1 of 1- ztyper
- Key Master
Offline 
- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Underwood #4 cosmetic makeover?
I am facing a bit of a dilemma.
I would love to have a nice, shiny Underwood standard typewriter to go well with my Royal 10 (which is the sparkling gem of the collection). This means somehow scrubbing off the old, scaly varnish and really getting the nickel plated parts to glow with that certain radiance. However, I am a bit of a purist, and want to keep my unusual Underwood in as original condition as possible. Sure I'll make repairs and clean it, but I want to keep the typewriter in its distressed state as to remember where it came from; as to almost give it character, a history, and a personality.
So my question is, what do you think I should do? And if I were to give it a makeover, how would I go about removing the old varnish so that there is smooth, gleaming paint again (especially around the decals so I don't damage them)?
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- TypewriterKing
- Inactive Account
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- From: DeepInTheHeartO', Texas
- Registered: 17-2-2016
- Posts: 1,011
Re: Underwood #4 cosmetic makeover?
See what you can do to get at least some of the old tarnish off by mild soap & water. After that, especially if you can get most or all the brown stain off is to use some kind of polish. Of course, I've oil-shined many of my typewriters and haven't come out any of the worse. You could even use a carnauba-type wax if you want to use the good stuff (you could even use this on your prize Royal). I wouldn't use anything harsh in the way of a cleaner because decals this age are rather sensitive.
Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
