Post #100. The end of the Royal saga.

 

Welcome to my 100th post. Now, if you are the jealous type - I suggest you don't read past this sentence.

The finished product - The Royal Chrome gets the red velvet treatment.

I have to say, all the work I have done to this machine has been worthwhile. I probably spent about 20 hours all up (so far) on getting this machine into excellent working condition - and every time I look at its gleaming shell, I have to say - it was worth it.

A large part of those 20 hours consisted of me just trying to repair the original parts of the typewriter. But as with everything antique restoration related, there comes a point where you have to make some difficult decisions on how to progress. And there was one very difficult decision that I made early on, which I'm still unsure that I have done the right thing. 

Meet Gatsby :-

Hunting down the parts machine to complete this project took a lot of time and patience. But there was a machine that I had in my possession the whole time which I could have taken apart at any moment, and made one of the ultimate typewriter enthusiasts dream machines.

Gatsby - just another beautiful Royal P?

Around the time that Rob Messenger handed me the 'desperately in need of repair' Royal Chrome, this machine was sitting in the post-office awaiting my collection. The postie had neglected to leave a notification in my letterbox, and the post office was only 2 days away from sending it to the unclaimed post auction house - when I came in and inquired if any packages had been waiting for me. 

I had bought this machine on ebay about a month before, and I have to say it wasn't cheap. On the auction, the item looked in dreadful condition. But after a couple of hours of work on my desk, including sourcing a replacement platen as the rubber on this one was split, I had the machine looking worn but beautiful - and typing like it had just come from the store. 

I called it 'Gatsby' before I even had heard of the impending film. And other than the seemingly extravagant cost (I'll point out that I've seen others pay much, much more for similar machines) there was one other reason that I called this machine Gatsby.

Yes. Gatsby is a Vogue machine.

In what would have to be one of the greatest 'could have been' moments of my collection, I agonized over dismantling the (now) beautiful Gatsby in its striking two-tone blue shell. This would have involved me effectively destroying a magnificent example of an Art Deco typewriter - and a piece of history, in order to create what would have been a magnificently unique typewriter. 

In the end, I couldn't do it. I've been using Gatsby for correspondence ever since, and it is one of my all time favorite typewriters. Not just because of the sheer beauty of it, but also because it types so well. 

  Finishing the Royal Chrome:

 

The parts machine cost me about $30 in total - including postage, and it was in hideous condition. It had once had an 'alligator' textured blue paint-job, but Much of that had been chipped or rusted away. Some of the bolts holding the shell on were also heavily rusted. So rusted, that I had to use a grinder to cut some of them off.

Mechanically the typewriter was in crap-with-potential condition. Some of the chromed parts were flaking, but for the most part there was no sign of rust or oxidization on the crucial parts of the machine. The keys were almost frozen from the application of WD40 to them, but this was easily removed - first by spraying WD40 into them again, and then using de-greaser to remove the WD.

Nothing removes old WD40 like new WD40. 

But the keys were a problem. The paper slips on the keys were black, which didn't suit the machine at all. When I had bolted it all together, it became clear that the black (as opposed to the original off-white that the Chrome machine had) were going to have to go. 

If I had have used Gatsby as a parts machine for this typewriter, I never would have done what I did next.

Replacing the keys:

It had become obvious that I needed to replace the paper slips in the keys. Much of the existing paper slips on the machine were seriously damaged as it was, and it was clear that the glass needed to be lifted off the keys and cleaned. 

So I started to remove the keytops. 

I'd seen people talking about removing keytops before, and how it would probably be too easy to break the metal tabs that hold the keytops in place, but there didn't seem to be anyone that had actually done so - at least in the yahoo forums.

So I thought to myself "If the metal is that fragile, they should pry off easily. I'll just be careful not to break them".

Oh typosphere, how wrong was I. 

It took me somewhere between 2 to 3 hours to remove the keytops, and I didn't break a single one. Not because I was careful and gentle, but because the metal on them is a hell of a lot tougher than you might think. Prying the tabs off was extremely difficult to do by hand, and even once they were open the tops didn't just simply fall off. Oh no... those rings grip like Tarzan. I had to prop each key against a socket that pushed against the glass side only, and then push down on the back of the ring with a screw driver which I then bashed with a hammer - working in a circular motion around the key, until the ring finally dropped off. 

After all this was done, I simply had to walk away from the typewriter. It had been really nerve-racking hard work doing all this without breaking a glass insert, or metal band. I came back to it about 2 weeks later. 

In those two weeks, I had done some other work. I wanted to make this machine's Art Deco styling really stand out, so I selected a Deco font that would really grab the imagination, while still being easy enough to read at a glace - for the casual not-so-touch-typist. I wanted this machine to really, really capture the opulent feel of the era.

And then there was the paper selection. I grabbed samples of about 6 different types of paper and produced keyboard templates on them. I tried Pearlized paper (has a pearl type shimmer and texture to it) and even found some mother-of-pearl discs the right size to use. The mother of pearl idea was quickly dashed, when I couldn't find a way to effectively print on the discs. 

Then, I got some samples of Opalescent paper. In the light it had a beautiful shimmer that when looked at from a certain angle, would change in colour. The sample that I printed on the very pale green looked beautiful, so I produced a final template and then set about cutting the slips out.

Which is where this tool came in useful. 

It is a half-inch paper punch - which is the perfect size for the paper-slips needed on the keys. By turning this punch upside down, I was able to line up the paper template through the dump-hole, and produce perfectly sized slips. These punches are available from scrap-book suppliers. Just try to avoid buying the 'heart shape' ones, as there seems to be an over abundance of them around.

As the keyboard started to come together I got more and more excited. I posted a couple of hinting photographs to Rob Messenger, so he could see what result was coming from his former typewriter - and I even dropped a couple of them onto the Antique Typewriter forum on facebook, for everyone else to get an idea of what I was working on.

The end result is, albeit subjectively, stunning and unique.

Click to enlarge. It it has been very difficult to photograph this typewriter and capture the green. But you can see it hinted in the reflection - which also shows how the keys change tone depending on the angle of view. 

A couple of months after I finished the keyboard of this machine, I discovered that John Lavery had a keytop ring remover tool. The tool is so effective, that it would have taken me less then 5 minutes to strip the keyboard, making a mockery of my 2 - 3 hours of hard work.

The (in)completed typewriter:

The mechanical parts of the machine were not exactly... perfect. But I was able to retrieve plenty of parts from the original machine's guts to piece together the a 100% complete machine. In fact, it is more than 100%. The original machine had a missing shift key on the right hand side, which had somehow been broken off. The new parts machine also sported a tab mechanism, which with a bit of wrangling, I was able to fit into the new machine. So it can now tab!

I also manufactured new rubber feet for both the Chrome, and Gatsby - so both machines grip to the table effectively and steadily. 

There's a couple of damaged pieces of old chrome that came across from the parts machine. These can be repaired, but it will take time. Also the chrome machine doesn't actually have any colouring to indicate the locations on the ribbon colour selector.

I haven't done much research on the materials I need to finish this machine off yet, but I have decided that I am going to colour-in the colour selector indicator by setting jewels into the case.

After all, if you want Art Deco - roaring 20's opulence, why not set red, blue and clear jewels of some kind into the case - and make it truly unique! Erm... but... that will cost money, which I don't really have. Maybe plastic replicas? Nah....

Some work needs to be done to the case as well, and I've been thinking about using something to line the case with, that will compliment the beauty of the machine.

This machine is a real head-turner, but is very hard to keep clean. The chrome shows up finger-prints like nothing, and I have shoved a microfiber cloth into the case with the machine so it can be wiped down when I take it out on the road.

But, I think I have triumphed over the challenge of getting this beautiful Royal back to work - with a truly spectacular end result. 

So - let's take a look at another Hermes 3000 70's.

Okay... So... following the Hermes 3000 that I was so excited about a couple of weeks ago, I purchased another 70's era Hermes 3000 for a whopping - bank breaking $9.50. Which officially makes it 50 cents cheaper than my previous cheapest typewriter acquisition from ebay. 

Australian 50c coin - featuring our coat of arms. 

AKA: The big coin that busts up your wallet. 

Again, I really didn't need another typewriter, but as I couldn't see myself using a QWERTZ keyboard regularly - and as I was so impressed with the feel of the previous unit, I felt a QWERTY unit would be... nice to have. And at $9.50 - why not. 

But typewriter geeks... That's where the logic of this story ends. 

May I present to you - The hungarian made Hermes 3000. 

Where as the previous unit didn't label it's origin, this one sure does. While the serial number is only 200,000 units different, the quality of this typer feels quite varied. 

But firstly - let's talk about what the seller described as a "perfect" typer. Hit the shift key and the basket locks down. Gummed up? Probably. The ribbon is drier than sandpaper, which is roughly the same way I would describe the texture of the platen. 

But it types. Or at least will once I shuffle in a new ribbon... and crank the shift key by hand. 

Having said that, I feel that every time I type - the family of dust-bunnies that are living inside this unit are being tormented by the hammering sound of the keys slapping the near rock-hard platen. It must be tough for them. I bet they have nightmares about someone writing poetry as they sleep at night. 

There's the obligatory sticky key... D to be exact, but I get the feeling others are close to being home stuck bodies too. Which brings me to the next point - The sharp and accurate magic of the key presses of the other unit, just... well.. don't seem to be here with this one. I don't feel that tiny ratcheting so much, or the same quick movement that my other unit has. Some of the keys are perfect in action still, and do have the quite same feel. So I'm guessing that the problem could be dust and gunk in the segment. 

It's not that it is bad. I just feels a bit more.... average. The 'force' is not strong with this one. Must have less midi-chlorians. 

WARNING: Midi-chlorians are copyright Lucasfilm 1999. And are also known as 'The all time worst superfluous plot point in cinema history'.

The plastic itself is quite sun affected, and as such has become something akin to that 80's era computer beige. 

Further more - the smooth and silent operation of the carriage on the QWERTZ unit, isn't quite so silent on this one; it ratchets - although somewhat quietly - when shifted. 

I can't help but feel that this machine wasn't made to quite the same quality standards as the other unit I purchased. It sure hasn't been looked after as well. And it even has the 'Dataprint' sticker on it from the store that sold it here in Australia. So this doesn't even have an interesting story behind it.

Although... what's this on the side? 

Another address label! This time, it is clearly a pharmacy label. These H3K owners seemed to really love labelling their typewriters. 

The label on this occasion has two addresses. One for the pharmacy business that the label came from, there other for - what I suspect is the owner's address. The Owner's house also appears to be currently for sale.  Or was that the address that the typewriter was loaned to? 

The city that this address is located in, although it isn't specified on the label - is Melbourne, my old home (and honestly quite missed) town. The Pharmacy is no longer there. It has been bulldozed to make way for a toyota dealership. 

Looking at the label, the phone number listed on it is pre-early 1990's when Australian phone numbers changed from a 7 digit number, to an 8. 

Oh well, I hate to say it... but this typewriter is destined to become a project writer of my own. It'll be interesting to see what I can do with the plastic shell of this unit, and I'm looking forward to having a bit of fun with it. Certainly the other problems are potentially resolvable, so I'll keep you up to date with what I manage to achieve with this - $9.50 typer. Clearly I won't be able to turn this unit into a 'Silver surfer' 

Corrrrr.... $9.50. Really... I can't believe it. 

The Royal Arrow lives!

I had a day off from work today. I woke up with a very sore neck after sleeping badly, felt that there was no position to work and needed a break. i'd strained too much lately. So to amuse myself, I set about on some lightweight projects. 

The Filthy Platen - FP project

Now - speaking of filthy platens, I acquired this Royal FP a little while ago dirt cheap on eBay. Unloved amongst the other more collectable friends on the seller's eBay page, it sold to me unchallenged at its minimum price.

Fine by me, I thought... Fine by me.

The seller naturally had no guarantees that it worked. Actually, I'd dare say - convincingly the seller was too young to have ever actually used a typewriter. I had collected this unit at their home, and it was a shell filled wall to wall with junk.

The items had clearly been bought at several deceased estate or suchlike auctions, and I felt like I was walking into some Oprah Winfrey special on 'Hoarding' when I arrived there. Having just moved house, I felt like I was shifting around an awful lot of junk. But after being at this place, I felt positively functional. I wanted to take a photo, but I felt there were eyes hiding in the mountainous assorted piles of garage sale debris that I felt that such a thing was impossible.

In its 1960's heyday this machine would have been burning up pages of extremely dull documentation. I've heard people describe this machine's colour as 'battleship grey', and to be honest it feels about right for it. I'd seen one of these before on the Strikethu blog (amongst others) and generally they seem to be indestructible.

This machine is a tank. Even more-so than my Quiet-riter. It's clearly had a lot of bangs and scrapes over its lifetime - and there's so much gunk in it that I'm surprised it worked.

But work it did. Sort of. The seller indicated that the keys were stuck. This wasn't the case, but that's alright. With the exception of 1 or two they were perfect. And even then the it only took me a minute or two to get it working.

However, the carriage was not moving. Or at least wasn't till this afternoon when a bit of oiling, forcing and prodding got it to sort of start moving. Before long the whole thing started to show serious promise that it might start operating. By this stage I had stripped off a large amount of the outer shell - in order to start on part 2 of the project.

...... Stay tuned.

Anyway, I really want to get this typewriter working. I've been developing a story for about a year now that has been set in the 70's, and I like the idea of playing the narrator telling the story on a machine what would have been seen thumping out reports in some dark an sordid office somewhere.

Till we next meet.