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11-12-2013 10:20:42  #1


Old, rusty Underwood

Hello. I just bought a Underwood Typewriter, and i don't know what model it is.
Can anybody help me? Also, it's very dirty machine so i have naturally tried to clean it, but i can't get under the platen roller. I wan't to take it out, so i can clean it, but i want to avoid taking the whole machine apart (for now...) Right now, i just wan't to try typing on it. Can the platen roller be taken out easily? It looks a lot like a standard No. 5, But it say 46 instead (in the same place)

Any help would be great.

I bought this machine in Denmark and it have a Danish keyboard.
Here are some photos:


 


Qwerty is good
 

11-12-2013 13:46:41  #2


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

I assume that the machine was manufactured in the USA, and has a 46 on both sides on the front of the machine? That is where the model number normally appears, but to be honest I've never heard of a Model 46. 

If I had to guess, I'd say that 46 was a number used for export machines and that your typewriter is just a derivative of one of the typical Underwood Standard models, most likely a number 5 with a Danish keyboard. Based on this the serial number suggests that it's a 1922 model. It definitely isnt' a Model 3 as those machines had extra wide carriages. 

You can narrow it down to an exact model using these specs:

Model 4 (J) - Base standard
Model 4 (L) - Base standard with automatic ribbon reverse
Model 4 (P) - Base standard with automatic ribbon reverse, back space key, and ribbon colour selector
Model 4 (D) - Same as 4 (P), but has a paper guide

Model 5 (F) - Same as the 4 (J), but has 4 additional keys (types 84 instead of 76 characters)
Model 5 (R) - Same as 5 (F), but has an automatic ribbon reverse
Model 5 (M) - Same as 5 (R), but has a back space key and a ribbon colour selector
Model 5 (E) - Same as 5 (M), but has a paper guide

Although it's a little hard to tell from your photo, it appears that you have a 1922 Model 5 (E).


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

13-3-2016 22:16:25  #3


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

Right now, I wouldn't worry about the platen removal.  You've got you a whale of a job just getting that sucker cleaned.  You gonna need you plenty of steel wool and maybe a wire brush to start.  Also, some tranny fluid, a great cleaner and lube, and some charcoal starter fluid.  Looks like you'll need to go over both the front and rear rails GOOD.  The back rail is purely a friction-type bearing so it has to be exceptionally smooth.  The front rail has a bearinged wheel, and though it will probably be a little more forgiving, get it as smooth as you can.  Also, the paper bail rod on the top of the platen will need plenty of steel wool treatment to smooth it out so you can slide the paper bails easier.  And, as is true to form on an Underwood old-style, you gonna have to steel wool and lube here also, because they can be a bear to move without it.  Long story short, you gonna need to invest a bit of time into this project.  Also, the platen looks a bit crumbly judging from the picture.  To remove the platen, there is a bolt on the right side metal plate on the platen itself.  Remove this, and pull on the knob.  This should pull the rod out of this side.  On the left side, there is also a bolt that needs to be removed.  The ratchet wheel will need to be pried away from the ratchet so it can be pulled on by the knob, and this will also remove the rod from this side.  Then you can lift the platen out of the machine.  It may need to be recovered with new rubber.  You can look online to see which companies still perform this kind of work.  Ames is a very old and familiar name in this business.  You can start there, if they're still in business.  Contact several companies to see which ones take in small parts such as platens, and see how much it will cost, and how long it will take before the newly recovered platen comes back to you.  I hope I helped.  Good luck!!


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

14-3-2016 13:52:57  #4


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

Are you aware that you've been creating posts in a large number of very old threads? This thread, for example, is over two years old. Given that the person who created this thread has only five posts to his name, and hasn't replied to this thread since he started it in December, 2013, it's not very likely that he's going to read your comments.

Also worth bringing to your attention is that Typewriter Talk is an international forum. Not every member here has updated their profile to show their geographic location, so you often won't know where the person you're addressing lives, and consequently one shouldn't assume things such as "Ames" being a "very familiar name in the business." This also holds true when discussing product brand names and brick 'n' mortar retailers that might only be well known to those local to you, or the country you live in.   


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

15-3-2016 20:47:09  #5


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

Please accept my most fervent of apologies.  I did not mean to offend anyone.  I guess I forgot more than a few details in my excitement to share the things that I have learned over 35 years I've spent by myself in repairing old typewriters.  

You will not need to worry about any other transgressions by me made.  To this end, I resign my membership to this forum and go back to my own world.  Thank you for your hospitality.  I will not impose upon it again.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

15-3-2016 20:50:10  #6


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

To the Moderator:  Please cancel my password, as  I do not intend to visit this site ever again.  I have offended and will not do so in the future.  I am going back to my own world and enjoy my hobby privately as I have always done.  Again, my apologies.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

15-3-2016 21:06:11  #7


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

TypewriterKing wrote:

To the Moderator:  Please cancel my password, as  I do not intend to visit this site ever again.  I have offended and will not do so in the future.  I am going back to my own world and enjoy my hobby privately as I have always done.  Again, my apologies.

No need to cancel anything. You can simply cease visiting.

 

15-3-2016 21:07:34  #8


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

No, no! Please don't do that! It'd be a shame to have someone of such knowledge of the typewriter to just pick up and leave because of a mistake like this. We make mistakes all of the time, and I'm sure that's alright with Uwe. With over 1000 machines under your belt, the next step up would be a full time repairman, and it would be such a pity to have your experience and wisdom kept from the wider world of this forum. You've been at it for 35+ years, and it gives me hope that perhaps I will one day make it to that long with my typewriters or even longer. 


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
 

15-3-2016 21:59:51  #9


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

Thank you very much for the kind words, Ztyper.  I looked back here fully expecting someone to express relief that this know-it-all duffer that I am has finally left.  To my pleasant surprise, someone has expressed an interest in what I had to say, and I again thank you very much.  With that, I do intend, with Uwe's permission, to rescind my resignation, and correct at least one mistake I have made.  I am going to make an entry in the OFF TOPIC section which will give a fuller introduction of myself:  who I am; where I come from; etc.  To anyone interested, see ya there!!


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

16-3-2016 11:28:12  #10


Re: Old, rusty Underwood

For the record, no one has made any mistakes. And my previous post was not meant to chastise, but rather to inform. Those not familiar with online forums often overlook some of the more nuanced aspects of them, which is why on occasion I will bring attention to a few of this forum's features. To wit, many new forum users often don't realize how old a thread is when they reply to it, or assume, because the exchanges are in their native language, that the forum's geographical reach is limited to their corner of the world.

Finally, if anyone wishes to close their membership here they need only send me a PM. I will of course respect their request and close the account; however, all posts that they have contributed will, for the sake of the continuity and thread legibility, remain.


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

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