1 - tallNewfie
- New Member
Offline - Registered: 27-6-2013
- Posts: 13
Repairing/resurfacing rubber
Hey Everyone,
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or tips on resurfacing the rubber (platten and roller) in my "new" typewriter? It's first model Empire from like 1900, and the platten is rather hard. Additionally, the under roller has a very distinct flat spot where it has been sitting on the platten for like 100 years.
My thought was to just use a fine sand paper on the platten since it's still round to see if I can get it a little better, but I had read online about the possibility of using a rubber conditioner fluid to soften it up.
For the roller underneath, I was going to be a little more brutal and take a coarse sandpaper to it to wear down the rest of the rubber to match the thickness of the flat spot.
Any and all suggestions are more than welcome, as I would rather not ruin the rubber on it. Might be hard to find a replacement. :-)
Thanks!
Bryan
- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
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- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 920
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
Dear Bryan,
Sanding a platen will only work for restoring the grip on the paper if the rubber is still resilient. I am guessing that the rubber could be over 100 years old and as hard as a rock, so really the only option would be to bite the bullet and pay to have it professionally re-rubbered. Much the same applies to the feedrolls beneath. If you reduce the diameter enough to get rid of the flat spot, there will not be enough diameter left to grip the paper. If you try this before getting them professionally re-rubbered, at least try to accurately measure the diameter of the feedroll first. Then when you do get them done, you can quote the diameter that they should be ! I have to say that it is an expensive excercise getting a set of platen and feedrolls done, but really it is the only practical solution if you want to use the machine.
- tallNewfie
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- Posts: 13
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
Thanks for the reply. I figured that would probably be my option. Would you happen to know anywhere that re-rubbers typewriter parts?
Also, had you heard about the possibility of re-conditioning the rubber with some sort of solvent?
Bryan
- •
Thread Starter- Uwe
- Moderator
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,410
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
I use platen cleaner (rubber rejuvinator) all the time. Very effective stuff, but you have to be extremely careful when using it to not get the spray on anything else, so I normally remove the platen and all the feed rollers first.
There is a topic thread here somewhere that lists platen restoration companies; try a search or have a look around.
Some have been creative in repairing worn out platens, using everything from bicyle tubes to layers of heat shrink tubing. I would use the heat shrink tubing on a feed roller, but not a platen. Again, this subject has been previously discussed here - I think a member here even showed his repaired feed rollers - so have a look around for it.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- tallNewfie
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- Registered: 27-6-2013
- Posts: 13
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
So I could sand down my feed roller first to make it round and then make the width back up with shrink tubing. That's a pretty decent idea. I will search for it.
Thanks!
- •
Thread Starter- QUICKBROWNFOX
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- From: Woodruff, Wisconsin
- Registered: 22-5-2015
- Posts: 8
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
Uwe wrote:
I use platen cleaner (rubber rejuvinator) all the time. Very effective stuff, but you have to be extremely careful when using it to not get the spray on anything else, so I normally remove the platen and all the feed rollers first.
Uwe, may I ask what brand of rubber rejuvinator you use? I've got an Underwood No. 5 and it's platen is pretty stiff. I'd really like to try that first before the expense of haviung a platen recovered. Thank you in anticipation of your reply.
- KatLondon
- Key Master
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- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
I use rubber rejuvenator on all my platens when /i first get the typewriters and give them a good thorough clean, and it does indeed improve the platen. If there's anything there to improve. I haven't seen it make any appreciable difference in a platen that is rock-hard and, eg, making holes in the paper when you type.
- QUICKBROWNFOX
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- From: Woodruff, Wisconsin
- Registered: 22-5-2015
- Posts: 8
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
KatLondon, may I ask what brand of rejuvenator you use? There's quick a few on the market but I would prefer
one that has stood the test of time with QWERTies. Thanks!
- KatLondon
- Key Master
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- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
It's called AF Platenclene - comes in a little blue spray can. I think I just got it from Amazon or somewhere... I spray it directly onto the cloth, and then really give the platen a good going-over with it. you can see a real difference, but I don't think you'll bring a really dead platen back to life...
- TypewriterGuy
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Repairing/resurfacing rubber
Wait a minute. Before you go and try all this expensive stuff, does the platen still hold and roll paper? If it does, theres no need to get it re done, even though its hard.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
