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| 40 lbs of Serious Business |
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| Not sure if Monty makes it look bigger or smaller. |
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| Carriage rails like tank treads. |
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| Five more lbs. of serious business. |
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Royal KHM Typewriter Restoration
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What a great gift! I've always wanted a KHM!
ReplyDeleteI restored a Royal Model 10's finish by lightly scrubbing the crinkled black surface with a toothbrush dipped in water with a little dishwashing detergent, then again with clear water to rinse.
After this dried, I applied a very thin coat of WD-40 with a rag lightly sprayed with the oil.
It brought the finish back to life!
Very nice of your coworker! I have one of these in my basement I have been meaning to get to...but you know how that goes.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the mainspring is concerned, I think the standard is 2 lbs of pull, although it may vary for a larger machine. It may be worth unwinding that last turn and seeing if it still moves nicely, but if it isn't causing any problems it should be alright. I have never had a mainspring snap while I was using it...only while tightening it. It is not the hardest repair in the world to do, really, fixing the mainspring.
I had a similar experience with my Corona Comet DeLuxe. It was completely seized, the typebars anyway. I cleaned it all out, applied oil, and tried again. Still jamming. The next morning, I gave it another shot (or was it two days later?) and it was working beautifully. Just needed some time for the oil to spread and work its magic.
I think Richard's Classic Typewriter Page has plenty of info on how to make that machine shine. I use mineral spirits, and then soapy water on a towel. The mineral spirits cleans and gives it a nice shine (if there is a shine to be had underneath the gunk), but tends to leave an oily residue. That's where the dish detergent and water come in.
My Olympia SG1 is kept on the desk in my living room. Most of the other standard machines reside in the Typewriter room, although the Ambassador is making a visit to the living room right now, as I have installed a new ribbon and wrote a few letters on it.
Also, the typecast reads just fine. As you said, one click and it is full size. Plus, once on that page, you can zoom in one more. Perfect!
Also, I loved the inclusion of the 'sticky ribbon' business. I am sure this is going to become something of an inside joke around here! I hope I have the opportunity to make this reference sometime in the future.
DeleteCameron - I'd not have thought of WD-40 as a polish; I'll give it a try once I get some of this grime off.
ReplyDeleteKen - I found that section of Richard's page after typing up the above. I'm going to head to the store for some soft-scrub and cotton rags pretty soon. Fortunately this typewriter has enough surfaces that I can try a few different techniques and see what works best.
Hello my friends, I come from Germany and I have a funcional Royal KHM. Do you know somebody who wants to buy it and what ist the value of this typ Royal KHM?
ReplyDeleteDo not use WD-40, I just bought a KHM and research online for the big cleaning it need and I've stumble on professional tips and they all say it shoudn't be used.
ReplyDeleteI live in Tulsa Oklahoma and need my KHM restored with the carriage belt fixed , any help greatly appreciated
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ReplyDelete