Restoring a 1926 typewriter case

The typewriter is a Corona made in 1926.  I came across it in a yard sale and, having no real use for an old typewriter, I bought it anyway!  Actually, I spent many years using a typewriter, but gladly made the switch when computers and printers came along.  Still, I have fond memories of old manual typewriters.

The only thing wrong with the typewriter was that someone installed one of the ribbon spools upside down (so the typewriter wouldn't automatically reverse the ribbon when it came to the end of the spool).  I wound a new ribbon onto the spool, installed it correctly, and the typing machine worked fine.

The case for this portable typewriter was another matter, however, so the rebuilding of the case is what I'll focus on in this Instructable.

Step 1 Evaluate the condition of the case

This typewriter's case had many problems, the most obvious being the fabric covering was beginning to disintegrate.  I really couldn't tell what this fabric was made of, but it appeared to be some sort of woven cloth that had a thin coating on the outside.  The fabric was very thin, and was rotted and worn in many places.

The fabric on the inside of the case was still in good shape, so I decided to leave the original as it was.

Because the black finish of the fabric on the outside of the case was powdery and flaking off, attempting to repair and re-glue the original fabric was not an option.  So, I decided to rip off all the old fabric and attempt to recover the case with something that looked like the original.

Comments

[c-biscuit]

How did you re attach the hardware? Did you use rivets?

C

[knife141]

I used both rivets and machine screws & nuts.

[Winged Fist]

Beautiful restoration job... When someone finds this in 100 years, they'll think they found 185 year old typewriter case like new!;-)

[knife141]

Thanks! Hopefully when they find it it will be in better shape than it was when I found it!