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antique Typewirters

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Banjo

Banjo

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I now have 2 of them. They fit really well into my fascination with old machinery. Anything pre-computer age. the older, and more mechanized, the better. Anyhow. My two machines are a Remington Deluxe Junior in it's original travel box, in good working order, and a 1929 Underwood No. 5 that I picked up at a sale. It needs a lot of work, and the reason I'm posting is to see if anyone may by chance have one for parts. specifically I need a complete set of type bars. those are the pieces with the type on the end, that swing up and hit the paper.
there's no real value in this project in the end, I just like the challenge of making it work.
Soon to be added to my collection will be some early radio and Phonograph equipment. Someday, I'd like an Edison machine that plays the cylinders.
I've discovered I'm not so much a car guy, as a mechanical history buff. I really love finding old things and bringing them back into working order.
Who else is infected with this bug?
 
I used to work on those.....resoldering keys, bending to adjust...and a whole lot of "B" and "C" IBM electrics.
Fun stuff.
 
Banjo said:
Soon to be added to my collection will be some early radio and Phonograph equipment.
Click to expand...


A little tipoid about working on old Bakelite radio housings. Cracks in the Bakelite can be repaired nicely using ultra-thin cyanoacrylate cement (aka Krazyglue), the only place I know where you can buy the ultra-thin variety (it flows like water) is a dental supplier known as Ceramco. I use it to glue plastic articulators together.
 
Also, when I was 10 years old, I took an old typewriter completely apart, every screw, spring, arm, <span style="text-decoration: underline">everything</span>. Then I reassembled the monster and it still worked.
 
That's about where the Underwood is going. There were, at some point in this things history, two mouse-nests in it. one in the back left corner, that has rusted up the rear pivot points of several keys, and one in the rounded area there the type bars anchor, that has rusted several of the bars in place, taken the nickle plating off, and ruined the type on the end of a few of the bars.
The big issue is that a fully operational Underwood No.5 in excellent condition can be had for around $50. So I'm not allowing myself much of a budget.
It's really for the challenge of making it work again.
Thanks for the Bakelite tip. I have a friend who's a dentist, so I bet he can hook me up.
Most of my interest lies in Pre-war items, much less bakelite involved, but it's still there.
I'm betting there are type bars out there. I keep seeing set of keys for sale. the crafters like to make jewelery out of them. that means there must be a bunch of derelict, keyless typewriters out there for parts.
 
Course there were no spell checkers in those days except your eyes and your friends which is why I am so happy this thread is called "antique Typewirters."
grin.gif
 
Somewhere along the same idea is to buy an old Linotype machine. Now that is something wild and woolly.
 
I collect antique radios and fans, the occational typewriter and phonograph...as long as it's wood. Double bonus if it has a radio in it. Got a '39 Zenieth console that was my grandmother's that was given to a friend when I was a child. I managed to wrangle it back. Got a '37 Emerson Sea Breeze, '41 Emerson "War Time Edition", '41 Westinghouse, '41 G.E, and a '41 Hunter. I have another smaller Emerson here but can't remember the year. fans are a good thing to collect if you live in the south. I was SET after Katrina!

IMO Emerson is the best fan made. You see more of them still running than anything else.

Holy grail for me is an Emerson Silver Swan. Only saw one once and it was $165 and wasn't original.
 
:lol:

I'm for th' Linotype!!! And a Brown camera with photo-plate making equipment!

Acid!!! Zinc!!! LEAD!!!!

:laugh:
 
I too do about anything old.
I have an RCA wood console (upright) set that works, a Gilfillan desk radio I repaired, Western Electric Type 300 dial phone that works, 1911 (NOT an A-1) that works fine, a couple of Damascus-barrelled 12GA black powder (brass shell) exposed hammers, that work, but you don't dare do so, 5-tube in the 50 Ford Tudor that works, couple or three Flathead V-8's that work, armature Growler, Sun Distributor machine, King scope, boxes full of tubes, even a complete Key system.
I have several glass enclosed cabinets with restored old die-cast H0 engines, a closet full of restored (and original, working) 2-rail "0" locomotives, newest a Kemtron Geep from 1956, if it don't work, I make it work....

I even have all the tools for repairing and aligning an IBM Selectric.
 
Hallicrapters <span style="font-style: italic">SX-99</span> here. And sooo much yestertech it pains me to recount.
 
Used to have a National NC-57. I'd forgotten there is a Hallicrafters in the basement. Worked when parked. I'll go check the model.....
 
My collection is small.. but ever growing. Things that pop to mind start with the typewriters, '29 Underwood, 40 Remington. The only really neat old radio I have is a Lafayette shortwave with tubes in it. still works nicely. We have a treadle-powered Singer, with ALL the attachments ad doo-dads that also works nicely. I have a collection of old engines/ mowers in the garage. '51 Toro sport-lawn gas powered reel, a '64 AMF gas powered reel mower, a '69 Lawn Boy, a couple of really old push reels, a '49 briggs Model N and a 54 Model 6S a '32 Maytag, and a pair of outboard motors a '32 ELTO Super C that needs lots of parts, and a '41 Evinrude Sportwin that runs beautifully.
If it's old and odd I like it.
I love old tools too... I wil have a Sun Dizzy tester some day. wouldn't mind a growler either.
 
Ben, I am beginning to worry about you. Isn't there a show about your kind
 
:lol:

Horn-dog! :jester:
 
Ben - don't overlook "antique" television. The 1920s mechanical and 1930s early electronic varieties. I have a soft (dented?) spot in my heart for those.

Western Television, 1929 (mechanical):

1929-Western-Television.JPG


Soviet Russian "Pioner", 1934 (mechanical):

1934-Pioner-TM3-Russian.jpg


RCA TT-5, 1939 (electronic):

1939-RCA-TT5.JPG


Tom
a/k/a "transistor? what's a transistor?"
 
NutmegCT said:
Tom
a/k/a "transistor? what's a transistor?"
Click to expand...

Sister that used to be a brother?
 
Banjo said:
......If it's old and odd I like it.......
Click to expand...

Hey Ben, I need to introduce you to my sister-in-law :whistle:
 
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