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I frequently visit estate sales looking for pewter and other various whatever things that tickle my fancy, but at the last one I saw a royal typewriter going for $1 so I went ahead a bought it. My question is are the letters used in the manual royal typewriters made of linotype? I expect the keys are connected to some variety of steel, but it looks like the keys themselves were pressed on in the metal and look like they are pretty soft.
I'm guessing not?
I'm assuming you bought typewriter for this possibility and so damaging it is not an issue. In that case you could pull up one key and try passing a propane torch over the end.
Even if it is a lead based alloy I'd guess the yield from the whole machine wouldn't be much.
That's certainly worth more to someone than what you paid, don't turn it into scrap there's no lino in there.
Linotype is (or was) only used by print shops. Big air powered machines allowed operator to type and the liquid lead alloy come out in bars with the text. It was re-melted after printing and then cast again for the next printing job. Had to have enough tin to flow well so it would cast crisp letters, had to be hard enough to hold up for a single printing job. Typewriter each letter would have to remain crisp for hundreds if not thousands of times typing it.
The individual letters for set type are a harder alloy, they like a typewriter will get used over and over. The set type needs expensive tin to flow when originally cast since it will be cast in many font sizes. Typewriter doesn't. Would not surprise me if they used zinc alloy for typewriter letters. I know the "ball" for an electric is way too light weight to have any lead in it.
If that was a working Royal typewriter, it would be worth far more by selling it than any amount of lead, pewter, or tin that you might find in it. The older manual typewriters are a fairly collectable item in the market today. I have seen working models go for well over $150.00 depending on the model. Sold for $75.00 or so, you could buy a bit of lead for that.
The Frau and I were at a church rummage sale a few years back looking over what had been donated for sale. I spotted an old Remington upright typewriter of obvious vintage. I lifted the metal roller cover and there were the words in gold leaf `L. C. Smith`! It may have been a heavy beast to carry, but for $10 I took it home. About 2 years back a friend was in my gun room and spotted the typewriter. He offered me $250 for it right then and there. SOLD!Robert
And if you want to watch a good documentary on the Linotype machine this is the trailer to a show titled"
Linotype The Film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avDuKuBNuCk
It's available on some video streaming sources like Amazon Prime.
If you're interested in the history of the Linotype machine it is well worth the time to watch it.
linotype = lines of type
monotype = mono (single) letter
https://i.imgur.com/EF3B2iu.png
Uh No.
I have a few old typewriters, including a Royal, Corona, and an L.C. Smith, and I am pretty the key heads are not made for any alloy of lead. If so they just wouldn't last very long.
They are heat treated steel. There is no lead or lead alloy anywhere in a typewriter.
Check out evilBay to see what that typewriter is worth to collectors.
Nothing ever got a pounding like a typewriter.........I remember as a kid the rooms full of women typing away flat out when we used to go visit my grandfather in his office....why I dont know.I reckon anything in a office typewriter was made of hard steel.
The letters in manual typewriter are called Strikers or Type Bars and the letters are on the Head. These were typically investment cast of steel and heat treated for long continued use.
I'm another that doubts there is any lead in a typewriter. I would try to sell it rather that strip it down.
The cheaper late model portables have mazak/zamak chassis die castings.......ie mostly zinc.