- ztyper
- Key Master
Offline 
- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: Royal Electric HH
One more thing:
What are the adjustments for the return mechanism? I made one, but now it only works about 50% of the time. I made the adjustment at the part where there are two screws and in between them is a nut with an eccentric screw in the middle that moves the bar left or right. It's towards the back of the machine. I thought it would fix it, and it did for a little bit, but now it's back to being all finicky. So any known adjustments to make for the return, I will consider all.
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- TypewriterKing
- Inactive Account
Offline
- From: DeepInTheHeartO', Texas
- Registered: 17-2-2016
- Posts: 1,011
Re: Royal Electric HH
Just watch the motor if you go to using carburetor cleaner. That stuff will REALLY take the finish off the windings and the motor will short out. Just be careful. Sounds like you really have a barnyarder there. I've had a few of those, and the unfortunate part is that you cannot soak it unless you take the electricals out of the machine--not an easy proposition with a Royal. Just have to plod along slowly with that one, I'm afraid. Let me know how you come out with this machine.
Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
- ztyper
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: Royal Electric HH
Well, I ended up not using carburetor cleaner because it was too nasty and toxic...
Also, some good news! I have gotten most of the excrement and urine off of the mechanics of the hardest hit spots, and so I moved onto PB Blaster to fight the rust. I pretty much sprayed the whole typebar mechanism and I will let it soak overnight in hopes that I get some movement in the keys that are still frozen, which I have gotten down to just 8.
But now for the bad news... The backspace, shift, q, w, a, and 2 keys will need their springs replaced. They have just fallen apart and no longer will trigger the keys once they work. I've tried it with shift, and it definitely needs a spring. The trouble is, everything is so closely packed together, that I can barely get in there with a pair of precision tweezers. It's going to take a long time to get each broken spring out, and then each new spring back in. I'll try to get the broken ones out to show everyone. Any tips on how to maneuver springs in tight places?
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- •
Thread Starter- TypewriterKing
- Inactive Account
Offline
- From: DeepInTheHeartO', Texas
- Registered: 17-2-2016
- Posts: 1,011
Re: Royal Electric HH
Be sure you cover the motor when you go to using that PB blaster--remember the windings. About the springs, I use a strong wire bent into a hook in real tight places. You can pull most springs off that way. For the stiffer springs, I use a pair of hemastats either with or without the hook. The heavy-duty springs, like what lurks in the shift and backspace mechanisms, you'll need a pair of needlenose vice-grip pliers. They're strong and fairly low profile, and you can use either bailing wire or coathanger wire on the really hard to reach springs. You gotta git those tight-placed springs--that's mostly what typewriter repair is. These Polish sausages on the ends of my palms have had to get into the darndest of tight places mant times, and I've got the scars on them to prove it. If you can't find an identical or near identical typewriter, try the hardware stores to see what kinds of springs they have. If you have trouble there, let me know. Show me the pictures of the springs you need and I'll see if I have anything that will possibly work. Let me know how you come out.
Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 625
Re: Royal Electric HH
ztyper wrote:
.... snip.... Any tips on how to maneuver springs in tight places?
Yes. The tools you need are called spring hooks, and they are of two types---pushing and pulling. You need both. Search for "spring hook" for commercially available ones. I made my own out of bicycle spokes, which are stiff enough and slim enough for most typewriter springs. Cut off the threads and cut a narrow slot in that end (for pushing) and at the other end, the "head", file it into a useful hook shape for pulling. A third variety of end for pushing is sort of a very pointy recurved hook; you'll see what I mean when you see the commercial ones. Spokes are hard to bend for that shape, though.
- Uwe
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,408
Re: Royal Electric HH
Michael is right, spring hooks work great and they're inexpensive, which means they're a worthwhile investment. I have a couple of pull hooks that actually lock onto the spring so it can't slip out - they're only a few dollars more.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
