I’m sure you know, we get the typewriters no one else wants to fix. This Royal HH had been dropped and came to us with a cracked frame. After more thorough evaluation we also discovered a missing roller bearing at the rear of the carriage. Without this bearing it will never type again. Did it break during the fall and become missing? Did someone try to fix the typewriter and misplace a few items? We will never know. I checked the parts machines and not one had the correct bearing. eBay . . . nothing. Craigslist . . nope. My normal parts suppliers. . . nada; darn this is getting frustrating! If I don’t find a tiny roller bearing Don’s fine welding will be for naught.
Interweb searching is a fine art. Modifying parameters is paramount to success (ha, ha). Finally, I found VXB bearing supply. They had a metric equivalent that I thought would be close enough to spec. No minimum order and I was set!
Back to being dropped. Damn I hate to see these. I completely understand how it can happen. When I first started repairing typewriters, I too had a few mishaps. Fortunately, Mr. Montgomery put me through a fast course in how to carry these heavy things. Many people who rediscover a family heirloom do not realize how HEAVY many of these typewriters are. OK, take it from me; the heavy part is in the back. Turn the machine around so the back is against your tummy. Hold it close and with BOTH hands lift it from the sides. Bend your legs not your back. Now give it a hug before you send it in for a tune up.
Oh, in the photos you may notice the interesting paint. This typewriter either was shellacked, had a clear coat paint to give it gloss or the factory paint delaminated. After I polished the old graying finish it turned into a very interesting patina. I like it!