My little writing machine
I saw a post on my flist that made me think of my poor little Remington Portable #5 that's sitting languishing on my desk, in dire need of a new ribbon, a key alignment and some TLC.
It was my second restoration project. The first was to no avail, despite months of work. The machine was just too abused to work, in the end. I felt bad about it, but I sold it for parts and salvaged what I could. It had been literally stored on the floor of a garage under piles of garden waste. So sad.
This little thing is c.1940's and similar to this one but it's not a Rand, it's a standard portable. I'm not sure whether that makes it rare or common, but it's a sweet little machine to use.
In addition to the basic problems outlined above, it has a wonky ribbon shift. I'll need to replace a part there, which will be tricky seeing as I don't even know what it's called, lol. So much of this has been trial and error, which is why I've steered clear of any machine in good condition and gone for the hard luck cases. It's a hard way to learn, because you're doing so much more than simply cleaning and lubing. That being said, when I tap out my first page on this little #5, it's going to feel so sweet :)
I have a couple of others I sourced through friends ... little decal projects and simple part replacements I'm doing on no set schedule in the hope that they get used, or at the very least, sold as a working machine rather than for scrap.
While working on typewriters, I've really wish I lived in the States or the UK at times. You guys not only have access to more replacement parts, you also have a comparative glut of vintage machines on the market. The only way they end up in Oz seems to be via immigration ;)
It was my second restoration project. The first was to no avail, despite months of work. The machine was just too abused to work, in the end. I felt bad about it, but I sold it for parts and salvaged what I could. It had been literally stored on the floor of a garage under piles of garden waste. So sad.
This little thing is c.1940's and similar to this one but it's not a Rand, it's a standard portable. I'm not sure whether that makes it rare or common, but it's a sweet little machine to use.
In addition to the basic problems outlined above, it has a wonky ribbon shift. I'll need to replace a part there, which will be tricky seeing as I don't even know what it's called, lol. So much of this has been trial and error, which is why I've steered clear of any machine in good condition and gone for the hard luck cases. It's a hard way to learn, because you're doing so much more than simply cleaning and lubing. That being said, when I tap out my first page on this little #5, it's going to feel so sweet :)
I have a couple of others I sourced through friends ... little decal projects and simple part replacements I'm doing on no set schedule in the hope that they get used, or at the very least, sold as a working machine rather than for scrap.
While working on typewriters, I've really wish I lived in the States or the UK at times. You guys not only have access to more replacement parts, you also have a comparative glut of vintage machines on the market. The only way they end up in Oz seems to be via immigration ;)