How to Restore an Old Remington Rand Typewriter So It Just Works - Part Three

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Part Three of this typewriter restoration DIY job! Perfect for writers, DIYers, home improvement enthusiasts, or anyone interested in vintage manual typewriters.
This is part three of a multi-video series where I break down the steps I use to prepare a vintage manual typewriter for restoration. It's a fairly typical job of the many I've done so far.
This particular typewriter needs a new platen, feet, and feed rollers. In this series, you'll learn how to chemically clean a typewriter and other nifty DIY tricks.
Hope you enjoy!
Damon DiMarco
CreateX3.com

[@darrellstern9372]

And by old typewriters restoration society of America

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

What's their URL? I want it.

[@douglasjackson9058]

You didn't show removal of platen and feed rollers,that's what I needed to see.

[@damondimarco2251]

Hi Douglas. Sorry about that. The good news is it's simple. Unscrew your left hand platen knob first. Now move to the right and unscrew the collar screw or screws securing the right platen knob (some machines have two, some have one). I recommend using hobby pincers or a similar tool to keep these screws, which are small, from being lost. The right platen knob screws are close to the platen, internal to the carriage. Once you've removed the collar screw(s), gently press down on the platen with your thumb and pull the right platen knob straight out. Barring rust or some other impediment, this will remove the right platen knob and the platen spindle, which is attached to it. Carefully lever the platen out of the carriage. Now, to remove the feed rollers, you must first remove the curved metal paper tray. This was problematic on my machine but it can be done. Pay special attention to how the paper try fasteners work before you remove the tray from the machine. Apply gentle leverage if you must. Once the paper tray comes out, the feed rollers are exposed, you can pluck them out easily with your fingers. If you watch the series through parts five and six, you'll see all the above reverse engineered as I put the machine back together again. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@billogle4776]

Really appreciated your videos, well done. Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread. the ribbon spools you removed, the metal one is one used by Underwood, the plastic one , from memory is the so called universal, try and find the Remington metal cores and use them if possible, metho is something we always used for cleaning, it was also used in the lamps to resolder type, if you ever see a Britnol Lamp on ebay acquire it, by far the best. We used a series of screw drivers, 1/8", 3/16" all honed to fit various size screw slots, with 8-10 " blades . plus on "heavy" blade. You can make spring hooks from motor cycle spokes just taper the spoke, heat the tip and bend it over, both push and pull, we also had a bicycle spoke on hand to pull through tension straps...you brought back memories of fifty years in the industry from a mechanic to a ribbon manufacturer employing 50 people making typewriter and computer printer ribbons..ps you might find Britnol on google, they are an English company

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

Mr. Ogle, you're a treasure trove of information. Thank you!

[@darrellstern9372]

Swab it out Damon.

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

Right-o, Stern. Right-o.

[@carriageofnoreturn.1881]

I’m going to be doing just this tomorrow- I’ve taken delivery of a new machine today, and the escapement is a little off. It’s an Olympia electric - I don’t normally go for electrics, but it is the same model as one I used in the library as a student many moons ago, so it has sentimental value for me!

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

CNR, wishing you the very best with that. Some of my video clips for Part 3 got corrupted or you would have seen more details. May I recommend a good wire brush to clean your type faces? Makes them come up beautifully clear. Again, best of luck and let me know how it goes.

[@oliverw3646]

So inspiring! Just one question: does cleaning the machine with denatured alcohol totally remove the exquisite old typewriter smell?

[@damondimarco2251]

Depends on the machine. For the most part, yes. However, if a machine has interior felt components (a lot of manufacturers dampened sound by adding these to the undersides of the chassis), you'll still get a lot of flavor. They tend to be fragrant.

[@craftgrrl14]

Would rubbing alcohol be okay to use too?

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

Hi, Cybernetic Rose. For which part, please? I want to make sure I'm guiding you properly. Thanks!

[@craftgrrl14]

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco For cleaning the inside of the machine with. I used rubbing alcohol to clean out the Montgomery Ward Signature 511D my brother-in-law gave me for my birthday. Seemed to work fine and unstick the keys. Just hoping it was okay that I used that. I don't want to accidentally damage my new friend.

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

@@craftgrrl14 I looked this up. Rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol is less effective as a cleaning agent than denatured alcohol in this case. It could also damage certain paint jobs but that’s also the case with denatured alcohol. Always do a test of your cleaning solvents on an unobtrusive part of your typewriter to make sure the paint doesn’t strip. Never use alcohol products on decals. For internal cleaning, I would stick with denatured alcohol. And make sure to wear a mask against the fumes. Hope this helps, CR.

[@darrellstern9372]

Sponsored by Q Tips.

[@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco]

Yeeeeeeeesssssssss!!!!!