- fixed the grinding carriage
- formed the bent rear tabulator enclosure
- stripped down the body and did a full flush/cleaning on interior
- light oiling
- repaired disconnected typebars Q and @ by shifting the fulcrum pivot wire
- repaired issues with the shift keys
- formed the bar on shift assembly to improve the shift response which was abominably slow even after cleaning
- fixed tab set/clear issues
- tightened the loose mainspring for better typing tension/response
- got the type “on feet” and made an adjustment to the motion
- replaced ribbon
- adjusted the typing line
- scrubbed and shined the exterior
- light polish and cleaning of typebars
- polished the brights and the glass tombstone keys (wish I had keyring pliers for doing a full job on this)
- removed the keyrings on two keys which desperately needed cleaning and adjustment
- ordered new rubber feet and rubber compression fittings which should arrive later this week
I’ve definitely torn this machine down much further than any other I’ve worked on before, in some part because it required some extensive work, but also just for fun. I think after this I’m ready to completely disassemble an entire machine and rebuild it from scratch. Maybe on a Royal KMM or Royal X?
I’ve done enough work on this now that I can put it into my regular daily rotation. It’s sure to reveal a few additional small adjustments as I use it and there are one or two niggling things to tinker on while I wait for the new rubber parts to show up. I’ll also need to find an original metal pair of Royal standard ribbon spools. I suspect as the budget allows I’ll be replacing the platen on this shortly as well.
I’ve dubbed this machine “Slattery” in homage to John Slattery’s performance of the character “Roger Sterling” in Mad Men (AMC, 2007-2015). I’m sampling Scotches and bourbons to find an apropos pairing.
This typewriter (29 pounds) is the much bigger brother to my Henry Dreyfuss designed 1949 Royal Quiet De Luxe (16.8 pounds with the case, not pictured).
The Royal KMG, manufactured from 1949-1952, was known to have been used by writers including Saul Bellow, Edward Abbey, Joan Didion, Eliz Kazan, Arthur Miller, Fred Rogers, Rod Sterling, Carl Reiner, Grace Metalious, Wallace Stenger, John Ashbery, and George Sheehan.
If you’re restoring or repairing a Royal standard typewriter, I’ve started a YouTube playlist of videos, but it’s only got three videos with several more to come.
Photos from the restoration
Now I get to use one too!
How ambitious – well-done you!
Good work!
Really nice job. I got an older KHM to see what a not horribly gummed up Royal feels like for the first time in my life, and they’re really smooth and addictive to type on once they’re properly cleaned up.
Also I wouldn’t worry about the keytops, they’re not water tight so the built up grime is the only thing keeping whatever you spill on the thing away from the paper legends. If you do though I’d recommend grabbing a few spare glass tops first. I swapped mine out the less fun and less destructive way by pulling the tabs up with a screwdriver and still managed to break a few, they’re incredibly easy to crack.
The older Royals are great looking, but if you got one you’d probably have it as a show piece and end up using the KMM. They feel mostly the same, but the clearcoated laquer paint is both delicate and a fingerprint magnet, and Royal made changes to the line over time to make them longer lasting and nicer to work on.