This customer's machine had been stored for quite some time. Well it was time to get it tuned up and typing again! This Underwood from the year 1949 is a real work horse that will keep on typing. Upon inspection, after all the covers came off, were copious mouse droppings and insect cocoons. The insect crap I can deal with, and mouse droppings just gross me out. Fortunately I have a vent hood so once the machine was vacuumed and blown out I took … [Read more...]

This is a long read so be warned. I've repaired a few machines that folks had as luggage on an airplane. Don't do it. If it does not fit as carry on have it shipped. The damage from shipping a typewriter is WAY LESS than being dropped to the tarmac. This army green baby is a family heirloom and is going to stay that way. It came to me with multiple frame cracks, the front around the keys entirely broken off into pieces, the space bar and several … [Read more...]

This Royal typewriter came into the shop for some tough love. And by love I mean it needed lots of cleaning. It was a major dust bunny, complete with a couple sewing machine needles stuck under the darn thing. Normally this machine would be painted the standard shiny black. Well, someone added a crinkly paint finish to many of the panels. Even the nice beveled glass was painted over. I was able to restore the glass to some of its original … [Read more...]

This is a family member's Remington 5 portable from 1940. According to the serial number this machine was built in Canada. It is a nice clean machine that came with a few niggling problems. The carriage return lever works yet kinda just flops around like it was recently at a hookah bar. Also, the carriage skips intermittently - now that is a problem. Of all the complications a typewriter can have, carriage skipping pretty much makes a … [Read more...]

I love the 1930's typewriter styles, especially the Remington's. This sweet machine came into the shop for general maintenance and a few age related problems. Remington, as part of their attempt to "quiet" the machine, applied a heavy tar substance behind the paper tray. Well, after so much time it oozed onto the tab rack and needed removal. As with many machines of this age the paper rollers had flattened and paper feed was not so good. … [Read more...]

A customer came in with this thrift store find. A Montgomery Ward Escort 33, made in Spain. A chartreuse green, this is a rebranded Olivetti portable typewriter. Many rebranded typewriters were typically dumbed down depending on the manufacturer. Not so with the Olivetti and it types great! Kept in its vinyl case, it only had a few minor problems; the carriage lock was binding up on the frame, the typewriter needed degreasing, the carriage … [Read more...]