- colrehogan
- Key Master
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- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 609
Re: How to care for Segment
I was told the same thing by the repair shop here regarding alcohol. He also suggested covering the decals with paper then taping over the paper with masking tape (for cleaning around them or just when using some solvents).
Last edited by colrehogan (01-9-2015 08:53:02)
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
- Uwe
- Moderator
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,408
Re: How to care for Segment
beak wrote:
..............Do not listen to Collectors. ................
you have made something of a sweeping generalization here...
A very sweeping comment indeed. Just because someone is a collector doesn't mean that they are incompetent or clueless when it comes to typewriter repiar. Some of us could have easily qualified as typewriter repairmen, had the trade not been phased out over the years, and are able to provide sound advice. Admittedly there are collectors here who aren't as knowledgable as they think they are and are capable of providing poor advice, but we do a fairly good job of correcting such things - thanks in part to the other professional repairmen who are members here..
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: How to care for Segment
"They either cause rust,(the alcohol will evaporate but leave the water) "
I am actually going to argue with the technical point here... the above statement is not true as far as I know. A mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol is an azeotrope (91 vol% isoprop). When you mix the two together the boiling point of the mixture is actually lower than the boiling point of either liquid in it's pure state. The boiling point of water is 100°C, the boiling point of isoprop is 82.6°C. The boiling point of the two mixed together is 80.37°C. While we are not boiling liquids off of the typewriters, the boiling point is related to the evaporation point. The lower a liquids boiling point, in general, the faster it will evaporate (other variables such as pressure and temperature being equal). Another characteristic of azeotropic mixtures is that the composition of the liquid does not change as it evaporates, so the isoprop evaporates at the same rate as the water (this is related to the reason that it's impossible to get greater than about 95% ethanol using distillation, ethanol-water is also an azeotropic mixture).
Last edited by Spazmelda (01-9-2015 06:25:39)
- Valiant
- Touch Typist
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- From: Toronto
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 153
Re: How to care for Segment
I love an informed opinion! 
"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the typewriter."
- treefaller
- Touch Typist
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- From: The Dalles, Oregon, USA
- Registered: 24-9-2015
- Posts: 153
Re: How to care for Segment
I know I'm going against the forum moderator here, but i recommed gun oil for type segments, and a lot of other moving metal against metal joints inside a typewriter. Get a wooden fondue skewer with a pointed tip and some gun oil which is silicone based (not 3-n-1 household oil which is petroleum based), and drop oil into each segment gap. Silicone oil doesn't collect dust like petroleum oils do and besides, you're going to keep dust out of your valuable typewriter anyway with a dust cover, aren't you?
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
- Uwe
- Moderator
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,408
Re: How to care for Segment
I know I'm going against the forum moderator here, but i recommed gun oil for type segments,
It's not my opinion you're going against. My comments only parrot what I've read in professional service manuals, manufacturers instructions, and heard firsthand from the few trained repairmen that I've talked to. What is my opinion is that when in doubt, the recommendations made by those who manufacturered and serviced the machines are what should be followed. I've read some positively strange ideas on the internet for what to use when cleaning a typewriter, it's almost as if everyone is determined to reinvent the wheel, but to each his own when it comes to servicing your own machine.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: How to care for Segment
"They either cause rust,(the alcohol will evaporate but leave the water) "
Im pretty sure water evaporates in a short time too. Its such a small amount that I really doubt it matters. Now if rubbing alcohol was on it for a few hours that different.
And I am a collector AND repair man (At least learning). So before you say "Dont listen to collectors", think. Uwe is a collector/repair man, not registered (Because as he said, that was phased out a while ago), and Uwe is VERY knowledgable. Multiple people on here are learning to be repair people, and are also collectors. So what you just really said is dont listen to any of us.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
