Typewriter Talk / Show Us Your Restoration Before & After Photos

**Posted by tojeem** 09-7-2015 02:21:12

No doubt many of us buy typewriters cheap from classified ads, opportunity shops or even (if we're lucky) salvage them from the junk yard. I thought I would start a thread dedicated to showing off your "before and after" shots of cleaning, repair, restoration, reassembily, painting, Gregorian chanting, or whatever it is you do to get your typewriter looking and acting the way you want.

I can't post a photo yet because I'm new and have fewer than three posts on the forum, so feel free to jump in with your own before/afters and I'll post mine as soon as I can.

N.B. Wasn't sure if this should go in "Repairs and Maintanence", here or somewhere else, so if this is in the wrong place, or if a thread like this already exists in the bowels of the forum, I apologise.

**Posted by PaulInSanDiego** 25-11-2015 18:14:15

I received this rust bucket (didn't qualify as a door stop because machine parts still outweighed the iron oxide content) as a gift. It seemed like a good challenge to test both skill and patience as a restoration project. I The Underwood wasn't even assembled correctly and nothing worked. I had to cannibalize or fabricate many parts. many, many hours of assemble, disassemble, adjust, repeat. New decals from The Netherlands.

**Posted by PaulInSanDiego** 25-11-2015 18:21:19

P.S. It is a 1913 Underwood 5 and everything, including the notoriously finicky bi-chrome unit, works perfectly.
escapement (spacing) is even and lettering is "on foot".

**Posted by PaulInSanDiego** 25-11-2015 21:56:15

Terribly sorry. I accidentally deleted a pic and I don't see a way to edit my post so:

**Posted by Valiant** 26-11-2015 00:08:51

Congratulations; it's inspiring to see such impressive work.

As Repartee said of his Royalite: "When a typewriter is returned to active duty, the picas shed a tear of joy in heaven." 😄

Did you have the keys re-plated / re-chromed?

**Posted by TypewriterGuy** 26-11-2015 07:01:55

Ive done a lot, so its easier just to post my website link.
http://www.lancastertypewriter.weebly.com
Just click on gallery.

**Posted by PaulInSanDiego** 27-11-2015 11:45:03

Valiant wrote:
Did you have the keys re-plated / re-chromed?

Thanks! Nothing was replated, although I did replace two nickel/chrome covers. The keys (and everything else) were painstakingly cleaned by hand using 000 steel wool, Flitz metal polish, and pencil erasers for the key tops. I also replaced the ribbon vibrator (looked like a piece of debris from the Roswell crash site), reattached two type slugs, straightened bent key levers (they were in shapes/positions envied by yoga masters), endlessly adjusted the bi chrome until it worked perfectly, and on and on. The bi chrome unit was a real pain because in order to test it you have to reassemble the machine, type, disassemble, adjust, repeat. Fortunately, the frame was intact and the unobtainable decals on the back (patent dates and offensive beer slogans) were complete. Decals on the lower front strap (No 5 Underwood Standard Typewriter No 5 and the paper table decals were replaced)

Best regards,

Paul

**Posted by tojeem** 31-12-2015 03:51:08

Thanks for all the contributions to the thread, everyone. There are some fine restorations here! It's obviously a real labour of love.

Here's my Olivetti M44 before/after. Unfortunately I couldn't find a replacement front plate, and the repairs took more than just fixing a broken drawband, believe me! Sorry for the poor quality - these are taken from a video I made on my phone before selling it.

Aaaaaand here's my other Olivetti, a Dora. Not a restoration, just a new paint job. It was already in great mechanical condition when I got it, so I used the energy to introduce some vibrancy to the drab, plastic shell.

**Posted by Gonpejota** 29-2-2016 21:48:48

A really nice work done there. Congratulations.

**Posted by mre12ax7** 08-4-2016 13:18:16

1928 Remington 12 - saved from the Keychoppers.
Before:

After: