Typewriter Talk / cavity height on old typewriter desks?

**Posted by overwood** 23-7-2021 00:04:42

Friend has an old typewriter desk at the lake house with a flip up top panel and he wants a typewriter that can be stored in there. Since its a 5 hour drive and neither of us are there, I'm wondering if those old desks have a standard clearance height for the "cavity" or if they were even intended to store a typewriter in there when its not in use. I'd like to unload something from my small herd and I'm thinking my 59 Sterling might possibly fit both the desk and his old-fashioned sensibilities.

**Posted by M. Höhne** 23-7-2021 06:39:16

There were several different designs for the "typewriter desk" and I can point out that every one I am aware of was designed for a desktop, "standard", office typewriter. It seems that, originally, only these big tws needed such an arrangement to get them out of the way easily by folding it or sliding it into the desk. Smaller ones can just be whisked away. In later years there were smaller versions marketed to students but they didn't have flip up top panels, just an area of lower surface or maybe a drawer for the tw. My own flip-top desk hides a Royal 10 and even a wide-carriage tw would work in it because the carriage is above the adjacent edges when it is deployed, though it has to be centered when put away.

In short, i would be very confident that a Sterling would fit. The trick is to anchor it so it doesn't slide when folded away. The desktops had threaded holes for bolts to anchor them through the surface. The bolts on my Royal turned out to be metric 6x1(!) instead of the expected 1/4x20. You'll have to rig something for your Sterling, plus, of course, it will no longer be quite so "portable".

**Posted by Uwe** 23-7-2021 10:11:49

My own sense of aesthetics would find a portable bolted to a traditional typewriter desk to be odd. Portables are (were) usually used on top of the single pull-out shelf that many desks come with; such shelves are fitted with some desks even today, and it's what I would use with a Sterling. Michael is right, the friend's desk should really house a standard.

**Posted by overwood** 23-7-2021 10:47:36

Well I'd be even happier if I can unload my Royal FP on him! But I suspect his sister would hate me for enabling his love of "old junk that just clutters up the house and garage"

**Posted by skywatcher** 23-7-2021 13:00:54

Hi Overwood

As for things to clutter up the house, if the typewriter desk is sitting empty at the moment, it wouldn't look any different whether there's a typewriter inside or not. If anything, it would encourage tidying up the desk so it can be opened to deploy the typewriter when needed. All the best,

Sky

**Posted by overwood** 23-7-2021 15:01:06

skywatcher wrote:
Hi Overwood

As for things to clutter up the house, if the typewriter desk is sitting empty at the moment, it wouldn't look any different whether there's a typewriter inside or not. If anything, it would encourage tidying up the desk so it can be opened to deploy the typewriter when needed. All the best,

Sky

I'll put his sister in touch with you. See if you can reason with her.

**Posted by SoucekFan** 23-7-2021 19:03:25

skywatcher wrote:
If anything, it would encourage tidying up the desk so it can be opened to deploy the typewriter when needed.

That is exactly what happened when I switched to a hideaway desk.

**Posted by beak** 09-4-2025 07:07:50

Very late here, but for future reference, a Sterling will fit, but the carriage will hit the sides of the well. You need a machine where the carriage is high enough to clear it - a standard most likely. If you search 'typewriter desk' you will find a picture of my desk showing the problem.