That made me take the plunge into my typewriter. I found a Smith Corona Silent and it was ROUGH. Most of the keys were bent and the pins were slipping out. Springs were snapped and the return arm was broken. Oil and dirt coating everything. Carriage was stuck. It took a lot of time but I got it working again and the only things left are the bell (the arm that engages the striker is broken so I have to look for one) and the felt on the body (it’s soaked and falling apart). Otherwise, it types great and I spent so much time fixing it I had nightmares that night I finished up the mechanical bits. That’s how you know it’s good.
The creativity involved in the creation of such a mechanic marvel, a portable personal printer, the evolution since Gutenberg's mobile letter iron blocks,
OMG I could have watched this project go on for hours! I love it! I hope we get to see the end product of the tune-up!!!! Thank you for all your great videos!!!!
Thanks Duane for the excellent video. The condition of the Royal 10 makes me appreciate even more my 10 which I rescued from a neighbor’s garbage can in the late 1960’s. Now I know a lot more about it, including Royals solution to the ribbon advance. Your good videography makes it all clear, including the patience it takes to get thru the fiddly bits like attaching that pesky ribbon clip!
I'm surprised that it has al those tab sets, with the condition it's in...seems like those woulda just flew away at some point! Really great and helpful video, thanks.
Duane, I have an 18" carriage Royal KMM typewriter which survived a house fire with only a bath towel covering it. It was my father's typewriter to do stencils for his A. B. Dick No. 77 Mimeograph Machine. His Royal KMM has always been in climate controlled environment and was serviced by me a couple of years prior to the fire. Dad's Royal KMM is covered in soot from the fire but has minimal corrosion compared to this Royal 10. This 10 was apparently in a moist environment for many years to cause this much corrosion. Attic, shed, basement, carport? You have inspired me to get Dad's KMM back in service. Your videos have been extremely helpful to me. I was looking for one of your videos which show how to disassemble and reassemble the carriage assembly on a KMM. If you have a video to guide me through this process, will you direct me to it? Thank you for your experience, expertise and time to produce these videos!!
24 hrs later, I can't believe it, but I just got a Royal 10 with a broken drawband! I of course have no spare drawband lying around, nor a rivet tool to salvage the remaining hook I have from the original...so I think maybe I'll try to use 80# fishing line to replace the drawband! Wish me luck (or let me know where to get a replacement drawband!) :)
This is so helpful. I started with just inspecting and assessing my grandfather's old Royal last night (not sure yet on the year) and we decided to clean it up and put it out for display. The drawband worked poorly when it typed and came loose a second later (it looks like it has an old safety pin on the end, probably fixed last about 50 years ago) so that's my first task, to fix or replace that. Most of the rest of the action seems to work, although there's no ribbon and I'm learning with trial and error what all the levers do. The platen(? just looked that up) also has a split in it that i didn't even know about until i turned it. I'll be watching your video more later. I love knowing how complex machines work, so I guess this is my new project. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Haha. At least the bell rang, and it had the tabs. I paid 100 bucks for one of these, but it was in much better condition. I have someone servicing it right now, and the platen resurfaced. I'll have around $400 into it when done, but it'll be a great example.
It would be interesting to know how old your project typewriter is - and how you would determine that. I have a Royal 10 that looks very much like your project, but I know that there are subtle differences between Royal typewriters manufactured in different years. I have a lot of fun with mine, and I hope to keep it going for many more years. Any recommendations on at-home servicing? Thanks for this video.
Serial number rear top right hand side, move carriage all the way to the left, then go site below and look it up. Mine was about 1925 typewriterdatabase.com/ As a professional typewriter technician, I have no advice for at-home servicing, chemicals, ventilation, experience, tools, etc are all needed.
@@phoenixtypewriter2136, thanks very much for responding and for recommending the typewriter database website. The serial number of my Royal 10 typewrite is Y-35-101014, so I assume it was manufactured in 1935. The typewriter website seems to skip over the Royal 10's of 1935. Do you sell vintage typewriters by mail?
please help I have same typewriter it has new draw band, but carriage works but when I type the carriage don't move can you please give me an idea what it can be?
Carriage has main spring tension, escapement is stuck ? Starwheel is under platen roller Tab work ? Space bar work ? Does Back Space work ? Hard to diagnose/troubleshoot long distance
@@phoenixtypewriter2136 space bar don't work and the back space only back space once then nothing. the carriage moves side by side when I press the release button. do you have any idea what it could be.
@@diablo-km2ot Without being able to troubleshoot in person make things rather difficult to diagnose check linkage to escapement, check escapement starwheel.
hi can you help me i bought a royal 10 it has a new draw band with correct tension on it, and when i type the carriage dont advance it striking the platen but nothing stay in the same spot , I pressed all the keys even the spacer and no luck can you make a video will appreciated.
Phoenix Typewriter thank you, it was a locking mechanism in the back right, after further video investigation. I may have to add rubber feet to it also the we're flattened so I removed them.
Depends on starting condition, depends on desired finished condition, depends on definition of the word Restoration New rubber feet ? New rubber platen and rollers ? Re-chroming ? New paint & decals ? Up and operating and cleaned $200, Plus new platen/rollers add $200, Paint/decals add $200, Chrome add $200 , Lots of variables !
@@phoenixtypewriter2136 Thanks. I asked because I was thinking of getting a Royal 10 for my writer friend's birthday since she had a similar typewriter as a child and is a huge fan of the Resident Evil video game series which uses typewriters (Mostly Royal No. 10s in the series, although some used different types) as savepoints. But the online listings in my price range often stuck keys, finnicky carriages, and ribbons and are rusted badly. Do you do pickups? She lives in Phoenix AZ.
You have no idea how messy typewriter work can be, between these grungy standards to IBM selectrics packed with old grease My cleaning sink station gets a work out, best pumice soap ever.....www.amazon.com/dp/B00BV0C8TE?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_asin_title
Hi. I have purchased this same model typewriter and it is in pretty poor condition. Can you tell me where I can buy replacement rubber feed rollers? The one on my machine have perished 😫
