'Last' UK typewriter built in Wrexham

Brother manufactured 5.9 million typewriters in Wrexham, Wales from 1985-2012.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l8m84q/putting_the_imperial_back_into_service_again/

Use of a typewriter in inhospitable environments (cold, no cell service, remote)

Tom Hanks' love of typewriters by [[CBS Sunday Morning]] by Lee Cowan

A classroom full of typewriters gets the ultimate reward — letters from Tom Hanks by [[Lee Cowan]], [[Analisa Novak]]

Typewriter Typefaces: Pica vs Elite, an explainer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCD69jUPps

Pica machines (10 characters per inch) will usually have a scale up to about 80-84.

Elite machines (12 characters per inch) will have a scale up to 100.

On Olympia machines, script only comes in Elite sizes (scale to 100 on platen).

Edit: fixed the appropriate CPI numbers

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l8byfh/quick_question_about_the_ibm_selectric_series/

a $13 typewriter from 2012.......(the Royal Scrittore) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

Most likely manufactured by Shanghai Weilv, but not mentioned or obvious anywhere.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l6njbd/successful_platen_shrink_tube_project/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l6q35q/remington_typewriter_co_band_postcard_1926/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l6wasb/pica_esquire_in_a_71_facit_t2_i_am_curious_about/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1jn08u7/royal_vibrator_spring_help_how_does_this_attach/

Col Joye & The Joy Boys - Oh Yeah, Uh Huh (1959)

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l5dyqa/need_help_with_ribbon_replacement/

Type Shop, Ep. 3: How to remove and install the carriage on a Royal Standard Desktop Typewriter by [[Typewriter Chicago]]

Successful Secretary Presented by Royal Office Typewriters. A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production, 1966. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5b2FiDaLk.

Script: Lee Thuna<br /> Educational Consultant: Catharine Stevens<br /> Assistant Director: Willis F. Briley<br /> Design: Francisco Reynders<br /> Director & Producer: Carl A. Carbone<br /> A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production

"Mother the mail"

gendered subservience

"coding boobytraps"

"I think you'll like the half sheet better. It is faster." —Mr. Typewriter, timestamp

A little bit of the tone of "HAL" from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). This is particularly suggestive as H.A.L. was a one letter increment from I.B.M. and the 1966 Royal 660 was designed to compete with IBM's Selectric

This calm voice makes suggestions to a secretary while H.A.L. does it for a male astronaut (a heroic figure of the time period). Suddenly the populace feels the computer might be a bad actor.

"We're living in an electric world, more speed and less effort."—Mr. Typewriter<br /> (techno-utopianism)

Kmart 300 Deluxe 12 Typewriter by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Because of the geometry of the JP-7's ribbon vibrator, which hinges from the right rather from the middle, the ribbon can rub against the paper/platen. To remedy this, one can mis-thread the left side to keep the ribbon away from the paper.

via u/Koponewt (Otto)

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l2ayq1/any_font_smaller_than_elite/

https://www.printmuseum.org/typewriter

On This Day in Typewriter History (LXXIV) by [[Robert Messenger]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kyryww/a_cautionary_tale/

Plastic Repair Welding MELDING Reinforced with Metal Demo DIY (#1) by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

https://incowrimo.org/faqs/

Typewriter Collection: IBM Typewriters by [[Erik Bruchez]]

https://mytypewriter.com/collections/qwerty/products/hello-qwerty-replacement-keytop-disc-set

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l15xt2/1951_smith_corona_sterling_recovered_case/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l11y1d/not_for_the_purists/

PB B'laster apparently doesn't destroy the plastic keys of a Smith-Corona 5 series.

Simple Green will peel the paint off of a typewriter in a few days.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l090yl/to_paint_or_not_to_paint/

If you're looking for pink, here's a shop that repairs and refinishes them (repaints) in pink: https://karlbusinessmachines.com/pink-typewriters/

As for natural pink manufactured typewriters, you're probably primarily looking at the Royal Quiet De Luxe (circa '55-58), Royal Futura 800, Royal FP (a larger heavy, standard desktop machine), the late 50's Smith-Corona 5 series (Clippers, Sterlings, Silent Supers). There were a few later in the 60s and 70s, but they're more difficult to find in the US and aren't as solid. These aren't rare typewriters, but generally because the collector's market likes color, you should expect to pay a $50-150 premium for pink in most online markets. Professional shops are much less likely to charge this sort of premium on pink unless it's for a machine they've had to strip down and repaint. (See also: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kw5jxh/what_are_your_thoughts_on_these_and_the_prices/)

For colloquial experience from a typewriter hunter from the Los Angeles area, I'll say I've been looking for a Cameo Pink smooth Royal FP for over a year and finally found one in solid, but restorable shape for $35, but it's taken a year of searching and it'll take a half-day's labor and some parts to clean it up to what a professional shop would consider solid working condition. In that time I've seen maybe half a dozen in online shops sell them in similar rough condition going for anywhere between $100 and $300. For your budget range, getting one from a professional shop is really the best, most economical way to go.

Please note that you positively don't want any of the new pink plastic typewriters made by "Royal Classic" or "We R Memory Keepers" (etc.) which you'll find on Amazon, Michaels, Home Depot, etc. for $200-300. They are dreadful machines, and if you really want one, save the money and buy one from ShopGoodwill.com for $5-15 instead.

If you wanted to go custom in your particular budget range, you might check out Gerren's work at Hot Rod Typewriter Co. where he does some truly gorgeous paint jobs on excellent typewriters. I suspect a pink Olympia SM3 from him would be a thing to behold.

Reply to u/dtja1l at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l0l6pi/help_finding_a_thoughtful_typewriter_as_a_gift/ with regard to buying a pink typewriter for a birthday present

https://karlbusinessmachines.com/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l03oxd/stephentown_typewriter/

Try a toothbrush with a long, thin handle and a small head.

The brushes sold with many metal and rubber straws or thin bottle brushes are also excellent for reaching into places like this. Sometimes you can find similar thin brushes in the baby bottle section of big box retailers or specialty stores doing baby goods.

Similarly a plastic oiler with mineral spirits in combination with an air compressor/blow gun or canned air is also a solid way to go.

Long handle cotton swabs can also be used if necessary.

reply to u/General-Writing-1764 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l05a17/i_dont_think_that_superficial_dust_should_be_a/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kzw0fk/your_typewriter_collection/?sort=old

reply to u/Back2Analog at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kzw0fk/your_typewriter_collection/?sort=old

1. Total: I currently have 53 with 2 incoming and 1 outbound. About 12 are standards, 7 ultra-portables, and the remainder are portables. Maybe a dozen non-standard typefaces including 2 Vogues and a Clarion Gothic. You can find most of the specifics at https://typewriterdatabase.com/typewriters.php?hunter_search=7248 or on my site at https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/#My%20Typewriter%20Collection

2. Display: I've usually got eight displayed in various places around the house including three on desks, but ready to actively type on. The remainder are in cases either behind our living room couch or a closet for easy access and rotation. I'm debating a large credenza or cabinet for additional display/storage space. There are two machines out in the garage, and one currently disassembled on our dining room table (my wife isn't a fan of this one right now).

3. About 25 have been cleaned and mostly restored, most are functional/usable, but need to be cleaned, repaired, or restored to some level. One is a parts machine. I always have a Royal KMG, a Royal FP, and two other standards out ready to go and rotate the others on a semi-weekly basis. There's usually at least one portable in my car for typing out in the wild.

4. Use cases: I spend a few hours a day writing on one or more machines and use them for nearly every conceivable case from quick notes (zettels), letters, essays, lists, snide remarks, poetry, etc., etc. I should spend more time typing for the typosphere. Because I enjoy restoring machines maybe even more than collecting them, I've recently started taking mechanic/restoration commissions.

5. At 50 machines, I'm about at the upper limit of my collecting space. I've given away a few to interested parties, and sold a small handful that I didn't use as frequently. I'm currently trying to balance incoming versus outgoing and might like to get my collection down to a tighter 35-40 machines in excellent condition.

6. Next typewriters: I'm currently looking for an Olympia SG1, a Royal Ten, a Hermes Ambassador, and a Hermes 3000. I'm also passively looking for either very large (6 or 8 CPI) or very small typefaces (>12CPI). I'm definitely spending less time actively hunting these days and more time restoring. I'm tending towards being far more selective in acquisitions compared to my earlier "acquisition campaign".

7. Miscellaneous: I enjoy writing about typewriter collecting and repair to help out others: https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/

via u/brianlpowers at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kzw0fk/your_typewriter_collection/?sort=old

https://youtu.be/_rqIW9SszPg?si=Qii9SO0-N8u1NKMD&t=511

Keanu Reeves has a typewriter collection of 5 typewriters according to a Toronto Film Fest interview in 2013.

Keanu Reeves via Keanu Reeves: 'I Worry That People Won't Like What I Do' by [[Cathryne Keller]] for Women's Health

Reply to u/eJelly at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kyf66p/ribbon_replacements_for_smith_corona_corsair/

Typically Corsair spools are 1 5/8" in diameter and sometimes listed as 1 2/3" in diameter. Ribbons Unlimited carries them if you need both the spools AND the ribbon: https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/category-s/12685.htm

Otherwise, if you have spools that already fit, then just buy the ribbon and spool it onto your empty spools to save the $10-15 for the extra spools. See: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-faq.html#q1

The eyelets are for doing the ribbon auto-reverse on Smith-Corona machines, but your print will go faint when you reach the end and you can do the reverse manually if necessary.

As a pending birthday stop-gap, I have done the trick before of typing on a blank sheet with a carbon paper and a second sheet behind it. You won't be able to easily see what is on the first sheet, but you'll have the carbon copy behind it!

If you're in a bind, many of the big-box office supply stores carry 1/2 inch wide ribbon for calculators which you could spool into your existing typewriter spools as well. Typically these are much shorter in length, but they'll work in a pinch.

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 189: Underwood SX by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Joe mentions, again, how standards fill up your field of view and aid in cutting out distractions so you can focus more while writing.

At the end Joe talks about the hobby of repairing typewriters.

Olympia SG1 Typewriter by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Underwood Touchmaster 5 Typewriter Tabulator Decelerator Demo Operation by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Newsweek Staff. “Design: The Dreyfuss Touch.” Newsweek, October 4, 1948. Http://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek-us_1948-10-04_32_14. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek-us_1948-10-04_32_14/page/62/mode/2up.

https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kwlywm/typewriter_ribbon_einker/

Royal Futura 800 Vintage Manual Typewriter Ribbon Change Install Magic Margin Demo by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

A quick overview of the Royal Futura 800. Duane shows the very basics here including one of the simplest ribbon changes out there. He also does a quick overview of the Magic Margins, though it's not the best demonstration.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kvufqw/repair_on_olympia_socialite_plastic_case/#lightbox

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fabrikoer-glass-door-cabinet-black-blue-00363171/

$159.99 on 2025-05-25

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kvhyol/anybody_else_used_these/

NOS Scotch Typewriter Cleaner No. 575

via u/leapwolf at https://boffosocko.com/2025/05/17/acquisition-1966-underwood-touch-master-five-standard-typewriter/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1i26bu3/new_typewriter_display_case/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kukxjf/another_cotton_vs_nylon_ribbon_comparison/

cotton typewriter ribbon vs. nylon typewriter ribbon

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ktb7ty/what_are_the_rules_of_typewriter_club/?sort=new

The Rules of Typewriter Club

The first rule of Typewriter club is Do not oil the segment.

The second rule of Typewriter club is DO NOT oil the segment.

Do not ask the value of your typewriter: they are invaluable.

Always talk about typewriter club. Every chance you get: to family, friends, complete strangers...

If you only have one typewriter, you must refer to it as "my FIRST typewriter".

If you're new to typewriter club, you have to type.

A typewriter is not broken unless it is clean and broken.

Parts of a typewriter should only be removed in order to repair another typewriter.

Keychoppers shall have the extremities they used to chop keys chopped off.

More than one machine is allowed to be your "favorite".

The last typewriter you bought is the greatest one. Until the next one.

Never leave a typewriter outside, in a barn, or in a damp basement to rust.

Typewriters are to type with. They should not be "flipped".

Any reason is a good reason to buy and use a typewriter.

The hardest part of typewriter repair is believing you can do it. Everything else is just instructions plus a careful, thoughtful hand. —Rt. Rev. Theodore Munk

If you see a typewriter, you should take photos and upload the details to the TypewriterDatabase.com.

Typewriters are not mood setting decor, they are meant to be used.

Always leave a typewriter in better condition than you found it.

We form things; we do not "bend" them.

The only acceptable way to dispose of a typewriter is to find it a new home. The only exception is in dire circumstances in time of war when one should follow the guidance of the Underwood manual and "Smash typewriters and components with a sledge or other heavy instrument; burn with kerosene, gasoline, fuel oil, flame thrower, or incendiary bomb; detonate with firearms, grenades, TNT, or other explosives."

If anyone asks you about your typewriter, you must spend at least five minutes talking to them about it.

Legitimate typewriter sellers never use the phrases "it works" or "it just needs a new ribbon."

Remember that typewriters are dangerous and can be used for samizdat. As Woody Guthrie wrote: "This machine kills fascists."

Blessed are those who give typewriters to children for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

"In death, they have a name." Lenore Fenton. Lenore Fenton. Lenore Fenton!

The Typewriter Database does not list every single serial number, just ranges of numbers and years in which they were made. You are responsible for figuring out which year your number fits into.

"Working but needs new ribbon" is seller's code for "I have no idea if it really works, but I'm going to try to sell you this machine for the price of a fully functioning machine that was just serviced by a professional shop despite the fact that I just took it out of grandpa's barn and I'm not sure if the mouse inside is dead or not. Also, I can't afford $10 to replace an old ribbon to truly participate in the charade of the price I'm going to try to fleece you with."

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ksx0qy/adhesive_to_fix_peeling_covering_on_cases/

https://newenglandtypewriter.com/about-us

Electric Repair Tip: Drive Belt Replacements by [[Sarah Everett]] of [[Just My Typewriter]]

Sarah Everett has used water filter o-rings of 3 3/4 x 4 1/8 to replace the drive belts of her electric typewriters.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PUYEJB2/

Sarah Everett suggests using a saw to turn Phillips head screws into a flat head screw if they've been stripped.

Confidence is a (the?) key ingredient of typewriter repair.

rofl!

curious, but common phrase "needed cleaned"...

Appalachian dialect?

via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xNRlLd1-c

Smith Corona H Electronic Typewriter Repair High Pitch Buzz Rattle Disassemble Fix by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Thought-Ruminations-Alton-Brown/dp/1668064219/

In 2025, Alton Brown indicated that he owned 15 typewriters.

https://typecast.munk.org/2016/06/15/stephen-colberts-typewriter-alton-brown/

reply to u/highspeed_steel at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1krspvh/im_totally_blind_and_new_to_typewriters_wax/

Your question is a great one, but I'll go another direction since I'd dug into some of the history and details of Helen Keller's mid-century typewriters a while back. You can find some details and descriptions here (and in the associated links which includes an accessible video of Ms. Keller using a solid and sexy black Remington Noiseless standard typewriter): https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ihot96/helen_kellers_typewriters/

She managed on both her Remington as well as her brailler as well as any sighted person, though obviously had someone to check her printed work.

I recently saw another heavily modified midcentury typewriter for someone who, if I recall correctly was not only blind, but had no arms. It was set up so that they could move a selector and type using a custom chin rest. Sadly, I didn't index it at the time, but it's interesting to know that such things existed for accessibility reasons.

As for Braillers, you might appreciate this recent article about a repairman in Britain who was retiring: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/02/wed-be-stuck-alarm-as-uks-last-braille-typewriter-repairer-ponders-retirement

I've got my own brailler, which is a sleek-looking art-deco industrial piece of art with the loveliest shade of dark shiny gray paint I've ever seen on a typewriter. (I'm both a mathematician and information theorist into the areas of coding and cryptography, so Morse code, Braille, etc. are professionally fascinating to me.) I still need to take it apart and repair a few portions to get it back to perfection, but it generally works well.

As for the aesthetics, I personally enjoy the solid industrial look and feel of the machines from the 1930s-1960s. The early 30s and some 40s have glossy black enamel and machines like the Corona Standard/Silent from the 30s are low slung with flat tops that sort of resemble small pianos and just scream out "I'm a writer" with a flair for dark academia and just a hint of classical Roman design. Many of these machines come with gold tinged water-slide decals which really set themselves off against the black enamel, though on the majority of machines the gold is beginning to dim from time, wear, and uncareful application of cleaning solutions.

I love the Royal KMM, KMG, and the Remington 17, Standard, and Super-Riter for their industrial chonkiness and (usually) their glass keytops. One of my favorites is the Henry Dreyfuss designed Royal Quiet De Luxe from 1948 which always gives me the feel of what it would look like if a typewriter wore a tuxedo or the 1948 gray and chrome model which is similar but has the feel of a sleek gray flannel suit on a 1950s advertising executive prone to wearing dapper hats, smoking cigarettes, and always with a cocktail in his hand. Into the 50s and 60s almost everyone had moved to plastic keytops which I don't think are as pretty as the older glass keytops with the polished metal rings around them.

At the opposite end of that spectrum are the late 50s Royal FP and Futura 800s which have some colorful roundness which evokes the aesthetic of the coming space age. They remind me of the modern curves and star shapes of the television show The Jetsons. Similarly space-aged are the sexy curves of the silver metalic spray paint on wooden cases for the Olympia SM3 from the same period. These to me are quintessential typewriter industrial design. In gray, green, maroon, brown, and sometimes yellow crinkle paint with just a hint of sparkle in their keytops I really love the combination of roundedness and slight angularity these German designed machines provide. They have a definite understated sort of elegance most other typewriters just miss. I suspect that late-in-life Steve Jobs would have had an Olympia SM3.

There's something comforting about the 40s and 50s sports-car vibe of the smaller Smith-Corona portables of the 5 series machines in the 1950s with their racing stripes on the hood. They feel like the sort of typewriter James Dean would have used as a student—just hip enough to be cool while still be solid and functional.

Sadly into the 70s, while machines typically got a broader range of colors outside of the typical black, gray, and browns things became more plastic and angular. They also begin to loose some of the industrial mid-century aesthetic that earlier machines had. They often feel very 70s in an uncomplimentary way without the fun color combinations or whimsy that art and general design of of that period may have had in the music or fashion spaces. They make me think of politics and war rather than the burgeoning sexual revolution of the time period.

Interestingly, for me, I feel like most typewriter design was often 10-20 years behind the general design aesthetic/zeitgeist for the particular decades in which they were made.

Good luck in your search for the right typewriter(s) for your own collection.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kppij9/blue_olivetti_valentine_how_rare_is_it/

In increasing order of rarity, the Olivetti Valentine was made in red, white, green, and blue.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k0q8ep/olivetti_studio_44_case_lock_mechanism/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kp9cye/any_guesses_on_how_these_springs_go_back_together/

Film: Typing on Robotron by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

You've got to love the "dancing hands" portion of the film which was such a product of it's timeperiod.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/typewritermaintenance/posts/4083165991920819/

Kenneth Alexander begins tearing down a Hermes 3000 typewriter for servicing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ko3vju/typewriters_and_music/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1knq0b3/they_all_have_a_home/

reply to u/Omega48boar at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1knsgn8/pressure/

I was wondering what the upper limit psi would be for blowing out the gunk using an air compressor.

The highest air compressor pressures may be determined by your particular compressor's (or air canister's) maximum output as well as the maximum suggested output for any accessories you're attaching to it. Many basic air gun attachments have a max PSI of around 100 PSI even when the compressor will produce much higher outputs.

Generally I find that for most benchwork on typewriters anywhere from 50-100 PSI is generally more than sufficient.

Depending on the condition of your surroundings, I recommend putting a towel (or similar material) underneath your typewriter with a solid backstop so that if any springs, screws, or other valuable parts are blown loose, they're caught pretty quickly by the towel rather than flying across the room or down onto the floor out of sight.

Higher pressure settings may be useful in some cases. One should always take care to be wearing protective garments and eyewear to prevent being spattered with caustic chemicals. Similarly protecting plastics, paint, and decals on your typewriter with appropriate cover is advised with some solvents.

Operating the compressor, which can cause sparks as well as heat, at a reasonable distance from potential flammable vapors is also a mandatory safety precaution. Using volatile solvents frequently seen in typewriter cleaning procedures should only be done in the open in a well-ventilated area using appropriate masks to prevent inhalation of vapors. Long term exposure to vapors of substances like lacquer thinner can cause lung damage, COPD, and other adverse health effects.

For extended usage pending the sorts of air gun tips which might be used for typewriter cleaning, one is also well advised to use ear protection to prevent long term hearing damage/loss.

Typewriter Ribbon Replace - How to : faster, easier, better. The Speedy Spooler by [[Bob Marshall]] aka [[Typewriter Muse]] on 2021-01-27

Who jury-rigged it first?

https://typewritermuse.com/ <br /> Bob Marshall

The Typewriter: A Graphic History of the Beloved Machine by [[Janine Vangool]]

Everyone mentioned most of the usual tricks, but one.

To get your sticky typewriter keys working again, while you're flushing out the segment with your solvent of choice (lacquer thinner, paint thinner, mineral spirits, alcohol, etc.), actually move the typebars using the keys or by other means. This will help to get them moving and allow the solvent and subsequently compressed air to help flush the oil, dust, hair, etc. out of your machine. You've already got a mechanical cleaning device of sorts (the typebar itself) inside the segment, so move it while you're flushing it out!

It may take a few repeated treatments/attempts to get it all clear for all the keys, but it's far easier than taking everything apart.

reply to u/nogaesallowed at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cp75ln/how_do_you_clean_a_1mm_gap/

People were recommending all sorts of ideas and solvents here, including folded card stock, tooth brushes, floss, toothpicks, interdental brushes, wood cuticle sticks, Swiss Army knife tweezers, microbrushes, and even an ultrasonic cleaner.

SCM Electric Typewriters by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Tips for cleaning the Smith-Corona 6 series electric typewriters and details about how they work.

S-C also made this series of typewriter for both Sears and Singer under their branding. (including the Singer Electric in this video.)

The belts on the electric motor and cams was originally a rubber 'V' belt which is no longer manufactured. Using 1/8" round cross-section o-rings of appropriate sizes (for water cannister applications) is the recommended replacement, however one may need to slightly move the drive motor down a bit so that the belt doesn't hit the frame of the typewriter and thereby destroying it over time.

Cleaning and lubricating the drive motors and moving pieces before using may help before trying out a typewriter which has been sitting for long periods of time.

Some later models had an electric return, which can tend to be violent. Electro 220 and Coronet Automatic 12 have an additional clutch and draw band (and lack of return lever on the carriage) for their electric returns.

reply to u/letsjustwrite and u/CowCommercial1992 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1iilo0f/re_inking_ribbons/

None of these are really prohibitively expensive, especially when purchased in bulk. Both Baco Ribbon and Fine Line offer black/red bichrome ribbon in most of these materials for a very reasonable price:

• nylon ribbon $0.10 - $0.15/yard
• silk ribobn $0.33 to $0.40/yard
• cotton ribbon $0.25/yard

If you're going to buy even 3-6 spools of ribbon at individual prices of $9-20 per spool, you may as well make the investment in a half or full reel of inked typewriter ribbon and save yourself a lot of hassle. My guess is that if you're buying your own ribbon in small quantities, you're going to pay even more than these prices to have uninked ribbon. Unless you have some serious equipment and technique, you're highly unlikely to be able to ink your own bichrome ribbon, so you're stuck with monochrome.

While using ink stamp pads is "doable", it's a lot of work for a very poor result.

I've yet to hear of more than a very tiny handful of people who are interested in the art or process of this to bother with attempting to re-ink typewriter ribbon, silk or otherwise. Generally, if they do it for any reason (other than the one time "fun of it"), it's for environmental reasons rather than pricing ones.

As an inveterate tinkerer, I've tried some of my own re-inking experiments to very mixed results. I've given up bespoke ribbon for bulk purchases.

Testing Cotton Ribbons- Typewriter Ribbon Test!! by [[Just My Typewriter]]

Via https://typewriterchicago.com/ribbons

nylon versus cotton

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kjam1u/ribbon_material_makes_a_big_difference/

Cotton versus nylon on an Olympia SM9

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kiqk82/optima_typewriter_with_cyrillic_and_german/

There are generally only a few configurations for ribbon vibrators with respect to ribbon threading, look at a few manuals here and surely yours will be covered by one: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html

Typically the rule is that the ribbon sits closer to the paper at the typing point than any piece of the vibrator and is then threaded through the arms of the vibrator. From there it often goes through holders at the ribbon cup and then into the spool.

via u/Koponewt

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kinttg/can_someone_please_help_me_determine_the_exact/

follow up reply:

After some additional research on the typewriter database, the YY = 92 (where the serial number is of the form: FP[P,E,S]-XX-YY-#######, where XX is the platen length and YY is for other special features) indicates that the machine has 46 character keys (and thus 46*2=96 glyphs on the slugs). There are also examples of YY=88 with 44 keys versus the standard 42 or 43 keys.

This means that your machine has a few extra keys not found on their standard keyboards at the time.

https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/typecast-my-royal-fp-steampunk/

reply:

I've been looking at the typewriter database and have been able to discern the fact that the designator YY=88 seems to indicate that an FP had a Royal HH-like palm tabulator, where the serial number is of the form: FP[P,E,S]-XX-YY-#######, where XX is the platen length and YY is for other special features.

I can't help but wonder what the YY = 92 indicates on Martyn's machine.

After some continued research on the TWdB, I've come to realize that the "88" in the serial number has likely nothing to do with the palm tabulator.

The 88 is for an extra character count due to more keys (44) versus the more standard 42 or 43 keys and similarly some examples with a 92 in the serial number corresponds to 46 characters. So there isn't a designator in the serial number for a palm tabulator.

See: <br /> - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1961-royal-fp.22586.typewriter<br /> - https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kg820b/just_bought_this_typewriter_for_10_at_a_charity/<br /> - https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/typecast-my-royal-fp-steampunk/

Oxidized Metal on Typewriters, White Powder Substance Removed Cleaned by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Royal Futura 800 Typewriter Plastic Key Top White Crud Removal Cleaning Servicing by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

For the white, crusty out gassing (or off gassing) on plastic typewriter keys, Duane recommends a round or two of Simple Green with a stiff bristle brush. Follow this up with a scrub down using WD-40 to displace the water from the Simple Green and then follow up with denatured alcohol, which is safe on plastics, and a wipe down with a rag to dry.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kianra/not_an_ad_please_dont_hang_me_just_shock_i_suppose/

Cross reference: https://syracuse.craigslist.org/atq/d/syracuse-the-smith-corona-typewriter/7841959463.html

For the collectors out there, this is an excellent caveat/warning: What will you do with your collection when you're gone? Where will it go? What will happen to the work you've put in?

On longevity of collections: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJC9BwUvA8T/

Remington Portable Typewriter replacement feet: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1397399-remington-portable-typewriter-replacement-feet#profileId-1448637

via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1khvzqb/3d_printed_replacement_feet_for_remington_portable/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334520792780

The Ultimate HOMEMADE Rust Remover (Better than EvapoRust) by [[Beyond Ballistics]]

recommended by u/guneeyoufix at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kgf6hm/help_am_i_crazy_olympia_sm3/?sort=new

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7028076

via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ke4xfw/3d_printed_underwood_standard_portable_4bank/

https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kg820b/just_bought_this_typewriter_for_10_at_a_charity/

For a second, I thought perhaps the "88" in the serial number was a designator for the palm tabulator, but one of the other two in the database doesn't have that option (visually), though the single picture (of 5853) looks like it may have broken off or been removed on that example: - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1960-royal-fp.1241.typewriter - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1961-royal-fp.5853.typewriter

If you upload some additional photos of yours to the database, perhaps we can puzzle out what the "88" designator means if it's not the palm tabulator functionality?

The E on FPE means "elite" or 12 characters per inch. The "13" indicates a 13 inch wide platen. The raw serial number seems to indicate it was made in 1960: https://typewriterdatabase.com/royal.72.typewriter-serial-number-database

The Olivetti Valentine is one of Pete Doherty's favorites.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/usjqn3/does_anybody_know_what_typrewirter_that_is/

Library Typewriter Display Case Project by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kdjy9u/anyone_have_internal_pictures_of_the_hermes_3000/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kbp3bb/corona_3_with_case_key/

Corona 3 cases had very straightforward keys with a simple 1-2mm numb at the far end.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1hnsfhn/i_bought_some_trash_off_amazon/

Peter Doherty: “I have 40 typewriters and I’m not ashamed of it”<br><br>LISTEN @maryannehobbs : https://t.co/0Z9fvAYCM9 pic.twitter.com/OCaHtPqJ1N

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) May 22, 2016

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03vxbqj

Peter Doherty: “I have 40 typewriters and I’m not ashamed of it”

https://www.printables.com/model/1277687-underwood-portable-4-bank-typewriter-replacement-f

Found via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k8lh2v/i_designed_a_3dprintable_replacement_spool_cap/

https://www.printables.com/model/1277700-underwood-portable-typewriter-ribbon-spool-cap-thi

Found via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k8lh2v/i_designed_a_3dprintable_replacement_spool_cap/