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Home » Smith Corona » Sterling » 1938 #1A 29571
1938 Smith Corona Sterling Serial # 1A 29571 1938 Smith Corona Sterling typewriter, Serial # 1A 29571 Daniel Burgoyne's 1938 Smith Corona Sterling typewriter. 2025-11-30 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Daniel Burgoyne: 1938 Smith Corona Sterling Serial # 1A 29571 I named this typewriter Adélina in honour of its original owner who used it from 1939 to 1991. It was purchased in 1939 but is believed to have been manufactured in 1938 if we compare the serial number with other entries.

The owner, Madame Adélina Beauchemin, used this portable for business needs, bringing it with her while traveling by car, trains and airplane with her husband on their business trips together in Northern Québec and Northern Ontario.

Purchased from Adélina's granddaughter who had care of it from 1991 to November 2021.

Made in Canada. Has a QWERTY French Canada keyboard with French key legends (rare) for majuscules, fixe-majuscules, tabulations, déclenche marge and rappel arrière. Elite typeface. Original square case in good condition.

The platen surface was uneven, covered with indents made by the period key and letters. I intended to have it recovered by JJ Short, but put it aside for too long.

On November 28, 2025, I shaved the surface off on my lathe, from a n OD of 32.3 mm down to 30.1 before adding a layer of polyolefin heat shrink tubing. The result works well but I am unsure of its durability.

1938 Smith Corona Sterling #1A 29571

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Daniel Burgoyne (Ixzed23)
Created: 11-13-2021 at 05:27PM
Last Edit: 11-30-2025 at 09:38AM

Description Hunter 16 Photos 0 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

I named this typewriter Adélina in honour of its original owner who used it from 1939 to 1991. It was purchased in 1939 but is believed to have been manufactured in 1938 if we compare the serial number with other entries.

The owner, Madame Adélina Beauchemin, used this portable for business needs, bringing it with her while traveling by car, trains and airplane with her husband on their business trips together in Northern Québec and Northern Ontario.

Purchased from Adélina's granddaughter who had care of it from 1991 to November 2021.

Made in Canada. Has a QWERTY French Canada keyboard with French key legends (rare) for majuscules, fixe-majuscules, tabulations, déclenche marge and rappel arrière. Elite typeface. Original square case in good condition.

The platen surface was uneven, covered with indents made by the period key and letters. I intended to have it recovered by JJ Short, but put it aside for too long.

On November 28, 2025, I shaved the surface off on my lathe, from a n OD of 32.3 mm down to 30.1 before adding a layer of polyolefin heat shrink tubing. The result works well but I am unsure of its durability.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

Platen with permanent indents of caracters from typing.
Platen with permanent indents of caracters from typing.

French Canada keyboard with French key legends.
French Canada keyboard with French key legends.

First step: shaving off the surface down to 30.1 mm OD.
First step: shaving off the surface down to 30.1 mm OD.

Two layers of heat shrink tubing mounted. Platen is now too big at 33.4 mm. First pass shaving off the excess heat shrink.
Two layers of heat shrink tubing mounted. Platen is now too big at 33.4 mm. First pass shaving off the excess heat shrink.

Thin shavings of the heat shrink.
Thin shavings of the heat shrink.

All was going well on what I thought was the final pass, when suddenly, the now thinner outside layer ripped. Darnnnn!
All was going well on what I thought was the final pass, when suddenly, the now thinner outside layer ripped. Darnnnn!

Decided to remove the second layer of tubing.
Decided to remove the second layer of tubing.

Shaving off some high spots on the first layer.
Shaving off some high spots on the first layer.

Made this tight fitting plug to hold the end of the platen with the lathe tailstock.
Made this tight fitting plug to hold the end of the platen with the lathe tailstock.

Done and installed.
Done and installed.

Showing the surface finish.
Showing the surface finish.



New type sample with the updated platen.
New type sample with the updated platen.

A 10 mm ER25 collet works much better than a three-jaw chuck to grip the small end of the platen core (right hand side as installed).
A 10 mm ER25 collet works much better than a three-jaw chuck to grip the small end of the platen core (right hand side as installed).


Hunter: Daniel Burgoyne (Ixzed23)

Daniel Burgoyne's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 795

Bonjour! I am from the region of Montreal, Quebec and moved to Ottawa, Ontario in 1992.

Amateur watchmaker and machinist, I love anything mechanical, hydraulic or electric. I have restored American and Canadian clocks and small lathes, milling machines and a jig bore.

Most of my typewriters have French Canadian QWERTY keyboards, with some exception for rare finds.


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