Typewriter Talk / Typewriter cases

**Posted by IvanRocket** 22-4-2019 12:03:25

Has anyone found any typewriter cases? I have a Remington 8 Noiseless and a Remington All-In-One without cases.

It cut the costs, but....... It's a pain to move them.

Any ideas?

Might just have to McGuiver it and build them.

**Posted by Fleetwing** 23-4-2019 12:05:23

Would those plastic "tubs" that are used for clothing and other storage work? They are made in many different sizes, so maybe your machines can fit -- one per container of course. Measure the dimensions of the typewriters and bring a tape measure or ruler to the store with you.

**Posted by Uwe** 24-4-2019 12:12:23

Fleetwing wrote:
Would those plastic "tubs" that are used for clothing and other storage work?

Good suggestion, because they do work. It's a cheap and convenient solution - and they stack nicely. I use them all the time instead of the original travel cases when I have to move a number of machines around. A bed of bubble wrap on the bottom of the tub, and a little more to fill any gaps, prevents the machine from moving around. The only drawback is that you have to keep the tubs horizontal.

OP> I have come across maybe one or two empty typewriter travel cases being sold on their own, and that's over a span of many, many years. And even if you do come across an empty travel case, the odds that it's exactly for your make/model wouldn't be much better than winning the lottery.

**Posted by Fleetwing** 24-4-2019 22:09:22

At an antiques consignment store near me I came across maybe seven typewriter cases -- all of them had been painted pink, obviously for use as some sort of nonfunctional decoration or staging "look." It looked to me like the paint was latex and had been applied not particularly well, so could presumably have been removable with the right stripper. Recently I went back and they were all still there -- several for the 4-series Smith-Coronas, and an Underwood or two, and a Royal. If one had fit the 5-series SCs I'd have bought it, and figured out how to get the paint off.

But other than that little "trove," I haven't seen any cases without the typewriters. The cases get separated, or they get damaged, and the typewriter becomes orphaned, as it were.

**Posted by SoucekFan** 24-4-2019 23:49:00

I see them occasionally at antique shops and from time to time on eBay. At antique malls I will pick them up if they are under $15 bucks, if it is for certain models.

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 25-4-2019 02:53:08

Going off at a tangent slightly - what is it with portable typewriters losing their ribbon covers ? How many machines do you see on e-bay with the cover missing ? Why do people take them off and lose them ? Back in the day (1970's/1980's) I never had a typewriter handed in for repair without the ribbon cover. Just a bit of food for thought !

**Posted by Uwe** 25-4-2019 08:50:05

It is an odd thing. I get how a travel case can become separated from its typewriter, but I've never understood why so many ribbon covers were removed, and then presumably left off the machine long enough that they were lost. So many sellers don't even realize that the typewriter is missing a rather important aesthetic component.

**Posted by SoucekFan** 25-4-2019 11:19:19

I believe there are multiple reasons that the covers go missing. I think some users back in the day preferred to type without the ribbon cover and lost track of it. I cannot remember precisely, but I believe this why Woody Allen is missing his Olympia cover. It think some covers may have become damaged or no longer able to stay attached. Also, some may have been lost in the dormant years when the typewriter may have been messed with or shuffled around wherever it was stored or displayed, For instance: If the typewriter was on display at a thrift store and the cover was knocked off, but then someone bought the typewriter not knowing that there was a cover; which is plausible as many typewriters are mistreated on display, and quite a few people selling the machines often seem to not know that there is supposed to be a cover.

**Posted by IanJ** 04-8-2019 11:21:54

Back to the original topic of typewriter cases, I'm regularly disappointed by the state of some cases and the lack of care given to them. Fortunately the typewriter contained within the case is often in far better condition than the case. The last few portables I have restored, required far more effort to get the cases up to a good standard, whilst the typewriters themselves just needed a good clean and a new ribbon. The number of cases afflicted by paint spatter is staggering, as though having a typewriter case was a necessity in the past when undertaking any decorating, for the purpose of collecting any stray paint (and providing a handy place to rest the coffee cup).
Most cases can be improved significantly by glueing or sewing loose material back in place, but I've struggled with finding suitable replacement coverings for the most damaged examples, such as the covering for a Corona 3 case. Where possible, I prefer to restore, as best as possible using the original material but the condition of some cases is beyond this.
Internet research and visits to upholsterers/cabinet makers suggest that some form of vinyl cloth or Tolex might be suitable (as used on speakers and amplifiers) but this looks to be too thick a fabric? Has anybody found a suitable product and/or supply of such a covering? I'm based in the UK but would consider importing from the States or elsewhere for the right product.

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 05-8-2019 03:25:51

I completely agree about the state of the average carry case. In many instances the typewriter has been put in a damp loft and although it has largely protected the machine, it has suffered badly in the process. Quite apart from the white spots of paint - which I understand is usually found over the pond in America too ! Although I haven't tried it myself yet, after a lot of reseach, I found that most old-style cases were covered in 'book cloth', sometimes also called 'Buckram'. This is the stuff that is used to cover the card covers of traditionally bound books. It is pretty expensive. I am not sure what adhesive was used back in the day, but I could guess that wallpaper paste or woodworkers PVA glue would do the job nowadays.