Hermes Baby & leather case.

I've had an interesting find. On one local ad I discovered a Hermes Baby along with the leather case designed for it :) 

It looks interesting and more handy than standard metal cover.
Anyone heve one like these in the collection? :)
Anyone interesting in purchasing such lovely case?

TT: Typecleaner

 Typewriter Test: Type cleaner!

I've recently acquired a new gizmo to my typewriter Den. It's called typecleaner and it cleans the typeface/hammers from "ink".

This is some kind of modeline clay at least at the look and feel. The difference lay in the material: this one is sticky and firmly stays in shape.

 

 

Working with it is very simple, you simply press it firmly to the hammers/typeface many times over :) It might sound bad, but actually is quite fast. The clay stics to at least few hammers at the same time and "consumes" the ink wastes. Afer dozen seconds it looks like that:

 

 

 And here are the effects on a nearly mint typewriter that I used the very day (typeface was clean before the use):

 

Before

After

As You can see the effect is quite positive :) It's clean work, without use of any chem or brush, only our hands and magic clay ;) 

After the first test I used it on my Olympia SM3, that is used more frequently and wasn't cleaned for some time. The typeface was not only more dirty but also the ink had time to dry on the hammers.
So this is how it worked:

Before without flash.

Before, photo with flash.

After, photo with flash.

Typecleaner after the tests.

As you can see the effects wasn't so spectacular as with the clean typewriter, but the clay took a load of ink anyway. The small spaces in the narrows of typeface wasn't cleaned properly, but It's hard to blame the gizmo. It would be a good start for more detailed cleaning with brush ang chems :)

I think that for collectors, that use many machines ocassionaly it's a great idea. You can keep them clean without much effort. Also for somebody, who simply needs to have things tidy!

TT: Vintage Typewriter Ribbons

How to pack typewriter for shipping

Well, there will be some self-promotion and little guide for sending typewriters by post/courier.

If you bought a typewriter from somebody on the net, let use term "amateur" in the typewriters theme... Well you are most likely to receive it packed inappropriate.

- I received typewriter without locked carriage - people usually don't know how to do it.
- Placed loose in the box, so they bumped around - may cause damage to the body or mechs.
- The return lever never was somewhat secured from damaging the body.

If there is a standard cover/shell/case to the typewriter there is higher hope, that it will arrive in good manner... Of course if sender close it properly and secure typewriter inside... ;)
For my typewriters i ususally begin with securing carriage, return lever and body before putting it inside the cover/case/shell:

Later placing the cover (if provided), and putting something extra around - in the case of Facit the one necesarry was to put something at the back of typewriter - to prevent it from get free from standard locking system in the case:

 Next is few layers of stretch, safety air-filled foil at it, and some stretch again.

 Next is the cardboard box. Secured with tape tight. It's gonna be a long way...

And of course more stretch on it :) It's making a protective film around the box.
It's 5 layers of protection! 

In case of plastic covers I add some different pieces of protecting sponge, used for transporting the windows - It guarantee the safe shipping.




For unpacking please be patient and use knife with safety precautions - for you and for case ;)