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23-10-2016 21:53:28  #1


Royal Electric HH

This is just a quick one as I am doubtful, but hopeful, that someone will hold the answer.

​I got an electric Royal HH, the first one I have ever seen. I did not know that they made an electric HH, but apparently they did. Anyways, I thought this would be an easy one, scoring it for a nice $45, but I did not anticipate the squirrel or mouse nest inside. Apparently, they were there for awhile, for there is rodent piss all over the place and it has frozen solid some of the latches on the keyboard, rendering the keys useless.

​Is there anyway I can clean out the urine? I have liberally applied PB Blaster all over the affected area, but it really hasn't worked. Also, the return clutch isn't engaging, so if anyone, anyone​, has another Royal Electric (any model is fine) would you kindly please take a picture of the whole return mechanism so I can cross reference it with mine? I know it is a pain, but I am in way over my head with this one, and I just need to have some sort of visible progress before it becomes another one of my follies...


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
 

25-10-2016 13:43:10  #2


Re: Royal Electric HH

A little update:

My father recommended that I use Windex to get rid of the urine that coats 30% of the whole machine, so I gave it a shot. Didn't take long before a black sludge that resembled soy sauce began to drip from under the typewriter. I did that a few times, and it just keeps raining toxic gunk. The next step up would be ammonia, which I really don't want to do because it is much more concentrated and I already felt sick from yesterday's attempts. So far, the "2, 3, q, w, a, s, z, o, 8, 9, 0, 1/2, and ?" keys still do not work along with backspace and shift. The left side the keyboard was hit the hardest, and the urine had disintegrated some of the springs, so if I ever get the mechanism freed up, I will have to painstakingly replace them. Also there is still no sign pf movement on that side either.

Some good news though. I got the carriage return to work, sometimes. The first time it did it scared the hell out of me and I swore a little too loudly for a neighborhood full of children. But it was a small victory anyways. It still has trouble returning, and still won't about 19/20 times I try. I have come to the conclusion that a latch is not catching, like what was wrong with my Selectric back in July. thought unlike the Selectric, I lack a repair manual, an unlike the many Underwoods I have, I also lack another machine to cross-reference with. Any pictures detailing the return mechanism would be infinitely appreciated, or an explanation will be just as wonderful and helpful.

I can easily say that this is the hardest task I have taken on besides the Selectric. Not sure what I have gotten myself into, but I can tell that if I get it working, it will be my crowning achievement to date.


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
     Thread Starter
 

25-10-2016 16:13:28  #3


Re: Royal Electric HH

Could we see some pictures of it?
I believe that the royal electric that you have found is 1 of 2 known to exist.


My blog - Just Typewriters
 
 

25-10-2016 21:18:41  #4


Re: Royal Electric HH

Yes, of course. I got it off of one of those local marketplace apps, so excuse the superimposed writing:



I thought that it was an unusual model, and I couldn't find any pictures online. But I did manage to talk down the seller to $45.


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
     Thread Starter
 

26-10-2016 17:29:24  #5


Re: Royal Electric HH

What you have is not an HH.  It is a Royal RP electric.  I have only seen three or four, and have owned one.  I wish I hadn't gotten rid of it.  It was made the same year as my HH manual Royal--1952.  This was Royal's first generation electric typewriter.  One I've seen I wished I could have bought actually had a special half backspace and repeat forward spacer added onto it.  Anyway, back to your machine.  If those springs are deteriorated as you say, you will probably need to find a Royal electric from about 1949 to about 1962 to get some extra springs.  In this time, alot of parts are fairly interchangeable.  There are unique parts your RP has, like it uses a V-belt instead of a positive-type toothed belt to drive the fluted shaft that kicks up the keys.  And as for the jumpy return--well, that's just what early Royal electrics do.  They have very strong return clutches, but if you break a strap, immediately turn off the machine mid-return because it it keeps going, eventually it will shred the takeup spring.  I've replaced entire return mechanisms in these machines--not an easy proposition let me tell you.  I've seen one skitter three inches to the side, never mind the thing weighed 45 pounds.  My 1957 RE electric does it.  A Royal RE was their second-generation electric.  There were improvements over the RP, like the underscore button using either the hypen or underscore symbols on one type bar instead of typing a bunch of sixes like the RP does when you haven't shifted down for the underscore. Let me know how far you get on this machine--maybe I can at least help you through some of the more difficult repairs.  Believe me, I have serviced many Royal electrics not too unlike what you've got.  I now have two--a 1957 model and a 1959 model--those were the ones I replaced the return mechanisms on.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

26-10-2016 19:16:30  #6


Re: Royal Electric HH

I will certainly make daily updates as I progress forward. I am hoping, praying, that all this thing needs is just some good old persistence and patience because I certainly don't have the skill. And To be honest, I wanted the RE instead of the RP because I like the look more. But I find this design to be quite handsome, especially with the chrome bottom by the feet. 

I might be able to get replacement springs from another source, seeing that Royal Electrics are not common in this neck of the woods. I might not even need them, for some of the keys that don't have them, still work. 

Also, more good news! The "2, 3, q, w, a, s, z" typebars which were completely frozen, are now moving again. the "s" and "z" keys now work too, but the others stay frozen. I just continue to flush the whole mechanism with Windex, and hope that it will get rid of the awful residue. Once that is all gone, I will move on to PB Blaster to free up the rust. I would love to soak this machine in some solvent, but the electricals scare me as I am still inexperienced in that department. So progress is slow, and not very steady.


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
     Thread Starter
 

26-10-2016 21:30:16  #7


Re: Royal Electric HH

DO NOT under any circumstances soak an electric typewriter.  Even if it were to completely dry out, there is no telling what the harsh chemicals would do to the motor windings.  My guess is that you have an electric typewriter well over sixty years old.  I would still recommend that you use some good ol' transmission fluid about the type bar segment slots, all the cams, and just about everything that moves, and let it set for awhile.  PB Blaster is good stuff, but don't use it around any plastic parts.  They had a hard plastic at that time, and no telling how it would react to that penetrator.  Be careful--it's good stuff but be careful.  As for springs, I'd still get them and install them.  That's just me.  If you have an abundance of REs up there, get a couple or three if they are affordable.  I like the looks of them too--they are a bit more bulbous with rounded tops, and have a sleeker look to them, but they don't have the chrome underneath them like the RPs.  Also, avoid the PB blaster around the belts.  They are somewhat rare on that machine, and they too are over sixty years old.  I remember machines like that being in their twenties and in use in offices.  You've got a real piece of history right there, man!!


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

26-10-2016 21:33:52  #8


Re: Royal Electric HH

Oh, I almost forgot:  That brown residue, I would again pay close attention to the belts.  It may only be that you're flushing out old grease and oils.  It could be that whoever had that machine at one point may have been a heavy cigar smoker (yeaccchhh!! What a nasty thought).  I have actually come across typewriters that even had brown residue on the paint itself from heavy cigar smoke, and smelled it too.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

27-10-2016 07:00:59  #9


Re: Royal Electric HH

You're in luck! I actually have a parts RE and a working RE, and I can help you with pictures if you can show me what specifically I need to photograph. I could also check out the springs on my parts RE and see if they're the same as what you need. If so, I'd have no problem shipping some to you if I can get them off.


 
 

27-10-2016 19:55:08  #10


Re: Royal Electric HH

Thank you for all of the advice. I will post more pictures soon, as I don't want to touch my phone when working on this typewriter because it is so disgusting. At this point I am using Windex out of desperation and it gets the job done. I am almost to the point where I don't have to use it anymore, and I can go back to using PB Blaster to get rid of the corrosion and rust. If there is still excrement mixture by the end of the week however, I will move onto carburetor cleaner which really gets things clean. But I'd prefer not to because of its pungent smell and the harsh action.

​@JustAnotherGuy, I will definitely post some pictures of the springs and perhaps we can work something out. I pulled out the twisted remains of a spring, but it is covered in yuck and is almost unrecognizable. Though I will get a good specimen to show pretty soon once I get everything a bit cleaner.


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
     Thread Starter
 

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