1 of 1- skywatcher
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Offline - From: The Prairies of Alberta
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 712
Remington Envoy Platen Rubber
Greetings All
Back in March of this year, I posted about reconditioning a 1939 Remington Envoy with loose rubber on the platen. Well, I finally tied into the machine and was rather intrigued to find that the rubber shell is formed around a Tufnell tube which in turn slides over the wooden core. Does anyone know if this was a design feature for quick rubber replacement on these platens? I did notice a couple of small holes, one each end of the core and matching holes through the rubber as if the rubber shell had been pinned to the core.
7/8" diameter wooden platen core & rubber shell.
View of Tufnell lining in rubber platen shell
Pin hole in wooden platen core where rubber shell had evidently been secured to wooden core.
Tom The Typewriter Man had suggested using epoxy resin to re-secure the shell to the core. Is this still the best way, or should I look at securing it with new pins? If the owner of the typewriter decided to get the platen re-covered at some point in the future, would glue or pins make for easier removal of the old platen rubber? Thanks and all the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 892
Re: Remington Envoy Platen Rubber
The original rubber sleeve (platen shell) was manufactured with an inner core of a cotton/canvas material and then pressed onto the wooden core before grinding to finished size. Shrinkage of the core and hardening of the shell causes it to lose its grip. Before epoxy was invented, a common dodge for reattaching a loose but otherwise serviceable shell was to drive a couple of veneer pins in to hold it. The pins were usually placed outside the writing line to prevent accidental contact with a typeface (type slug). A platen recovering outfit such as JJ Shorts will grind the old rubber off before pressing a new shell on, so it would not matter if the old shell is epoxied or pinned. The steel pin will disappear in a shower of sparks as it is ground off along with the rubber.
- skywatcher
- Moderator
Offline
- From: The Prairies of Alberta
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 712
Re: Remington Envoy Platen Rubber
Thank you Tom
That's what I call a clear and concise answer. I love learning from the experts, it's never a day wasted when you learn something new. Thanks again and all the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
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Thread Starter