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- colrehogan
- Key Master
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- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 612
Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
I started to type a letter on my Royal FP today, but had to switch after a few paragraphs because of the annoying sound that the key slugs made when hitting the platen. It was a metallic sound, not a normal typewriter-y sound. I wasn't sure if this meant my platen was going bad.
Also, I think I need to clean the key slugs as many of the letters (on the same machine) fill in (a, e, o & others) and the type looks bad.
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
That happens with my older typewriters too.I dont know why...
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
If you haven't used the typewriter in a while it could be that you're just used to the sound of a different machine. However, start by cleaning all of the slugs (a solid lump will make more of thwacking sound than a typeface that has a sharp edge). You can also try loading two pages to see if that effects the sound at all. I doubt your platen suddenly went off between the last time you used it and now.
- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 929
Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
I have a Hermes 2000 that does this. It is so loud and annoying that you can't use it without foam ear-protectors. The typeslugs are clean, so I don't think that's the cause. I had assumed that the platen was too hard, but have not investigated further.
Let's hope someone has the answer...
Sincerely,
beak.
- colrehogan
- Key Master
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- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 612
Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
I was using two sheets of paper. How do I clean the slugs?
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
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Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
colrehogan wrote:
I was using two sheets of paper. How do I clean the slugs?
Try one sheet. Try three. I'm just curious if anything effects what you're hearing. There are myriad methods for cleaning slugs. I use wood toothpick, the ones with sharp points, and pick out the big pieces of ribbon,ink, and dirt from each typeface first. I then use cotton swabs soaked in a cleaning product like mineral spirits to clean the slug so it looks new. NEVER use anything metal to clean the slug. Some use hard bristle brushes - an old toothbrush would work to scrub the slugs, but I don't like how they fling the ink everywhere inside the machine. I would only clean a few of the slugs at first that you know are making the sound, and then see if the sound is still there after.
- colrehogan
- Key Master
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- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 612
Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
I looked at the slugs closely this morning and they were a mess! No wonder the letters were full of ink. I tried some toothpics to dig some stuff out and did, but took an old dry toothbrush to a couple of them and just looking at them they look a lot better! How often should the slugs be cleaned?
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
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Thread Starter- malole
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- From: East Anglia, UK
- Registered: 02-6-2014
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Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
Once you have got all the old dried ink out, it should be easier to clean them when you feel they need it. I sometimes use a thumb-sized piece of blu-tack to clean slugs of newer ink build-up. It will depend on how much you type on the machine as to how often the slugs will need cleaning, and I suppose it's like me and my fridge. I clean it when it looks like it needs it. :/
- Uwe
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Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
How often should the slugs be cleaned?
I clean them whenever the type quality visually begins to degrade. I thoroughly clean all of them once, when I first get a machine, and then it's just a matter of maintenance, cleaning only those that need it because not every letter is used with equal frequency. I almost always have a toothpick sitting on my desk for that purpose.
More important, did the the sound change at all???
- colrehogan
- Key Master
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- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 612
Re: Slugs make metallic sound when hitting platen & filled in letters
I didn't try typing on it yet. Will try to do that tomorrow.
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
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