Saturday, February 11, 2012

Typewriter Ribbon Restoration Part 2





I do not stop moving the can while I spray the robbon.  I make one sweep from supply spool end to take-up spool end in one second or less.  I only put a mist (and sometimes a small puddle or two) along the ribbon.  Wiping after the spray will even out any puddles.

One correction is that I left out LIGHTLY wipe the excess.  I just wipe with enough pressure to even-out the WD-40.

When finished the ribbon will feel slightly oily or wet yet not excessively so.

Here is Cameron's post on one of his typewriters where he described how he treated a ribbon with WD-40.  I hope he does not mind I linked to his blog.
Living In The Woods
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8 comments:

  1. Ton S. February 11, 2012 at 9:32 PM

    Thanks for sharing about the WD-40 process you employed, I'll definitely note this for future reference.

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  2. Fernando AntunesFebruary 11, 2012 at 10:25 PM

    Thanks for sharing this. I've to give it a try :)

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  3. AdwoaFebruary 12, 2012 at 12:48 AM

    That is a very detailed explanation, thanks for sharing! The problem with my preferred new old stock ribbons is that they sometimes dry out even before I have a chance to use them. This tip will be very helpful and I'll try it out in the spring when we can do the spraying outdoors.

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  4. Bill MFebruary 12, 2012 at 7:23 PM

    Thank you everyone. I did not get to do the silk ribbon today as the wind had not calmed all day. Surprisingly, even very early morning was not only cold -1C, but blustery wind. I hope to be able to spray it early tomorrow morning and post tomorrow evening.

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  5. CameronFebruary 13, 2012 at 1:39 AM

    Bill, I will have to try your method, which keeps the typewriter itself out of the process.

    It will be interesting to see how long the WD-40 rejuvenation lasts, and if it is possible to do it several times before the ink is totally shot.

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    Replies
    1. Bill MFebruary 13, 2012 at 4:45 AM

      Cameron,
      I've been wondering the same things. I plan to leave the ribbons in typewriters and use them regularly. It may take me a year or more to use a ribbon until dry unless the WD-40 evaporation rate is such that the ribbon dries. I am tracking the ink quality on the paper too.

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  6. Richard PFebruary 13, 2012 at 10:45 AM

    Thanks for the tips. Keep us posted on the longterm results!

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  7. Rob BowkerFebruary 13, 2012 at 8:14 PM

    Lodged and memorised for future reference. Thanks Bill and thanks also for the link to Cameron's post. And I think Ted has also shared his attempts. When I try, I'll post about it.

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