1 - Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
My current project- Corona 4 new keys
I found a nice Corona 4 at an antique mall in Waynesville Ohio. It works fairly well. I had to replace the shift lock spring, and there's something loose about the carriage, but I'll get to that later.
The keys are very yellow, which was bugging me. I don't really mind worn and slightly yellowed keys, but these are really yellow. So... I decided to replace them.
To do this, I found some clear plastic from a pack of laminating pouches. One side of the pouch was sticky and the other side was not. I used my Cricut to cut out a bunch of circles the size of the key tops from the non-sticky side. The plastic is 5 mil.
Then I used the Cricut to print and cut the legends for the keys. The Cricut isn't the best at centering for circles, especially if they are small. So I did a few of each letter and chose the best centered to continue with.
Getting the silver rims off was the hardest part, but I eventually got them all up. And cleaned up as much of the rust as I could.
I glued 2 layers of cardstock circles together to get the correct depth for the legends. The bottom layer of cardstock is laminated to hopefully make the whole sandwich more durable and to allow me to tack the legends down a bit with glue to aid in positioning while I get the clear plastic and rings back on.
I've taken all the silver rims off and I'm still in the process of polishing them. I've got about half of them done.
Starting to put the key tops back on. Getting the letters lined up is the most tedious part of this, I think. I've also ordered new decals to put on.
- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Seems pretty extensive! Good luck though; hope it turns out alright!
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Cool!
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Moving along. I don't think I'll have time to work on it any this weekend, but should be able to finish up next time I get to it.
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Thread Starter- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Great to see such detailed restoration.
I have an old Corona in which the letters ('legends'?) have become twisted on their keys. Removing the silver rings and aligning things again was a complete pain, and I only finished one before giving up until I had much more time to spare. Can you give any pointers about how to refit the lettering and the rings?
Sincerely,
beak.
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Maybe... It is a pain, for sure, but there are a few things that made it easier. Here is how I'm doing it. My little legends have a laminated coating on the back, which I added because I planned on gluing them down temporarily while I got everything aligned.
So... I tried hot glue first, but it was too lumpy. Might work if I heated the metal key stubs up first to keep the glue liquid longer, but I just switched to super glue. I put a little squirt of super glue down on the key stub and lay the legend on it, no plastic on top. I lined it up all properly while the glue was still setting, then let it dry. Then I put the clear plastic window in the silver rim and arranged it so I could angle the rim on from the bottom of the key to the top, making sure the two tabs that go around the stem are oriented so they can fit around the stem. Once that was all on, I pinched the whole thing firmly with my fingers to hold everything in place, and used a paper towel to protect the key tops while using long nosed pliers to pinch the tabs back in. The pliers don't reach all of the tabs because of how the other keys get in the way, but you can flip it over and use a small flat screwdriver to press the rest of the tabs in tight. The super glue doesn't hold well, but if you get the tabs pinched firmly, everything should stay in place without rotating.
Does yours have a separate glass/plastic cover, or all the legends all one piece? On mine the original legends are all one piece, looks like a layer of thin cardboard, the legend, and a plastic top, all laminated together. The originals would be easier to get back in, I think, only one layer to deal with. I think finding some way of temporarily holding the legends in place is the trick. It doesn't have to hold permanently, just long enough to get it all together. And benign enough that it's not going to cause lumps or discoloration later down the road.
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Thread Starter- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Thanks.
Yes, mine are the all-in-one type, and these are hard to align without glue while refitting the rims. I had been reluctant to use any glue, since later restoration may be more difficult because of it, but I think a mild rubber cement such as watercolour masking fluid (which rubs off easily) may do the trick. Next time I turn to this, I shall try that. Or perhaps a dot of shellac - this may be good since it dries quickly, and gentle heat can be used to soften it any time later.
Sincerely,
beak.
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Rubber cement is a good idea Wish I'd thought of that, probably would work better than the super glue
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Thread Starter- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
By the way... if anyone needs clear replacement key tops I'd be glad to cut some out for you (assuming you think 5 mil plastic would suit your needs). I'd even be willing to print and cut some replacement legends. I can probably do a decent job matching existing keys. The clear plastic and cutting of the legends is super easy and fast with the Cricut. Certainly the easiest part of this project!
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Thread Starter- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 627
Re: My current project- Corona 4 new keys
Spazmelda wrote:
Rubber cement is a good idea Wish I'd thought of that, probably would work better than the super glue
Rubber cement is notorious for staining papers. Be sure your paper is well sealed before using rubber cement.
