hot soapy water in a large ultrasonic cleaner. A fresh water rinse an air hose and a session in an oven to dry them out. Then lots of oil.
Good job Keith and you never disappoint
great video and good to see you do it how you want , as you will use it , it does not need to be perfect and its good it has some meaning to your family
I had the same experience with typing at high school. My mum - the most technophobic person I know - wisely pushed me to take typing in yr9, "Because you'll need to be able to type to use computers." After many years as a tradesperson, I now work in training, and being able to type at about 100wpm has been invaluable.
Made by the same Remington that made fire arms & bicycles. I went through the Remington museum @ their plant in NY. I was surprised at some of the things they made. The first IBM ball typewriter I saw was in 1964. It was connected to some sort of memory or tape drive system that allowed the operator to just put in the address and then let the machine type the rest of the form letter. Dorsey Laboratories had it.
And computers.
My dad's Smith Corona was heard in the evenings as he prepared his analysis of what must be done to do a certain repair on Sikorski's with Lycoming engines. It seemed the oil filter was in the wrong place about half the time. I was ten before I figured out that Darned-Bureaucrats was not one word.
Thanks for sharing!
Used one ike it in the Navy until the came out shortly after with the IBM ball stylist type in the 70s
When I learned to type the only keys to have any identification on them were the two keys at the inner edge of the home row i.e.. F & H, That was to stop one from looking at the keyboard and only look at the work to be typed so as to increase your speed. To pass one needed to type at 45 words per minute or 750 characters per minute.
When mamma's projects gets put at the head of the line 😒 LOL
When momma's projects go to the head of the line, momma's happy. When momma's happy, life is good!
Be well & Best regards,
Gottfried
I remember poor Maw (God rest her soul) and all the typewriters I tried out on her-from a 1920s Underwood Model 5 to an IBM Selectric. The last machines she had were a 1959 Underwood Touch Master II and a Sears-Tower President script writer-I still have both machines.
The script writer was made in 1964-Sorry, my bad.
I took typing as a junior in high school, I never could type over 30 -35 words a minute and nearly always had mistakes. Our typing room only had 3 or 4 electrics, and you had to be very good to use them, needless to say, I never touched them. I still can't type, it comes out as jibberish, so it's the two finger method for me. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Started out 2 fingers, still 2 fingers. Glad I didn't take typing. With arthured hands I'd have to relearn everything.
it was different and well worth watching
Yeah, but is it a Pica or an Elite?
I learned to type on an Underwood, and when I changed schools, I used an IBM Selectric. Those Selectrics were slick.
That "0" key probably has a weak spring. There should be one tiny spring on each key lever.
My thoughts / memories exactly.
It could be the spring, but the keys have a few riveted joints on the pusharms, a bit of rust or grime and it will stick. It should be accessible from underneath. I guess some light oil/solvent could fix it (WD-40, then some light mashine oil).
Depends on the typewriter as to where that spring should go.
I have an old Underwood typewriter fr.an estate auction I've meant to restore for a year now. By the looks of it, it too was out in a barn forever and everything sticks.
I remember typing all my university papers on a typewriter. How did I live through all that!
I saw the Bell inside the typewriter however when the carriage moved to the last 4 of 5 end-
ing spaces, I didn't hear the end of line warning bell.
Aah, those recalcitrant bell mechanics-they gum up and you gotta feee ‘em so they’ll work-and ya gotta clean that bell off so it’ll ring too!
THANK YOU...for sharing. Watched and enjoyed.
Makes me want to dig out my manual 1970"s Smith Corona....!
fitting lol
You should dig your old typewriter out there’s actually several typewriter related Facebook pages. One I have found interesting is Typewriter pen pal page on Facebook
Please don't mention the word Corona 😉
1965 i took typing and i remember the carriage came off. when you held a lever on each end back. late in business school after the army the electric ones would type when i just rested my fingers on the home row. 1938 and still works. not many things are built now that will last that long
Now this was a cool video, vintage yes, I remember taking typing in school. These like you said are mechanical marvels. There are so many moving parts and they have to work in a precision method or you don't type. Awesome video
Gosh I have one of the first IBM electric typewriter that I would love to get restored
You can get some of that Mother’s metal polish and have a “chrome-dome appearance on the top. Put some of that stuff on the carriage return lever.