20 Sep
2011
20 Sep
'11
2:11 p.m.
On Tue, 20 Sep 2011, Tony Duell wrote:
I think some of us like the INM type M keyboard...
If you are brace enough to take the heatstaked 'sandwich' apart and
replace the stkes with screws (I post the method for doign that some
years back), it's easy for one or two of the 'flaps' to jump out of
position when you're putting the bits together again. You then have a
couple of keys that don't work and you have to take the whole thing apart
again.
What I do now is insert a flap then slightly stretch its spring and press
it over the rear of the key plunger housing, forcing the rim of the housing
between the coils of the spring. It'll stay like that, and the flap will
be held in place. Fit all of them, put the rubber sheet, the membrane
sheets and the base plate on, and screw it all together. Then unhook the
springs by running a screwdriver along, and fit the keycaps.
That sounds like a keen way of saving time when putting things back
together. One of my Model Ms has developed a problem with the F key such
that even the slightest pressure causes it to trigger rather than
triggering at the snap. I'll probably cut off the plastic rivets and fit
it with screws to get it back to health. I've done that once before and
the results were very good. The one that I reworked with screws went out
of commission when I extracted the controller board in anticipation of
making a USB controller board. Somewhere along the line I lost the case
screws. I think I'll buy a brand-new Model M from Unicomp with a USB
controller when the time comes. Does anyone here have a Unicomp Model M?
I've also been craving a steampunk reworking of the Model M of the sort
that Datamancer makes. If you've seen the show "Warehouse 13", you've
seen one of these on Artie's desk. I think I'd feel better about cutting
apart a Unicomp than cutting up one of my old IBM ones.
Just for warm fuzzies, I like to spray some metal primer and back
Rustoleum on the metal plate. Of course I leave space for the grounding
connection.
The plastic keyframe can be cafully cut between rows
of keys (it
sometimes breaks along these lines anyway). You can then use parts of 2
damaged keyframes to make one good keyboard.
I am not sure what the offical sixe of head for the casing screws is.
It's often quoted as 7/32", which turns out to be a smidgen more than
5.5mm. I've found both my 7/32" and 5.5mm nutdriver fit fine.
Somebody was looking for some tpye M casing screws. Did you find them? I
spent the afternoon making a good tpye M from bits of 2 broken ones, and
thus I have soem bits over :-). I never thown anything away so I've got a
box of flaps, screws, etc. I could probably be persuaded to part wit hthe
casing screws...
That was me. I'm getting some screws from the guy who runs
clickeykeyboards.com. Thanks for the offer.
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
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