Typewriter Talk / Meadow Green - Royal Futura 800...

**Posted by robmck** 13-4-2024 11:43:20

Good point, Pete. Your self-restraint is wise and admirable.

I ventured briefly down a small rabbit hole looking at auto paint colors from the early 60s as inspiration for a non-standard palette for my grey Futuras. Would love a nice orange scheme, but it would clash with that red Royal logo.

**Posted by Pete E.** 16-4-2024 15:36:02

I have everything in-house now to start my typewriter project.

Rustoleum satin paints are "Green Apple" and "Leafy Green". I plan to polish-out the ribbon cover "Apple Green" once it cures for 2-3 days to give it a bit more shine to its finish.

Typewriter needs all of its flaking open-cell foam replaced with felt once I do a full service on it.
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**Posted by Pete E.** 21-4-2024 16:10:22

Full clean and service done today.

All dusting open-cell foam padding replaced with peel & stick felt pads.

New colours added. Ribbon cover will get one more coat of paint and then will be polished-out 1-2 days later. I used some "Pistachio" as a base coat and will use the "Apple Green" for the final colour coat.

Three (3) functional issues for me to sort-out tomorrow :

1. Main spring needs another 1.5 turns as the carriage stop travelling the last 1-2 inches along the right side of the platen.

2. Tab-set needs to be trouble-shot...as Tab stops are not being set.

3. Ribbon vibrator needs a new spring added as the ribbon guides do not stay closed and that very oddly-shaped factory V-spring is missing. I will just add a conventional extension-spring in place of the missing factory spring.
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**Posted by robmck** 21-4-2024 17:41:37

Really, really nice looking, Pete! This is turning out great.

**Posted by M. Höhne** 22-4-2024 08:17:03

Pete E. wrote:
.... snip .... Ribbon vibrator needs a new spring added as the ribbon guides do not stay closed and that very oddly-shaped factory V-spring is missing. I will just add a conventional extension-spring in place of the missing factory spring. .... snip ....

Pete, I would love to see details of your fix for the Royal vibrator guide-closing spring when you get it finalized. I have several Royals with a failed spring and that kinda disables the typewriter. Spring steel is normally very tough; maybe they should not have chrome plated it. Thanks!

**Posted by Pete E.** 22-4-2024 10:33:32

Michael,

Duane Jensen with Phoenix typewriter deserves all the credit.

Here is his You Tube video where I learned the replacement technique with a small extension spring :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ4q7ue60kw

**Posted by Pete E.** 22-4-2024 10:36:31

And Duane Jensen also has this "quick & dirty" method that does not entail a replacement spring at all and it can be done very quickly right on the machine without the need/time to remove the entire ribbon vibrator assembly off the machine :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuwi_8wfQ2I

**Posted by Pete E.** 22-4-2024 19:30:50

Ribbon cover back in place.

Tab-set issue resolved. Just needed a slight re-form of a metal link towards the back of the machine.

Added 1 full turn of tension of the main spring.

Tomorrow fresh ribbon and its done.

Will give the ribbon cover a final polish-out towards the end of the week after the paint cures for a few more days.

I have some typewriter "levers" coming in a week or so...so I will be able to do my typical hack on these to bring the ribbon-color selection featured to the front of the ribbon cover.
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**Posted by Pete E.** 23-5-2024 12:53:29

Last bit of work done on my Futura 800.

Bringing the red/black ribbon colour selection to the front of the ribbon cover.
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