1 - cjshelley
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Offline - From: Seattle
- Registered: 16-1-2014
- Posts: 15
How to care for Segment
I recently inherited a brilliant old Remington Rand Streamliner that I think is from ~1941, thought I can't actually find a serial number anywhere on the thing and the print on the paper table is just slightly different than most of the pictures I see... It rested in my grandmother's house since the 70's; she bought it new and the last correspondence she wrote with it was dated in the 1970's.
It was still functional from the onset, however it most definitely needed a good cleaning to get off the years of general grime and cat piss that comes with old lady homes (it smells so... peculiar... that it fills any room that you set it in). SO - I attacked it with alcahol and Q tips and the like. Everything is now marvelous BUT (there's always a but) when I cleaned the type segment with alcohol it exposed the metal to slight oxidation so my question is this:
-since using oil on the segment is, without a doubt, utterly, and completely VERBOTEN, how the holy effin-a can I keep the metal from rusting and interferng with the type bar movement!? It lasted 75 years without any corrosion, whatsoever, so what did they originally put on the equipment for rust prevention? It looks to be some alloy high in iron content - it's black and started showing rust within the hour. The typebars even started to slow down but with use they're now free.
Other than that, the thing is pretty cool. The rubber feet are rock hard, cracked, and compressed from sitting and the platen/rollers are also hard (but still working and un-cracked) so I'm going to try some rubber rejuvinator on those to see what happens before thinking about taking more drastic measures. If anyone has advice on what to replace the feet with, I'd appreciate it.
I've searched the forums and I haven't found anything other than "don't oil the segment," so if I've just missed this I apologize - I really have done my due diligence prior to posting!
Last edited by Uwe (02-6-2015 22:33:16)
- cjshelley
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Re: How to care for Segment
okay - why aren't my pictures posting...? oh well, no matter.
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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Re: How to care for Segment
cjshelley wrote:
okay - why aren't my pictures posting...? oh well, no matter.
You're not using the correct URL (link) for a photo. If you post a link to the page that has the photo I can fix it for you.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Uwe
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Re: How to care for Segment
I can't actually find a serial number anywhere on the thing .
Did you look between the keybars?
when I cleaned the type segment with alcohol it exposed the metal to slight oxidation
Are you sure that's what it is? And not just grunge that was loosen up by the alcohol? If the segment was originally plated and it's now worn off then I could see it beginning to rust, but within an hour? Does the segment look like this one?
If anyone has advice on what to replace the feet with, I'd appreciate it.
I always use generic rubber bumpers and modify ones that are the closest in size and shape to the original feet.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- cjshelley
- New Member
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- From: Seattle
- Registered: 16-1-2014
- Posts: 15
Re: How to care for Segment
okay - why aren't my pictures posting...? oh well, no matter.
You're not using the correct URL (link) for a photo. If you post a link to the page that has the photo I can fix it for you.
strange - I just took the URL google spit out when I "click[ed] here for a shareable link."
I tried it again and updated te URL to no avail
picture 1:
picture 2:
Last edited by cjshelley (02-6-2015 19:07:34)
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Thread Starter- cjshelley
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- From: Seattle
- Registered: 16-1-2014
- Posts: 15
Re: How to care for Segment
Are you sure that's what it is? And not just grunge that was loosen up by the alcohol? If the segment was originally plated and it's now worn off then I could see it beginning to rust, but within an hour? Does the segment look like this one?
Yes I'm sure it's oxidation. I don't believe it was originally plated with anything - maybe it just had a really light oil applied at some point? It was never completely gummed (read: still functional) but I really wanted to get as much of the grime out as possible so I likely could have just left it alone. The segment almost looks like that - mine is totally black, though, with very sight oxidaton on the surface.
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: How to care for Segment
strange - I just took the URL google spit out when I "click[ed] here for a shareable link."
You don't want a sharable link, you want a direct address for the photo itself. In the case of your photos I clicked on each to enlarge it (the link you posted shows a thumbnailed size), then right clicked on the image, and finally clicked on "Copy Image URL" to get the link you need to place a photo within a post.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Uwe
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- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: How to care for Segment
Yes I'm sure it's oxidation. I don't believe it was originally plated with anything - maybe it just had a really light oil applied at some point? It was never completely gummed (read: still functional) but I really wanted to get as much of the grime out as possible so I likely could have just left it alone.
I see from your first photo that you're using isopropyl alcohol. I only use mineral spirits to clean segments and have never experienced the immediate rust effect that you've described. Maybe you could try to clean it using something else instead and see if that makes a difference. Any oil will trap and suspend dirt and dust, so it would be my last choice. There are rust inhibiting products available at automotive supply stores that might work for you as well.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- exibmce
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Re: How to care for Segment
You used drug store alcohol, didn't you. It said rubbing alcohol, 70% or 90% on the bottle. That extra 10-30% is water or lanolin.I'm an ex typewriter repairman. I've got about 35 years expierence fixing typewriters. Do not listen to Collectors. Collectors are just that, Collectors. They are not repairmen. Never use alcohol when cleaning a typewriter except to clean a platen. They either cause rust,(the alcohol will evaporate but leave the water) or remove paint or melt plastic.Worse yet, it doesn't do the job. Rubbing alcohol will eventually gum up the machine. Drug store alcohol has water in it and will cause the segment to rust. Hardware store has acetones and keytones in in that may clean some, remove some of the grime, but doesn't remove it all. It will also melt plastic and remove paint. 2 other things you don't want in your typewriter are WD-40 and 3 in 1 oil. Made by the same company, WD-40 has vasoline and pariffin in it. OK, what do we do with a rusty segment? You have 2 choices. Naphtha or mineral spirits. You'll need an acid brush. You may be able to get straight naphtha from a chemical supply dealer or the easiest way is to get a can of Zippo Lighter fluid or a can of PB Blaster. These are both naphtha. Or, you can try white mineral spirits. This is also known as Varsol, Stoddards Formula, or Inhibisol. Spray or pour either on the segment and start cleaning the slots with the acid brush. Once you seem to have the slots clean. Spray or pour a little more and raise and lower each typebar by hand to make sure they are loose. If you have a cover or a case to keep the dust out of the typewriter you may use a little Marvel Mystery Oil. I know, you don't use oil on the segment, but yours is starting to rust already. Yes, it IS best to keep them dry. Keep the machine covered. I have found that Marvel last a very long time. Since you don't have a shop, this is the best you can do at home.
- beak
- Key Master
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- Registered: 24-3-2013
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Re: How to care for Segment
..............Do not listen to Collectors. ................
I'm not going to argue with the technical points in your post - readers can assess those for themselves, but you have made something of a sweeping generalization here that needs to be looked at a little closer.
With many aspects of the ephemeral past, collectors are the only people left who actually know much about their subject at all; they preserve and conserve things from the past which no one else is bothering with.
How do you like the phrase; 'Never listen to repairmen - they are just in it for the money and don't care about the long-term affects of what they do.'? Bit of a generalization - yes?
This forum is basically by and for collectors, casual users and welcomes all with any interest in the subject whatever their level of knowledge, and it more than welcomes professionals in order to increase our knowledge by inviting their posts and listening to them - which sort 'a defeats your point.
Everyone with a non-professional interest in these machines has an uphill struggle learning what is right and what is blather when it comes to technical advice. I'm glad you added to our experience, but just ask you to remember what value collectors have in preserving these items. Please contribute as much as you have time for; professional repairers are a very valuable addition to TypewriterTalk!
Last edited by beak (30-8-2015 22:33:15)
Sincerely,
beak.
