1 of 1- TypewriterGuy
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Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
I dont think this has been posted, so here is my post...
After reading an article on the myoldtypewriter blog, and how they fixed two worn out indented fox typewriter key. They used a product called Sugru, which is like moldable rubber, until it sets and drys, and becomes rubber. If put in a mold (Like the indent in a typewriter key) it sticks, and will look like the key was new! (Check it out here, you have to scrll to find it ). After I was looking around for this Sugru stuff, I found it was easily $12+ for a small packet. So some looking around online I found how to make your OWN sugru, for a third the cost, and its slightly stronger, and you can make it whatever color you want. Which would be usefull for off color keys. I have not tried this yet, but If you remember my Smith Premier 4 has the black stuff missing from some of the keys... So if you guys try it, let us know! On the blog it works succsessfully.
Before:
After:
You can see why custom coloring would be good, because if the stuff was slightly yellowed, it would have matched perfectly. And these are NOT my photos, they are from the blog.
Im sure its not a premenant fix, but it looks good, and if its as strong as everone says it should last pretty long.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- TypewriterGuy
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
Now imagine using this on those pesky rubber paper older rubber rollers on the fronts of platens on older machines?? They are almost always cracking or missing. Now Im gonna have to try this too...
And I just read someone made typewriter feet.
Last edited by TypewriterGuy (16-10-2015 19:32:39)
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
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Thread Starter- beak
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
Seems almost made for the job. Please let us know how it stands up to wear and tear.
I'm sure it has any other useful applications - shall try it!
Last edited by beak (17-10-2015 08:28:12)
Sincerely,
beak.
- ztyper
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
Might have to use this for my Underwood's feet... They're crumbling like ruins.
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- TypewriterGuy
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
Imagine the possibilities! 
Besides, you have to wonder what was origanally in the keys.
Last edited by TypewriterGuy (17-10-2015 04:37:41)
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
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Thread Starter- Spazmelda
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
The letters look great! I have one where a couple of the letters are completely worn down, so they can't even be filled. I wish they could.
I used sugru on typewriter feet. I didn't make the feet entirely out of it, but partially. It worked great! Another product I was looking at was called um... Shoot I can't remember. I'll come back. Versamold. It is a heat curable rubber. From the videos I watched it seems like it would be more flexible and stretchable when cured than the sugru,
Last edited by Spazmelda (17-10-2015 06:03:32)
- Uwe
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
TypewriterGuy wrote:
I dont think this has been posted,
Sugru and its uses have been discussed in the past here in a few threads, predominantly this one:
[url= subject of repairing key engravings was kicked around here too:][/url]
[url= subject of repairing key engravings was kicked around here too:]The subject of repairing key engravings was kicked around here too:[/url]
In my own experience, most plastic keys that have lost their legends also exhibit a significant amount of wear, and consequently the recessed (engraved/molded) portion of the legend is either very shallow or completely nonexistent. For any product to have any chance of lasting on a key top, I would think the priority should be to make sure the legend recess is as deep as it once was. The longevity expectation of a contemporary repair using non-original methods should also be put into perspective; think of how many years and typed pages it took to wear out the original key legend. I doubt most of the machines currently being repaired will ever see that type of workload again, so makeshift key repairs - although potentially sub-standard - might last an appreciable length of time.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- TypewriterGuy
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Re: Wear on Plastic or Bakelite Indented Typewriter Keys? BEGONE!!!!
sorry Uwe, I saw both of those threads, but for people looking specifically for how to fill in the letters, there wa s no thread. Ive seen both of them.
You are right about the wear and how they wont be used nearly as much though. As you said, im sure anything would be helpful to the machine.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
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