For those who love their typewriters, you know they need to be cleaned and maintained. And that means more than just changing the ribbon. On September 10th at noon I will demonstrate how to clean a typewriter and also what you need to do to maintain your machine. I have listed some of the basics below that we will go over. I hope to see you there!
CLEANING: You will need a toothbrush, canned air, antibiotic wipes, rags and ArmorAll
First place a rag down on the table, next remove the machine from the case and place it flat on the table. Remove the ribbon and spools. Next set the margins to the edges of the platen and slide the carriage to one side. Take your canned air and clean the all the dust and debris, use your toothbrush for the stubborn stuff. When that side is done, move the carriage to the opposite side and repeat the process. When this is done open the cover and spray off any dust and debris there using your toothbrush to clean between the arms. Next spray the keys and below the keys to remove any debris. Then stand the machine upright revealing the underside, spray with the canned air removing the remaining dust and debris. Now we take antibacterial wipes and wipe the machine down including the platen and keys. Lastly we take some ArmorAll and wipe down the machine leaving a nice shine. Now replace your ribbon with a new ribbon and you are ready to go.
MAINTAINING: You will need a bottle of 3in1 oil and a rag
These machines need little maintaining, just an occasional oiling. NEVER use WD40, use 3in1 oil or sewing machine oil, this does not gum up the machine. Oil the location where the striking arms meet the machine and also oil the track that the carriage rides on.