![]() ![]() I was very careful to drape the painted surfaces of the typewriter since the denatured alcohol will eat into the paint. The type seemed a little dirty, so I scrubbed the type with denatured alcohol. I put the top cover back on temporarily and tested the typing. I rejuvenated the old, ripped ribbon with WD-40 and carefully rewound the ribbon. I then used Scrubbing Bubbles to remove the residual grime, being very careful to avoid the decals (which were already very faded). ![]() I washed the outside case with warm soapy water first to get the worst of the mud off. The carriage was a little grudging at first, but moving it back and forth repeatedly freed it to move smoothly. I re-attached the drawband and off we went. I tested the mainspring and HURRAY! It was loosening up after PB Blaster treatment and was winding and zipping with some authority. The keys looked better after just a clean with a Q-tip: I started working the keys, loosening things up and flushing the segment with denatured alcohol. I doused the segment, spooling mechanism, ribbon vibrator with PB Blaster and started scrubbing the typebars with a very fine Scotch-Brite pad: Rob Bowker has an excellent post on accessing the insides of a Royal KHM that I unfortunately found after all was done.Įverything under the cover was very rusty and gummy. I had to remove four screws to remove the top cover – one inside each spool container and one at each back corner of the cover. It didn’t pop up like my other typewriters. I was flummoxed when I got to the the top cover. I removed the drawband since it was tangled up under the carriage and cleaned and lubricated the rails. I doused the mainspring drum with PB Blaster penetrating lubricant and hoped for the best. It turned as if it were moving through dried gum and did not bounce back. That’s why her intact drawband had fallen off. As I examined my foster child a little more my closely, my heart sank when I realized that not only was her drawband off, but her mainspring moved very reluctantly. ![]() I brought the typewriter home and pulled out my handy-dandy air blower thing and blew out layers of dust and cobwebs, being careful to work in a semi-enclosed area outside in case I blew out a loose part. She told me I could take it home, clean it and bring it back if that’s what made me happy. I told her that I didn’t want to own it, I just wanted to clean it up. The shop owner saw me staring at it longingly and told me I could have it for $25. The draw band was off and wrapped under the carriage. It was really dirty – gunk inside and out and dried mud on the top cover. Last week I saw a very dirty, nonfunctional Royal KHM at my favorite neighborhood junk shop. For the most part, once they are working, they start to lose their grip on me. And I really like junkers – I like to clean and make them functional. I could use a barn.Īlso, I’m not really into amassing a huge collection of typewriters – I’m not looking to acquire a Corona Four in every color. We’re a family of many hobbies and collections and our home is already bursting with fun stuff. Typewriters may come and typewriters may go, but I’d like to keep my standing in-house collection under double digits. ![]()
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