Triumph Perfekt with custom platen
I bought this machine for a friend who is a writer. She tried using other, much older machine from 30-ties but I could see that she was struggling and will soon give up. She needed a proper machine from times when they were at their best. Around 1950.
Apart from Erika 10 or her siblings I find Triumph to be one of the best machines to have, on European soil. Sure, Hermes 3k or 2k are nice, too, but with “Tom Hank´s effect” they became unobtinium for reasonable money.
So I won the auction (nobody was bidding) and the machine came. And then I saw what others saw on pictures but I was blind: aluminum corrosion under paint. Ugly white powder leaving traces on table after usage. Paint bubbling. Nothing to give to a girl…
Well, hunt for a better one continued but I figured this one will stay in my arsenal. If so I can apply Richard Polt´s cure (it is his book with his Retro-Electric Underwood which inspired me) and make it yet another fall-out machine in my collection.
A few evenings later she was ready.
But the vinyl case - that was still ugly as 50-ties furniture!
I was very sure that under this dull covering there is beautiful wood as on my SM3 so I kept peeling off the plastic.
Guess what - not!
They used another wonder material from 50-ties: chip-plate. What a bummer!
After sanding it became a bit nicer but still not a real wood. I will have to stain it and oil the whole thing, hopefully make it look more decent.
Apart from damaged paint and general dirt the machine had one major problem: platen was stone-hard and not gripping paper anymore. Time for a new one.
To make the process easier I tried removing entire clutch mechanism, to keep chrome-plated covering safe from damage in turning.
There are two additional, M4-threaded holes under the ratchet wheel. I think they were used to pull out the subassembly. At least I used them for this.
Turns out the chromed detail is part of the platen.
I had to keep it protected with tape instead.
Old platen was removed and new one manufactured from clear vinyl and with background image matching post-apocalyptic look of my machine.
It is an old graphic from SF-magazine from 80´which I kept for many years. It became platen for my now favorite go-to machine.
I’m glad with the outcome. Aluminum ribbon cover will tarnish with time but I will naively try to inhibit that by using this machine daily. And waxing with Fulgentine.
Time will show if I managed.
