Typewriter Talk / WD-40 to soften/rejuvenate a hard typewriter cylinder/platen...

**Posted by OlivWriter** 09-3-2024 05:48:39

Hello
What do you think of WD-40 to rejuvenate thes machine roller/platen ?
Has anyone tested this ?
And theoretically, is this a good idea ?
THANKS

Note : I don't want to use rubber rejuvenator, I'm asking about WD-40 because I have some at my disposal...

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 10-3-2024 05:53:20

I cannot imagine that WD-40 would do any more than make an already shiny and slippery platen even more shiny and slippery. Be aware that there is a lot of nonsense about typewriters on the internet !

**Posted by OlivWriter** 10-3-2024 05:56:14

So what do you recommend using to soften the rubber ?

**Posted by Pete E.** 10-3-2024 13:38:30

I would not consider using WD-40 because its pungent smell does not seem to go away.

And I do not loose sleep over hard platens.

I use a sheet of this Avery product as a backing-sheet for my typewriter paper.

I cut it to the same size of my typing paper...placing the soft plastic directly in contact with my typing paper. And leave the peel & stick backing paper on the sheet of laminating plastic on the Avery sheet and that is against the old platen rubber.

After a month or so of use, you can see all the indentations of the type-slugs in the plastic of the laminating sheet, throuw it away, and I just grab a new, fresh sheet to start the new month.

These plastic laminating sheets give the type-slugs some soft plastic to impact and it also makes the type-slug much more quiet as I type.
.

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 11-3-2024 04:35:37

There is nothing that will soften an age-hardened platen. The only solution is to have the platen re-covered with new rubber, an expensive process.

**Posted by M. Höhne** 11-3-2024 07:31:50

Pete E. wrote:
I would not consider using WD-40 because its pungent smell does not seem to go away.
... snip ...

There are more and better reasons than the smell not to put WD-40 on a platen.... Honestly, it sometimes feels like WD-40 is defining the 21st Century!

**Posted by OlivWriter** 12-3-2024 04:44:44

M. Höhne wrote:
There are more and better reasons than the smell not to put WD-40 on a platen.... Honestly, it sometimes feels like WD-40 is defining the 21st Century!

What are the better reasons than smell ?
And if I understand your answers correctly, I can leave my roller/tray soaked as long as I want in WD-40, this will not soften the roller/tray ?

**Posted by OlivWriter** 13-3-2024 08:12:50

M. Höhne wrote:
There are more and better reasons than the smell not to put WD-40 on a platen.... Honestly, it sometimes feels like WD-40 is defining the 21st Century!

I did the test with one of my platen, it spent 4 days in a bath of WD-40, and it work. The smell longer contains rubber and oil, original smell, than WD-40 ...
This seems to work well, because the rubber is more flexible (but not softened) and it sticks much better !
Obviously, this does not replace re-surfacing, but it definitely helps !!!