Tag

#Restoration Basics

2 pieces filed under this tag.

Hands cleaning the typebars of a vintage typewriter with a brush.

The First Cleaning: Safe Solvents and a Sequence That Will Not Break Anything

Almost every stuck typewriter is only dirty. The trick is cleaning it without dissolving the paint, softening the platen, or driving fresh grime into the segment.

April 2, 2026 · Ilya Konev

A vintage typewriter platen removed and resting on a workbench.

Restoration Tutorials

Platen Hardness: When to Live With It, When to Recover

A concrete platen prints crisply but shortens the life of every typebar. A soft platen prints kindly but smears. Here is how to measure what you actually have and decide whether recovery is worth two hundred dollars.

February 28, 2026 · Ilya Konev