Close up of a naked 1952 Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter seen from an oblique view.

Learning Typewriter Maintenance and Repair

So you want to be a typewriter mechanic? 

As some typewriter collectors have realized there is a typewriter revolution going on out there. This means that there’s a growing need for people who can clean, maintain, repair, and restore typewriters. If this sounds like something you’re interested in doing, there are a huge number of resources out there that you can tap into to figure out how to do all of this work on your own. 

I’ve been wrenching on my own typewriters for several years and gotten deeper into the hobby over the past six months, so I thought I’d do a brain dump and outline some of the basic resources for those who are interested either in fixing up their own machines or potentially considering starting a repair shop.

Crash course on typewriter maintenance and repair

A list of resources and references for the budding typewriter repair person. There is a lot here that I’ve compiled and consumed, so don’t be overwhelmed. Half the battle is figuring out where to find all these things, so if nothing else, this should shave off a month or two of reading and researching.

Basic Introductory Material

Get a notebook and be ready to take some notes so you’ll remember where you found the random information you’re bound to pick up over time and are able to occasionally review it.

Work your way through Sarah Everett’s excellent Typewriter 101 videos (at least the first five).

Read Richard Polt’s book which is a great overview to the general space:  

Polt, Richard. The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century. 1st ed. Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 2015.

Next watch the documentary California Typewriter (Gravitas Pictures, 2016). It has some interesting subtle material hiding within it, but it will give you a good idea of where you’re headed off to. [YouTube copy; Archive.org copy]

Get a machine (or four) you can practice on. Get a flat head screwdriver and maybe a small adjustable wrench. Buy some mineral spirits and a small headed toothbrush and clean out your first machine. Buy some light sewing machine oil and try oiling it. Search YouTube for videos about how to repair anything that may be wrong with it. Usually 98% of the issues with most typewriters these days is that they need to be cleaned out.

Repair Manuals

Create an account on The Typewriter Database which will give you some additional access to catalogs, manuals, and dealer catalogs beyond what is available without an account.

If you intend to buy a bunch of these, you can get a discount by being a member of Ted Munk’s Patreon site. His personal website also has a plethora of ephemera that is often useful.

Richard Polt’s list of free service manuals and books also includes some correspondence course typewriter repair classes which are meant for the self-taught. Most typewriters are very similar so picking a good generic text that covers the basics is the best place to start before branching out to specific repair manuals for particular models.

Tools

In rough order of increasing complexity:

Tools can be expensive, so start out small with just a few things and expand as you need them. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish with a single thin bladed flathead screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, a rag, a bottle of Simple Green cleaning solution, and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol. Most people probably already have these tools at home.

Videos

Subscribe to and become acquainted with YouTube channels like the following:

While watching a variety of videos is great, as you’re doing specific repairs search YouTube and you’re likely to find full demos of the repairs you’re doing yourself. This is where having a solid knowledge of typewriter parts and terminology can be useful. Almost every typewriter manual ever written has a diagram with the parts labeled. Hints for a Happy Typewriter has a pretty good set of typewriter terms to get you started.

I’ve compiled a playlist of videos for repair of an Olympia SM3 which, while specific to the SM3, is a an excellent outline/overview of how to disassemble a portable typewriter, where many of the adjustment points are as well as an outline of the order to do them in.

United States Navy Training Films

If you’re not a good typist or don’t have experience in the area, try out some of the following short films which will also provide some useful historical perspective:

The good news is that historically very few typewriter mechanics were also touch typists, but you should still be able to hunt and peck and understand the needs of your customers.

Internships & Apprenticeships

If you have the time and flexibility try arranging an internship or apprenticeship with a local typewriter repair shop. Meet your local repair people even if you can’t spend the time on an internship. You’ll learn a lot and create relationships with businesses who will more easily swap/supply you with machines they’re parting out or access to tools which may otherwise be difficult to source.

If you’re all-in, maybe you might try the Philly Typewriter Trade School?

Visiting type-ins can be a great way to meet people and discuss typewriter repair as well as see tools and other machines on your journey.

Podcasts

Some useful Bibliography

Good luck on your journey!

Published by

Chris Aldrich

I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment industry with expertise in representation, distribution, finance, production, content delivery, and new media.

11 thoughts on “Learning Typewriter Maintenance and Repair”

  4. Here’s a comprehensive, thorough and over all impressive guide to the arts and crafts of typewriter maintenance. A rabbit hole I hope I never go through, ‘cause it can be the last hobby of mine that my wife needs to start walking and never look back.

    Learning Typewriter Maintenance and Repair | Chris Aldrich

    So you want to be a typewriter mechanic?
    As some typewriter collectors have realized there is a typewriter revolution going on out there. This means that there’s a growing need for people who can clean, maintain, repair, and restore typewriters. If this sounds like something you’re interested in doing, there are a huge number of resources out there that you can tap into to figure out how to do all of this work on your own.

    Reply

  6. This is me. I’m having a professional clean my Remington Rand and getting the platen redone by JJ Short., bought an Olivetti Lettera 22, and am waiting for delivery for a few more different makes from Salvation Army and Etsy. I figured learning the basics and cleaning too would be helpful. So far I’ve reattached a slipped carriage string and. I’m hooked. Thank you for these links!

    Reply

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