- mikeytap
- Speed Champion
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- From: Georgia, USA
- Registered: 25-12-2021
- Posts: 325
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Picked up another Super Silent recently because I wanted a green one. Side by side comparison with the alpine blue shows they both use the same blue space bar.
Here's a question for folks familiar with SC models. There is sometimes an odor particular to these machines, and it's different from a mildew or musty smell. It's something that I have only noticed on old SC machines. It's strong and foul and hard to get rid of. Seems I may have read somewhere that the grease may have contained formaldehyde? 
"Mr Mills, I'm ready for my closeup"
- Be kind
- Eagle
- New Member
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- From: Frankfurt am Main - Germany
- Registered: 16-4-2024
- Posts: 11
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Yes, as with the most old machines of any kind the bad smell originates mostly from old grease that is probably mixed with dust of the last decades. Old grease alone may decompose and produces bad smell. Bacteria could use it as a food source over the time. If bacteria are indeed using the grease and the dust as a food source then as an addition their metabolic products contributes to the smell too. The only thing that helps in this case is a thoroughly cleaning at least of the greased parts and places. Don't forget to re-lubricate these and with only the minimum of suitable grease needed.
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,420
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Hi Mike,
I brought in an Imperial Good Companion 5 from the UK a couple of years back.
The machine and its case had a unique smell that was identical to my grandparents home in Holland. Which I call Grandpa / Grandma smell. Their home was well over 200 years when we stayed with them for 2-3 years in the early 1960's when we left Indonesia and awaited our immigration to be approved to come to the States.
I got rid of the smell from the case (with several applications of Lysol spray) but purposely left it on the machine and was careful not to get rid of the smell. It is such a nice nostalgic smell.
.
- mikeytap
- Speed Champion
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- From: Georgia, USA
- Registered: 25-12-2021
- Posts: 325
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
I hear you, but nothing nostalgic about this particular smell. I've had older machines that smelled musty and a bit like grandma's house. But this smell I would call toxic. I've given the moving metal parts the lacquer thinner treatment two or three times and sprayed and sponged the rest with alcohol; the smell has dissipated quite a bit. Eagle's comment about bacteria using the grease as a food source sounds interesting.
I didn't pay much for this one as many of the type bars & clasps were disconnected and some things needed reforming to sit correctly in the basket. But I've got it all working again and hopefully will be killing the odor too.
Cheers
- Be kind
- keystriker
- Novice Typer
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- From: Rural Northern California, USA
- Registered: 21-9-2024
- Posts: 47
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
I've had two or three Silent-Supers pass through my hands pretty quickly, and I've got one that I might hang onto. ALL OF THEM have had the same distinctive, unpleasant smell that I've not smelled anywhere else, although to be fair, my experience with typewriters has been relatively limited. Still, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I remember (very distinctly) the smell of formaldehyde from dissecting frogs and foetal pigs in biology class a little over half a century ago, and I don't think this particular stench resembles it very much.
BTW, my grandmother's house smelled of my grandfather's cigars, a much more pleasant aroma.
“Don’t be too harsh to these poems until they’re typed.
I always think typescript lends some sort of certainty:
at least if the things are bad then, they appear to be bad with conviction.”
~ Dylan Thomas
