Typewriter Talk / What to do with 1 damaged type slug on an otherwise fine Voss S24?

**Posted by branzino** 07-9-2023 16:42:06

It was not a nice surprise when this machine arrived and the lower case e appeared to be severely damaged.
How does damage like this happen? It seems almost deliberate.

The answer is of course: replace it, as I understand after browsing this forum. Replace the slug (soldering) or replace the whole type bar. But where to find a replacement? Donor machines are not so common here.
Are there other machines with the same typeface?
It is so frustrating that sellers hardly ever provide a type specimen.

**Posted by Pete E.** 08-9-2023 07:45:24

It is possible that someone used an acid by mistake when wanting to use a solvent for slug-cleaning ?

Or could it be some solder when a repair of a loose slug was done in the past ?

It that were my machine, I guess I would go in with some fine jeweler's metal files and see if I could improve the shape of the lower-case "e".

Or a Proxxon with a very fine grinding attachment tip. We have one in our home as my wife makes jewelry as a hobby.

https://www.proxxon.com/us/micromot/39800.php
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**Posted by Pete E.** 08-9-2023 07:56:16

She has this model with a flexible drive shaft and small pen-like tool at the working end.
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https://asset.conrad.com/media10/isa/160267/c1/-/fr/813204_AB_00_FB/image.jpg
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**Posted by branzino** 08-9-2023 15:09:34

Pete E. wrote:
It that were my machine, I guess I would go in with some fine jeweler's metal files and see if I could improve the shape of the lower-case "e".

Or a Proxxon with a very fine grinding attachment tip.
.

Thanks Pete, that will be plan B if I can not find a replacement.
Cheers,
Paul B.

**Posted by robmck** 08-9-2023 18:50:47

What a tragedy, branzino. I feel for you. So frustrating.

It looks like the letter was filed back: the depth of the letter (from the face of the slug to the point where the letter touches the platen) is shallower in the lowercase e than the capital E, and the corner is filed off even more. The only way to rescue it would be to file it all back so that it is the same height from the face of the slug (thus the entire letter contacts the platen), but that will also make it bolder since the letter strokes get thicker as they go back to the slug body.

For finding a replacement: Many European typewriter manufacturers used type slugs from companies that specialized in type slugs - e.g. RaRo aka Ransmeyer & Rondrian type slugs are on many different manufacturer machines. I wonder if you find a donor machine from another manufacturer that uses the same slugs.

The 12 on these slugs doesn't match any RaRo styles that I could find on the catalogs on munk.org, but perhaps it matches another manufacturer?