Lettera 22

Little blue 22

~ cloudytype ~ 1 Comment

A week of cleaning and tinkering. This one stank to high heaven, as the Letteras often do. I scrubbed the case inside and out. Its case linings had come loose so this made cleaning easier and also revealed the flimsy nature of these soft cases: the linings are merely cardboard and cloth. I used stain remover made into a paste and applied with a toothbrush in small sections, allowing each cleaned part to dry off in the sun. I was worried the cardboard would disintegrate! I fixed the linings back into place with strong wood glue. Irene’s name sticker also gave me worries but actually it just peeled off easily, and the remaining gummy parts cleaned off with washing up liquid. The felt inside the base of the machine was treated to anti-bac foot spray, which neutralises the deep aroma coming from inside the typewriter.

Cleaned up and ready to go to its new home. I polished everything with Renaissance wax to finish off. The scuff on the space bar was fixed with clear lacquer.
Not forgetting the original dust cover! This also needed a careful laundering with mild shampoo. Left to dry out in the shade.

Bikecast!

~ cloudytype ~ 2 Comments

I have wanted to take a typewriter for a ride for a long time, and finally got around to it. Unfortunately a dog scared the birds away almost as soon as I sat down to type a picture of them, so I’m afraid this trio is all I can offer. However not to worry, I brought my swimming kit, so all is fine and dandy.

The water is 16.6 degrees C, about as warm as it will get this summer. The safer seas and rivers app tells me the water is also clean enough to swim in. I never venture in these days without checking. Southern Water has an abominable reputation for dumping untreated sewage into the sea, and this year was fined millions for its misdemeanours. But today all is looking pretty nice.

when thoughts don’t have time for hitting shift

~ cloudytype ~ 3 Comments

get up close and personal with your typing next time you hit the keys

The title of this post is the first line of a song from an album released in the 1980s … kudos to those who know it without googling it. Great song and its sentiment is truer than ever. I loved that artist. She lifted me up in my angsty years with her stories and cool blues chords…

Have a great day, fellow humans.

Edit: It seems more and more that people whose work you have loved for decades… disappoint you to the point of tears. The internet reveals the ugly things people say quicker than the blink of an eye.