Custom Paint

Another trip to the flea market this week earned me two new machines, a 1966 Hermes 3000 and this cute little Brother Charger 11 that was rebranded by Sears as a "Sears /with correction". I haven't been able to look up any information of the production dates of the model, but I'm pretty sure that it's from the mid 70's or closer to the 80's.

I got the little guy for $7 from a really cute older couple who were just really excited that a younger person would even be interested in a typewriter. And really, I'm not normally interested in machines that look like electrics. I generally gravitate toward more antique and vintage looks, but I never pass up a machine at the flea market that works, especially if it's under $10.

I hate correction ribbons. I loathe them. Whoever used this machine before I got my hands on it apparently swore by the correction ribbon (which is not surprising since it was marketed with the correction feature). The entire machine was covered in white flecks and there were a few incoherent sentences typed out on the platen in white lettering. Somewhere along the line, the ribbon had been replaced with a red and black one, so I was saved from having to order one myself.

Despite some surface grime and the crust of flaky correction tape, the machine was pretty clean. And it types great too, a real precision typer. It's white and white is okay and all, but I wanted something little more flashy.

So I decided to take it apart and give it a new look. This was my first attempt at repainting a machine and this particular model made it such a fun experience. I've taken the skin off of my Underwood Ace and it was such a headache that I can't imagine trying to put it back on with a fresh paint job without scratching the hell out of it.

The Charger 11's skin comes apart in 4 pieces: the top cover which simply pulls off, the bottom (which also serves as the back of the case), and the sides. All together I think it was a total of 10 screws. And the casing is metal, which is a huge bonus to me because I'd never paint plastic.

I used Rustoleum spray paint and it took absolutely forever to dry and I'm sure I did it wrong anyway. You definitely can't see the imperfections in the photos, but there are a few minor blemishes. I think it came out amazing for my first attempt, for being impatient and spraying the coats too thick and too soon together, and for painting on a crazy humid day.