Restoring a Smith Corona

[NewbieRuvi]

After helping my mom clean her Smith Corona and hearing some of her stories about it, I became a typewriter fan! We spent five hours "restoring" it, unsticking keys and figuring out fresh ribbon installation. I'm so excited to use it for some personal letters and poems!

 

[TouchType]

That's great! Getting your mom's old typewriter working again must feel amazing. There's just something special about the sound of those keys and that satisfying bell when you reach the end of a line

 

[MonClavi3r]

After helping my mom clean her Smith Corona and hearing some of her stories about it, I became a typewriter fan! We spent five hours "restoring" it, unsticking keys and figuring out fresh ribbon installation. I'm so excited to use it for some personal letters and poems!

It's amazing how discovering it and her stories sparked a whole new interest!
Five hours sounds like a real labor of love but clearly it was worth it!
Have you had a chance to type anything up yet?
I imagine the visual aspect of typewritten words already adds its own special, poetic charm to you work!

 

[thelastONE]

Getting the keys moving and ribbon sorted is half the fun, and now youve got a classic machine ready for your own creative work. Enjoy typing out those letters and poems, it's a totally different and satisfying way to write.

 

[phdezra]

My $0.02: what model S-C is it? I ask because the Silent and Super Silent models have absolutely superb key layout and keyboard slope that makes your fingers just glide over the keys. It's like the difference between walking on gravel versus ice skating!

Among my nine typewriters (three photos below, based on these, I have a Corona Standard (second photo) from the 1930s (yes, before they became Smith-Corona) that has a TERRIBLE key configuration - but ergonomics were about as important as cup holders back then. I also have a Smith-Corona Super Silent (first photo), and the layout is pure typing bliss (Tom Hanks, who has a huge collection says that if he can only keep ONE typewriter it would be his S-C Silent for just such reasons, in additonk to the sound it makes when typing and so on. Oh, I have a Hermes Media 3 (third photo; budget cousin of the famous Hermes 3000 that everyone has eyes for, but it's really 95% as smooth! really! (OK--I still want a Hermes 3000, but if you ever find a Media3 always at a fraction of 3000, worth it!) that's incredibly fluid, too.

Quick question - on you Smith-Corona back roller assembly (the cylinder behind the platen), can you see text that looks like it says 'Super' or 'Silent' or....? It'll help confirm the exact model. You can also find the serial number inside -- as youve proabbly found already in trying to restore.

Your mom's got excellent taste in typewriters, and now you're officially infected with the 'clack addiction!' Welcome to the club where we think the sound of typing is better than any smartphone notification.

Ezra


Smith-Corona Super Silent, ca. 1960:

Corona "Standard", ca. 1930:

Hermes Media3, ca. 1960:

 

[maroon_martian46]

9 typewriters! What a nice collection! I'm just getting into typewriters and it's wild how each one has its own feel. Do the Super Silent and Silent models actually sound different when typing? And how do you even check the serial number, do I need to open up the whole case? Learning a lot already!

 

[phdezra]

@maroon_martian46 Best bet for finding serial number is “somewhere obscure” yet visible (remove top plate “typebar cover” or simply “top shell” colloquially). Better yet, google search and there’s bound to be a YT video for your model.

 

[catharsis]

9 typewriters! What a nice collection! I'm just getting into typewriters and it's wild how each one has its own feel. Do the Super Silent and Silent models actually sound different when typing? And how do you even check the serial number, do I need to open up the whole case? Learning a lot already!

Sorry for butting in. Anyway... @maroon_martian46 for me, my experience is that the Super Silent is noticeably quieter than the older Silent model, almost like night and day. Pulling the top shell or typebar cover usually reveals the serial number without having to take the whole thing apart.