1959 Royal FP

All of the photos this time around are terrible

The Royal FP was introduced in 1957, and was the direct successor to the Royal HH.  The FP was the sixth standard desktop after the Royal 10 debuted in the early 1910s.  All these machines, the 10, KHM, KMM, KMG, HH, and the FP share the same basic internal mechanical design with variations here and there.  As far as operation and speed, they are all mostly the same, and all very very exceptional.  The FP was introduced in six lovely colors, in Pica (FPP), Elite (FPE) and other variations such as cursive (FPS).  The model above is the Pearl Gray, with a Pica (10cpi) standard typeface.

I got this machine essentially for free at a local antiques dealer, It was being sold from a bank in Lisle, the headquarter town of the Ames Supply Co, known among the typewriter folks for their parts and tool manuals.  It was working well, with minimal issues, so I took to home with me to clean it up.

Dismantling these machines is much like most other Royal Standards.  The two side panels pop out, the front unscrews at the top and three on the bottom, and the ribbon cover can be removed by the two screws on the hinges.  The rear panel also comes off by removing the top part behind the carriage, and the two screws below it.  The side panels underneath the carriage come of with two screws each.

My job was easy this time around.  I just had to drown it in denatured alcohol (note other alcohols don't cut grease).  While I was taking it apart I found a torn address slip stuffed inside, with nothing written on it.  Aside from that I was forced to make the conclusion that bankers use incredibly vast amounts of white-out.


Just needed a final polish and a wipedown on the keys and I was done.






Gorgeous text.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7guCFYFkQrU



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

the Cyberdeck

Image
I can't be the only one to find myself lost in the internet rabbit holes in an age such as ours.  Sometimes it's an uninspiring frustration, and other times you find yourself on the path to discovering something truly cool.  A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a group of unique creators making what they called "cyberdecks."  The concept was a dystopian-esque or retro-futuristic portable computer, in part inspired by the cyberpunk movement, Blade Runner, and Fallout, though there are plenty of other sci-fi extravaganzas that employ similar devices.  The cool thing about cyberdecks is that they work, and there is no right way to create one.  There come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some in the traditional clamshell style, and others that their own entirely new concept. I had toyed around with the idea of creating a small portable computer, and decided I would give it a shot.  I've always been a fan of the aesthetic of old computers, so I decided to try and build on
Read more

The “Charming?” Yet awful Typecast Typewriter (updated)

Image
A couple of years ago, the Michaels craft store began to sell a machine made by “We Are Memory Keepers.”  It is the Typecast Typewriter, and it costs about $170. Let me cut to the chase: this machine is awful.  The construction is flimsy and cheap, the action is stiff, and the alignment is the worst ever.  So if you wanna buy it, click below!!! https://www.michaels.com/we-r-memory-keepers-typecast-typewriter-mint/10507749.html I am not alone in my views, as many other enthusiasts share my stance.  This machine gives the typewriter a bad reputation among many people, especially craft people, who enjoy bearing the name “key chopper” for cutting the keys off of machines a hundred years old just to make a piece of jewelry.  When they are done, the rest of the machine is thrown away.  I really truly despise the lack of respect given to these historical artifacts, and the Typecast only seems to mock them, by perpetuating the inaccurate stereotype of the inconvenient, bl
Read more

A Comprehensive History of the Royal Model P

Image
nothing like medium format film and typewriters  A number of years ago, I was perusing the Internet and looking at old typewriters.  I had been writing fiction for a while and was enjoying it a lot, and wanted to look into typewriters as I had seen one a couple days ago at a local antique shop.  I stumbled across a blog titled "Machines of Loving Grace," and saw two Royal Model Ps.  One in duotone red, and the other in duotone green.  I remembered from that moment on I knew I had to get my hands on one of them.  I'll skip all the lame details, because that isn't what I want to spend time talking about.  I want to discuss the history of the machine, and it's impact on the typewriter industry as a whole.  There are too few articles on the Internet, too few resources on typewriters, and I among many others wish to expand the available amount of knowledge.  So I'll present to you, a project a long time in the making, to the best of my poor grammatic
Read more