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16-11-2018 21:17:06  #1


My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

If the typewriter gods are willing and the price stays low, I will bring home an early 50's Ultra Quiet next week. I've examined it once, and it seemed to be all there, and seemed to "work" (it had an old ribbon and no paper so i couldn't type with it).

So what should I do when I get it home? I should probably note here that I'm not the most mechanically inclined person. I change my own oil, do brake jobs, rotate tires, change out starters and alternators and other easy things, but I usually break two more things in the process before i eventually get it all back together and working properly. I never open things and look inside. 

So with my proclivity for destruction in mind, let me ask that question again. What should I do when I get it home? Can I just bring it home, replace the ribbon, set it on a table and ummm, type?


 

 

16-11-2018 23:45:00  #2


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

I have never heard of a Royal Ultra Quiet. Are you sure that's the correct name? I ask partly because without knowing the model, it's hard to know what sort of ribbon spool the machine requires. I am guessing it's a portable (comes with a carrying case), which would mean it takes, in all probability, a so-called universal ribbon spool, which has a central hole and smaller holes next to it that fit corresponding posts on the spool cups. The ribbon would also have metal grommets right near each end, which trip the ribbon reverse mechanism when the grommets hit the gates through which the ribbon is threaded.

Assuming it's the correct ribbon, look very closely at how the ribbon is threaded, from the spools through the vibrator mechanism (the part that moves up and down as you type) and make sure you install the new ribbon the exact same way. Otherwise it won't work correctly.

Besides that, yes, you pretty much ought to be able to load paper in and start typing. There's a lever on the right side that you pull toward you that enables you to load the paper more easily. Push it back once you've inserted the paper and you can wind the paper all the way on.

Don't force anything! Ask here if you're having any trouble.

 

17-11-2018 08:42:22  #3


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

I dont know why I got it in my head that its "ultra" quiet, the name is just Royal "Quiet Deluxe" of course.

     Thread Starter
 

17-11-2018 08:45:31  #4


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

Just wondering if there's certain things I should check, clean, or lube before using it or if its safe to just plunge in and see how it works. Things than don't require fine mechanical skills.    Seriously I am self-deprecating and probably not as dangerous to equipment as I make myself out to be, but you wouldn't want me working on your Swiss watch either.

     Thread Starter
 

19-11-2018 22:03:57  #5


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

Woo-hooo, she's mine for $2.00!  Can't wait to bring her home Wednesday and watch the novels start peeling off the platen....

Just kidding, I write nonfiction.

     Thread Starter
 

21-11-2018 13:58:34  #6


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

Its here! Its a 1951, according to the SN.
 
I vaccumed the underside I'm cleaning the famous white key crust with a citrus cleaner, which is working swell.  All the keys work fine but the "6" sometimes sticks, and prints slightly above adjacent characters. How to fix those issues? I'm less concerned about the latter, and I presume a drop of lube somewhere will help the former.

I changed the ribbon to another one that came with it, but the replacement might be as old as the one it replaced. It works, and its not super faint, but it seems like it should be darker. How can I know if I really need a new ribbon? I also don't notice any difference in ease, speed or print when I adjust the "Touch Control" selector from highest to lowest but maybe that's an acquired skill. 
 

     Thread Starter
 

21-11-2018 15:42:47  #7


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

Don't just presume something about lubricating a typewriter. Typewriters are made to run dry for the most part. Your key is sticking because it is already dirty. The fix is to clean (and maybe bend) the links involved and keep them clean. Oil is a mask for problems, not a fix
(Admittedly there are some exceptions to this rule but they do not apply here.)

 

21-11-2018 22:37:13  #8


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

M. Höhne wrote:

Don't just presume something about lubricating a typewriter. Typewriters are made to run dry for the most part. Your key is sticking because it is already dirty. The fix is to clean (and maybe bend) the links involved and keep them clean. Oil is a mask for problems, not a fix
(Admittedly there are some exceptions to this rule but they do not apply here.)

Thanks for the warning, now I know. I got the 6 key unstuck by cleaning it up (though its still a touch "high"), and discovered the whole machine is kind of gunky inside and could probably stand a thorough cleaning. Could that be why the touch control selector doesn't seem to have much effect? 

     Thread Starter
 

22-11-2018 01:10:48  #9


Re: My New Royal Quiet De Luxe

overwood wrote:

Could that be why the touch control selector doesn't seem to have much effect?

The effect of touch control can be pretty subtle and the difference may be very nuanced or imperceptible to some users, even if it is working properly.

 

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