New rubber grommets. Outer diameter a bit smaller than the original and inner diameter a bit bigger, but a decent fit. To compensate for the thin plate of the frame, some packing string soaked in plasti-dip was wound around to act as extra 'gasket' or filler.
However.
Ergo a second attempt; now with heat-shrink tubing. This time only the two screws of the right-hand platen bracket from underneath the carriage base and one that holds the margin bar are removed to wrestle out the platen (black arrows).
With these three out (taking care to catch the nut of the inner bracket-screw) and the margin-bar nudged to the side, the platen can be wrestled out to the right-hand side. (This works easier when also the ruler-bar is removed, by the way. The ruler comes off very easily with loosening its two screws at the outer ends.)
The platen out again, the ratchet and linefeed-release need to be unscrewed. This allowed the inner-tube to slip off easily (talcum powder!) and the new heat-shrink tube to slide on. This one has a diameter of ~41mm and can shrink to ~19mm. Shrinking it to size really needs a heat-gun; a hairdryer works but really doesn't get hot enough. Making it shrink evenly without creases or bubbles probably would go better with more practice, but overall it shrunk on fairly well.
Re-assembling the machine again, with a shiny new platen surface! The nut that holds the inner of the right-hand bracket screws is a bit fiddly to fit - a length of sticky tape on a small cardboard strip helps to keep this in place when re-assembling.
Mysteries...
Linefeed and indexing are all haywire now. Beginning to have a suspicion of the causes. One was incorrect mounting of the ruler (easy fix), the other could be to do with the ratchet (all needs to come apart again...).
Getting to know the machine :-)
THANK YOU!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am currently trying to get a model #2 Remington Portable working; I am fortunate enough to have 2 machines, almost identical, and was hoping to be able to use the more 'distressed' one as spares. On the better machine, the line space/carriage return lever was missing, as was the platen lock plate. Both of these parts were on the old machine...but the platen rod was totally rusted in. I could not figure out how to get the parts I needed off, without removing the platen, which I couldnt do. Until I read your blog Dec 2014 and discovered I could do it by removing the 3 screws. And it worked!!! I now have a functioning carriage return/line feed system, plus the carriage will now lock for storage. Excellent! I would not have got there without your help, so thanks again.
Unfortunately, I have yet to solve the killer issue with the machine. The keys dont reach the platen. I have a feeling the machine may have been dropped at some point, but I cannot fathom how to make the required adjustment (raising the entire set of keybars by a few millimetres allows the keys to travel far enough, but there is no way I can see how to hold them in that position). I will need to keep researching...
But many thanks again for imparting such useful information!
Glad these posts are helpful :-)
DeleteHaving a second machine and parts is very useful indeed - great to hear you were succesful! These are great typewriters - I've since learned how to properly remove the platen (April 17, 2015 post) and also managed to loosen this machine's platen-knob. A combination of thermal-treatment (cool machine, then hot soldering iron) and hammer-tap (hammer-tap via screwdriver to 'shock' the delinquent screw).
The lifting mechanism could be bent - if the keys don't come fare enough, the two levers that push the tray up can be bent. Also the guides are 'soft' and can be bent out of alignment - I've had that on a machine.
Good luck! Great machines - for typing and for tinkering :-)