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07-8-2014 00:40:25  #1


Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

In non-original colors, inspired by a contemporary Chevrolet I saw in a museum.

 

07-8-2014 15:02:56  #2


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

This is a "before" photo of my 1917 Corona 3, showing how it looked when I received it. Originally intended as a parts machine for another Corona 3, eventually I decided to fix this one. In the meantime, a friend suggested in my blog that it reminded him of a Salvador Dali painting. This is how this Corona 3 typewriter got its nickname: "Dali".

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08-8-2014 12:42:29  #3


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

Nicely resilient.

 

08-8-2014 14:29:19  #4


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

I got a 1920 Corona 3 that I am restoring. Mine had light coats of rust on everything and lots and lots of dust. The frame was intact. Your typewriter's frame looked terrible. I bet it was a pain to bend back. What do you suggest to restore the shine to the metal? Heres the post of mine....http://typewriter.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=402

Last edited by guitarmasta12 (08-8-2014 14:30:25)

 

08-8-2014 21:04:42  #5


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

guitarmasta12 wrote:

What do you suggest to restore the shine to the metal?

Very nice machine, the Corona 3 are definitely worth saving; they have a lot of charisma.

For what I've seen, the patina on old mechanical elements (typewriters included) is mainly made of grit, grease and dust, so it can be removed by washing and polishing the part.

With "Dali" I went completely overboard; I dismantled her completely and bathed all the parts in white spirits, brushed them with a toothbrush, and then washed them again. But this was necessary because all the mechanism was completely stuck; this machine had a broken drawstring and it looked like it had been stored in a closet (or perhaps used as a door stop!) for decades.

If you don't plan to dismantle your machine completely, you could use a solution of hot water and dishwasher soap, and scrub the parts with a brush. Rinse thoroughly and, while still wet, polish a bit with a cloth. Just make sure to let everything dry perfectly and then add a bit of oil to the mechanism.

 

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08-8-2014 21:23:30  #6


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

The part all move and stuff. So i dont need to take it all part. The parts are tarnished and they need a metal polish. Do you know why the keys on my Corona are white,orange and dark orange?

 

09-8-2014 11:33:17  #7


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

I would assume that's age discoloration. I'm not sure about the Corona 3, but in my Remington 12 the keys were originally covered by what looked like a clear celluloid cover. It became brittle with age, and the keys whose cover was cracked yellowed more than the other, less used keytops. Maybe your machine was exposed to sunlight for a long time.

As far as I know, in the Corona 3 the key inserts are made of paper, sandwiched between the metal base and the clear cover, and held in place by the nickeled ring. You might be able to make new clear inserts using some sort of clear, rigid plastic.

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09-8-2014 13:42:32  #8


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

I do belive that it is actaually orange and white because I have seen 20's Corona 3 keys these colors.

Last edited by guitarmasta12 (09-8-2014 13:45:23)

 

09-8-2014 18:44:16  #9


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

Perhaps. I have two Corona 3 in my collection (plus a third parts machine that I cannibalized when restoring Dali) and they all have the yellowish-white keytops as seen on this example. The oldest is from 1914; the newest (the parts machine) was from the 1920s. I've never seen a typewriter with orange inserts on the keyboard; but I've seen machines with vibrant dark green inserts with white lettering on them, so maybe some machines did have orange keys.

I guess the only way to know for sure would be removing the ring and cover from one of the keys and see if the orange-yellow tint is in the clear celluloid or if that's the color of the paper insert below it. But judging how the lettering on the black CAPS and FIG keys also looks orange-ish, and that not all the keys have the same shade of orange (letters R and L look almost the same color as my typewriter's keyboard), I would think the clear covers yellowed over time.

Last edited by MikeChavez (09-8-2014 18:45:07)

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09-8-2014 19:44:21  #10


Re: Restored 1917 Corona 3 typewriter

Well i looked under the keys and saw  orange and white where the white are. Meaning...I put the typer on it's back and looked at the keys. theres like a quarter of the paper showing. Like its made like that.

 

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