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| Debadged and ready for cleaning |
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| Aluminium: 90mm x 9mm x 2.5mm |
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| First bond |
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| Second bond an hour later - masking turned out to be a good idea |
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| Left paint removed using a wire brush, the right with a sandpaper flap-wheel, each attached to a drill |
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| What crack? |
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Oh, brilliant work!
ReplyDeleteYou may be able to just run a black dye pen through that crack to make it less obvious.
Good idea and it did run through my mind but I'd be concerned that it might end up looking more obvious than an honest crack
DeleteThat's why you need to pick your ink carefully. Most markers tend to be another colour, with the the pigment over-dosed on it. Hence why you often get a red or a green tint to them when you try to colour next to something black.
DeleteWith a bit of care you'll find something.
Good work. Thinking about this machine's adventures over the next century — that's farsighted!
ReplyDeleteIf it isn't as smart as the original, at least it is as strong. Almost tempted to ship it the length of the country unattached to its base board, just to see how the weld holds up un comparison to the original. Then again....
DeleteExcellent job. I have often wondered whether such a job was possible, and decided it wasn't. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't know it was possible either. Sometimes you just need a bit of faith... it helps the glue to set.
DeleteExcellent work! You've brought this machine back to life (:
ReplyDelete...and now blackly menacing the corridors of the Typewriter Database.
DeleteAs you may know from our site, we've been using JB Weld for many years -- even for fixing completely broken frames. An excellent choice for this job, and the gusset in the rear is pro quality. Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Will. I hadn't seen the solution on your site but it sort of seemed like the only practical solution for a limited amount of input. If epoxy can fix a frame, it makes me reassured that it should be ok on a non-load bearing decorative item like a ribbon cover.
DeleteGood job on the cover. I have used JB Weld and other materials (like auto body compounds) to repair different items. It is nice when the repair can be sanded and then repainted.
ReplyDeleteBill, I used filler compounds in the past on perforated bodywork of an old Fiat 127. It even painted up nicely. The thing with this typewriter is that there's no way I can match the lutre of the original factory finish. Not on site anyway and not without spending on it. Also, 95% of the paint on the cover is good original condition and it would be areal shame to either remove it or cover it up. i cleaned up the inevitable contamination around the crack as best I could and lost some of the definition of the Made in Germany decal. I hope the stunning name tag takes some of the attention away from the scar.
DeleteRob, great work! I probably would have gotten depressed and given up before doing the epoxy routine.
ReplyDeleteHow did this beast get broken?
Sloppy packaging and a rough courier. The machine wasn't attached to the base board of its case so it got shuffled around en route, the ribbon cover comes off pretty easily and took a fairly big hit.
DeleteExcellent! Now, I have a Torpedo with a completely MISSING ribbon cover. How much JB Weld would it take to mold an entire ribbon cover? Hmmm.....
ReplyDeleteDevin, do you knit?
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