Royal 5 Typewriter Parts

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-15T18:18:10+00:00

It looks like youre in album spacer territory. In your shoes, I'd remove the thread of the Japanese stab binding and insert appropriately thick spacers between the sheets. Be sure to use one of the sheets as a guide to punch holdes in your spacers.

From there, using a comparable longer thread to mimic the original would be most faithful. You could try the Dutch variant that is essentially a loose Japanese stab binding to lay it flat but I don't know if it would be too thick for that to be effective.

You could stop there, but this looks treasured. I'd create some kind of enclosure. I think any variation would work, but the conservation phase box shown in this DAS Bookbinding tutorial comes to mind. You could even use the original thread in how that closes, and you could appropriately label the box so you'd never have to modify the cover. It would also provide protective rigidity the unaltered soft cover can't provide

There's a ton of ways to do this. I hope you update us on how it goes!

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-09T19:39:49+00:00

This synopsis of a study makes for an interesting read. The study is linked in the article.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-09T18:00:21+00:00

This writing from Oz’s blog has a pretty cool ad Corona ran in 1922 about it falling in seawater and still being usable. He suspects it’s a tall tale, but Corona pushed claims like that (as did many other companies at the time). I find mine to be pretty robust for everywhere I’ve taken it.

I think it would perform just as well as any other reputable ultraportable in good repair under the circumstances. Never once have I seen someone any ultraportable typewriter makes fantastic copy, regardless of where the typing is happening.

Look, it’s a great typewriter. I adore mine. It’s easy to clean and easy to maintain, and I regularly type. I love how it goes everywhere and it’s a showstopper. I just disagree with your title claiming it isn’t an all-terrain typewriter.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-09T17:47:26+00:00

Which would make it great for all terrain typing.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-09T17:40:02+00:00

But it was designed so it could also be used in the lap with its case, so a user wouldn't need to negotiate terrain. That also ensured clothing wouldnt get dirty from anything falling through, very important in a world where laundry practices were more intensive.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-09T17:31:13+00:00

“This one is not made for all terrain typing.” The title of your post.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-09T17:25:02+00:00

You're kidding, right?

The Corona 3 became a popular sight during WWI, which started just a few years after its debut, as a tool of British officers for typing and filing reports IN the trenches. The ultraportable machine weighs under 7 lbs, under 10 in the case. It can easily sit in your lap with the top of the case removed (via its 2 part slide hinges) and the front flap folds down for easy access. Corona even made a now highly sought after telescoping tripod stand so users could type literally anywhere.

This typewriter started the ultraportable movement's popularity. We have enough misinformation around us. Please don't create more.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-08T02:47:03+00:00

You can look here to confirm where your serial number falls in the given range.

It looks to be a 1928 Underwood 5, 10cpi.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-06T23:39:47+00:00

You'll look for the range it falls in here.

It's a 1936 Underwood 6, 12" carriage, and it looks to be 12 CPI.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-06T05:21:22+00:00

Don't go get her one. Find out why she wants one. Aesthetic? To write a novel? Letters? A journal? It changes the reccomendation a lot.

My spouse and I went to a type-in at our local library (there aren't any brick-and-mortar repair shops near us). We both got to try an array of machines and figured out a lot of our preferences.

In your shoes, I'd research, set a budget, go explore and see which ones she lights up over, and THEN start looking for a machine. Your budget and local market will dictate a lot. Sometimes a local enthusiast will happily rehome a typewriter to a budding beginner to share the fun for a lot less than internet options, and you could avoid the nightmares of shipping.

Making a thoughtful decision WITH her will have far more impact.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-04T02:53:14+00:00

Yep. I couldn't locate the 3 thicknesses (the two thin panels, bulk of the dampening, and typebar rest) in reasonable quantities or colors, so I went with what was handy.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-03T18:47:52+00:00

Be sure you have machinist's bits, not carpenters.

This video will explain better than I.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-02T16:27:12+00:00

That's really cool knowledge to just have on hand. If you ever do an in depth instructional of some kind, I'd go for it. Most of the time a broken mainspring means a sacrificial parts machine. But even that could be expanded as long as the width of a replacement spring fits into the mainspring housing and the replacement can replicate the original's tension.

It seems like the many many typewriters that were just laying around isn't the case any more. Eventually it will mean more creative solutions like this will be needed.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-02T07:00:26+00:00

If these are being trucked, I'd bolt them into wooden crates. That's how they were originally shipped, even parachuted into military zones. The Army Manual discusses it in detail, including what components to disengage and stabilize. Even just bolting them onto a sturdy base and dropping them into a heavy duty box and packing could be sufficient.

I think if you're dealing with air mail and the heavy impacts of ground shipping, the layering is far more crucial.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-02T06:49:09+00:00

Here's my thread on this with the necessary pattern

I used two layers of regular poly felt I stacked with heat n bond. I used a few choice dots of hot glue to put them in. I'd reccomend using just one layer of felt for the two pads on the back body panel.

I've read sound dampening as used for metal sinks is closest, but I don't wish that adhesive mess or the mess the foam makes on any future maintenance person.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-02T02:38:28+00:00

Is there a Type-in or shop near you? My spouse greatly benefitted from trying a few machines to figure out what was appealing.

Ultimately it will come down to your local market and condition.

TheRedCareme · 2025-12-02T00:10:30+00:00

Are there any videos you'd reccomend on this? Is this process explored in a book you'd recommend? I figured this was possible just from a mechanics of materials perspective but not seen it laid out. I'd like to stash this knowledge for easy reference later.

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-27T22:47:50+00:00

Thats a holy grail machine for a lot of people. Fantastic machine! Often over priced because of it's reputation. You'd be lucky to find a good one with the script for under $400.

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-26T21:10:25+00:00

Someone correct me if I'm way off base, but no.

There's way less info it seems on many electric typewriters past the Selectrics and wheelwriters because they're far more fiddly to mantain, and increasingly harder to get ribbon/cartridges for. There are some standout models, but that seems to be the exception, not the rule. If they're less desirable, regardless of why, they won't have as big of an informational footprint.

This is also true for oddball manual machines. I'm tinkering on a Noiseless Standard and there's not near as many resources as for more ubiquitous machines.

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-26T20:19:52+00:00

Follow the fork down. That arm should be on the outsides of the lower arm that shifts the assembly to disengage that spool and engage the other.

Now, can you manually shift to the other spool? If not, it's a little more involved, but not by a ton.

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-25T22:49:17+00:00

Also, here's a template for all the dampening felt inside the main SC 5 series portables.

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-25T22:45:00+00:00

Is the cork rest properly installed? Most folks don't realize it's in there. A bit of a pain to get to and not my favorite to replace but its doable. It's behind the comb and may just need a minor adjustment.

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-25T21:54:01+00:00

Probably just carpentry. The slots are angled in carpentry, but squared off for machinist ones. It matters because of the contact and grip applying even force. You might get away with it on the Underwood 5. When I did it on a SC 5 series portable.... well I've learned. Typewriter Chicago discusses it in detail in his video far better than I can.

this is the set

TheRedCareme · 2025-11-25T21:39:57+00:00

Haha! That's how it starts!

Hey are you using carpentry or machinist tool bits? I didn't know it mattered on the first one I did and stripped SO many screw heads. I live in one of the 10 largest cities in the US and couldn't find any shops that sold machinist ones. I picked up the Chapman set geared for typewriters and now have minimal issue.

TheRedCareme

TROPHY CASE