Typewriter Services and Repair

  • COVID-19 UPDATE 1/2023 - Just wear it.

    COVID-19 UPDATE 7/31/2022 - Masks Please. Virus bad still.

    COVID-19 UPDATE 2/28/2022 - Short and sweet: CDC is calling off mask mandates, I am not. Business as usual. The vaccine is NOT effective against Omicron, as stated by the CDC.

    COVID-19 UPDATE 6/27/2021 - CDC once again recommends masks regardless of vaccination status. In light of the Delta Variant of COVID, I am still requiring customers and clients to wear them regardless of vaccination status, and I will be as well. Masks must be covering both your mouth and your nose.

    COVID-19 UPDATE 5/13/2021 - Despite CDC updates stating that vaccinated people can stop wearing masks and stop social distancing, I am still requiring it. Fully vaccinated people are still carriers for the virus. No service will be given to those not following previous COVID guidelines regardless of vaccination. There are currently millions of breakthrough cases in individuals who have been fully vaccinated, no vaccine is fully effective.

    COVID-19 Notice (2020). MASKS ARE REQUIRED, as well as Illinois state social distancing requirements. Your mask must be covering BOTH your nose and your mouth at the same time for exchanging machines, dropping off, picking up, or on site repairs. I understand others have their own ideas and opinions, and this is the way I prefer to conduct my business. I reserve the right to refuse at any time. Please place your machines on the ground or directly into the trunk.

  • I am currently working out of an unpublished residential address. PLEASE DO NOT SHOW UP WITHOUT A CONFIRMED APPOINTMENT.

    PLEASE do not share my address with friends, family members, or any third parties, or publish to social media. If you miss your appointment, or are running late, PLEASE call me and we will reschedule. Please do not contact my neighbors!!!!!!!

    PLEASE GIVE A 24 HOUR NOTICE IF YOU CAN’T MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TO AVOID BEING CHARGED CANCELLATION FEES! Appointments are automatically canceled if you are more than a half hour late with no contact.

    If you need to reach me, call me (630-561-5853).

Repair work is first come first serve, and by appointment only. A repair queue is listed on the homepage. If you chose to drop your machine off early, there is a $30 monthly storage fee before and after repairs. Following notice of completion, you have 30 days to pick up, or to schedule a pickup. The rest is specified in the Service Contract.

What you’ll need - for any repair job, I request the signed payment contract and the $20 assessment fee. Do not pay the fee in advance, pay when you drop off your machine. Of course I will need the machine too. Once I have those two things, it may take me a few days to assess the work, and I will then contact you with a quote. The maximum amount of machines per person for work at one time is 4. Average repair cost is $300-350.

For rushed orders: if I am backlogged or busy and you need your machine right away, I can cut you to the front of the line but the repair will be billed at time and a half.

In regards to trade-ins and junk: I will accept any machine for a value of $20 towards both sales and repairs.

Below are pictures of typewriters. You’ll need to scroll down to see them. These are previous jobs I’ve done.

Perfection is not guaranteed these are old machines, a lot can go wrong and permanently so over the course of many decades.

I uphold the original Royal Guarantee which applies to all serviced typewriters starting at the time of pickup.

Your Typewriter is guaranteed for ninety days from the date of pickup and if presented within ninety days. Any part or parts which may become unserviceable through ordinary wear and not through accident, misuse, or neglect will be replaced and any necessary adjustments made without charge. This guarantee does not include cylinder, ribbons, or cleaning.

I specialize in repairing manual typewriters from all eras excluding the Corona 4. I’m more of a fixer than a beautician, and I strive to ensure every machine that leaves my hands operates in tip top shape, even if it isn’t a looker. I have close to a decade of analog service experience, countless machines from all over the world have passed through my hands dating anywhere from the 1880s all the way up to the 1980s; I see these old machines as functional pieces of history. As such, I put great care into making sure all machines leave my shop working as best as possible.

I work to the old-world industry standard, and strive to ensure genuine and high quality repair work. I don’t “flip” machines, or give them “TLC,” I hold them to high business standards whenever possible, and work to adjust, calibrate, and repair machines as close to original tolerances and factory specifications as they can go. This is serious repair work, and I treat it rightfully so.

I have also service the IBM Selectric line of electric typewriters.

Cosmetics are generally a reflection on the quality of care in a machine’s past life, a record which is cleaned and cared for rather than erased. If it puts a letter on a page, I’ll service it and take care of it for you. At the top of the page, you can click to view my pricing, or sign the document if you want work to be done.

Additionally I sell many types of inked typewriter ribbons to get your machines going! And if need be, I can source parts