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Just returned from the shop with my Corona Standard, which had missing springs and defective keys. This wasn't one of my best eBay acquisitions, owing to the repairs, but I'm glad I bought: it's very nice, and I like the Elite typeface, and not least, its looks. Not in the same league as my Olympia SM9, but a lovely machine nevertheless.
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Reminds me of one I have. Mine is a 1936 model. These really have buttery smooth paint jobs. I saw one in Burgundy, but at the time it was a little too rich for my blood so I passed it up.
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Very nice. I have a 1934 maroon Silent which looks very similar in body style to that one. You have a very nice machine.
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I used it all day yesterday to type excerpts from two manuscripts. I really enjoy this typewriter, the feel of its keys. I was having an off day with my Olympia SM9 (I kept striking the keys at odd angles and making many typos) but when I took the Royal out, all was well again. Those two are decidedly my favorites, with the Royal Quiet Deluxe a close third.
Some questions: where can I find the serial number? Are tabs a relatively recent phenomenon? The front says L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc" and the back simply "Corona." Do Coronas usually have such sharp keys, especially the "o"?
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typeset wrote:
Some questions: where can I find the serial number? Are tabs a relatively recent phenomenon? The front says L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc" and the back simply "Corona." Do Coronas usually have such sharp keys, especially the "o"?
The serial number should be just in front and to the right of the right ribbon spool. Other Corona models of the era had tabulators. The Corona Standard model portables of the 30's did not have a tabulators; the Sterling and the Silent were the models with the tabulator feature. When you say sharp keys, are you referring to the actual keytops or the typeface/slugs? If it is the latter, and you are punching holes in the sheet with your "o's", this could be due to having a hard platen.
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Soucek, that was helpful---thank you. The number is 10135624. I found a website that identifies it as a '30s model but don't know if that's consitent with the "Floating Shift" feature mine has. I adjusted the touch control, so that should diminish the key strikes somewhat.
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typeset wrote:
The number is 10135624. I found a website that identifies it as a '30s model but don't know if that's consitent with the "Floating Shift" feature mine has. I adjusted the touch control, so that should diminish the key strikes somewhat.
I believe your serial number is one digit too long. I think you either wrote an extra number or you read the second figure as an "0" when it may have been a letter C (possibly 1C135626.) It is a mid 30's Corona Standard portable, often referred to as a Corona Flattop. "Floating Shift" was Corona's name for their segment/basket shift mechanism, and was a feature on this machine.
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Thanks, Soucek. It's exciting to know it's about 83 years old. What a beauty! In passing, lowering the touch control didn't reduce the strikes through the paper, though I noticed the only keys doing so are the period mark and the hyphen. I use heavy linen cover stock behind the paper I'm typing on to reduce the stress on the platen.
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typeset wrote:
Thanks, Soucek. It's exciting to know it's about 83 years old. What a beauty! In passing, lowering the touch control didn't reduce the strikes through the paper, though I noticed the only keys doing so are the period mark and the hyphen. I use heavy linen cover stock behind the paper I'm typing on to reduce the stress on the platen.
Periods are always the biggest offenders for punching through the paper. I have a number of machines that can punch holes with the periods. Using a backing sheet is always wise. As far as perforating type, it can be typing technique and/or the hardness of the platen that contribute to this. Some of my machines calmed down a bit after I worked on my typing technique. Sometimes it takes practice to hit the periods with just the right amount of pressure and snap.