Look what I found :)

[Zerreth]

So I wake up this night ( I don't really have a biorhythm atm ) and find this in the hallway.

We've been doing a lot of renovations lately and my parents are throwing old stuff out.

 

 

I've been looking at mechanical keyboards since I first heard of them on the live streams and IBM model M rang a bell.

Opened it up, did some research and this is apparently the 1390120 variation. (or that's what it looks like)

Meaning that is doesn't have the Status LEDs, but is even heavier construction than the normal model M. (it weighs a lot for a keyboard)

 

 

This is the label on the bottom, which says that it is manufactured in the UK, while the box says it is manufactured in Germany.

So it could be that we have another one lying around. I do vaguely remember these heavy clicky keyboards from when I was a
kid and I saw another variant online which looked familiar, so I'dd better start looking around in the house. :)

 

 

 I've learned online that these keyboards have a special SDL connector at the keyboard end, and the cable that's on mine has an old AT/XT connector at the other end.

 

 

On ebay I found that there are replacement cables, either with a ps/2 end or usb end.

 

USB http://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/USB-to-SDL-6-Pin-6ft-IBM-Lexmark-Unicomp-Type-M-Clicky-Keyboard-Cable-NEW-/280862986246?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4164bd1006

PS/2 http://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/PS2-to-6-Pin-SDL-6ft-IBM-Lexmark-Unicomp-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-Cable-NEW-/271064693220?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1cb6f9e4

 

 

 

I'm very noobish at mechanical keyboards so I have some questions:

 

+ Is it worth to invest a lot of money in this keyboard or is it likely that the keys will break with the old springs inside ?

+ Are there replacement caps available and are there different types ? (so that I just can't go out and buy any caps) And where can I find any ?

+ How can I safely remove the caps without damaging them ?

+ How can I fight the yellowing of such old hardware ?

+ Is a Black paint job a possibility, or will it look like cheap glossy plastic ?

[Andi]

don't loose that box....man this is rare...

[ixi_your_face]

Keep it as is if it runs. That's a real gem!

[XiaoPigs]

That's a very rare find. Could you ship it to me? I would like to have it. Please? please? :(

[Andi]

That's a very rare find. Could you ship it to me? I would like to have it. Please? please? :(

no no! to me. i'm sure shipping to me is cheaper :D

 

i really hope he dosn't paint it...

[XiaoPigs]

no no! to me. i'm sure shipping to me is cheaper :D

 

i really hope he dosn't paint it...

NO! Don't you fight me for it you 420blazeitfagit LOL.

 

It look so shiny(figuratively speaking) and brand new really.

[Andi]

i live 5 minutes away from the IBM R&D center in germany...i think i should go and brake in...maybe they have some old keyboards laying around. i mean they should still work..^^

 

[Zerreth]

The problem is here in Belgium it's almost impossible to find a keyboard with cherry MX blues. The only ones that you can get here are reds. -_-

And spending 100 € + absurdly high shipping costs + customs + VAT is not something I'm willing to do. ( I've had very bad experiences with Belgian Customs in the past resulting in extremely high extra costs )

 

As for the painting part, I'm not planning on ruining the keyboard :) If I'm going to paint it at all I'm going to have it done by a professional. I also always do mockups first before deciding to go through with it.

I've recently semi restored these Sony TA-88 & ST-88 as well (not my image) and I'm planning to have it looked at electronically one day too. I take these things seriously. :)

 

 

 

Something simple like replacing some keycaps does look awesome too:

 

[Zerreth]

This one does need some cleaning though :)

 

Handy Guide: http://www.preater.com/modelm/

 

The keycaps are easy to remove, you don't need special tools, you can take them off easily with your fingers with very little force.

[Hyp0xia]

I am filled with envy. Toss that Logitech in a waste receptacle, my friend. You are very lucky indeed.

[Zerreth]

LOL, the plastic protection foil is still on the metal IBM logo !

[exousia7]

This..............wow.......such a great find +_+

[-ism]

Hey if you don't want it I'll take the Logitech one :D

 

That's a nice keyboard. I've never seen one in my life.

[Zerreth]

Probably going to give the logitech keyboard away to a friend or something.

 

I've ordered the USB cable, and a 5.5mm thin walled precision nut driver to take the keyboard apart.
The L shaped enter key is sticky :( thankfully you can swap out spring assemblies so i can move the faulty one to a key that's rarely used. Replacement parts are impossible to come by in europe in seems...

[Zerreth]

Ok so finally everything arrived and I got to work. You'll need a 5.5mm thin walled nut driver and use it to unfasten the 4 screws holding it together.

 

The USB cable arrived from the USA and works flawlessly. I've also invested in a Filco leather wrist rest via Amazon.co.uk. It wasn't cheap, but now that I've been using it for a couple of weeks I cannot live without it.

 

 

Lots of dust inside...

 

 

Keycap removal. ( click for animated GIF )

 

 

These are going to be washed.

 

 

So I saw this video on youtube on how you can reverse the yellowing that happens over time with these old plastics. So I bought some cream peroxide 12% and a UV light kit, since this was much cheaper than buying a black light. Top and Bottom gave it a good coat with 30-ish hours of exposure to UV light. And yes, this seems to work. However, If you really want it to be perfect you'll probably going to want to do this several times over. ( I really wanted to use my keyboard now, so I just gave each half a turn  )

 

 

Looks like new :)

 

Replaced my old Sidewinder with a nice white G600. I fixed the sticky enter key by very slightly bending the support bracket so it has more lift. Typing on the Model M feels great, though I do miss the Windows key :)

 

[Anult]

That model M has finally found a home, it's always nice to see such a great keyboard not go to waste.

 

Take good care of it man, that's a gem right there.

[albinosquid]

I literally found out a few days ago a friend of mine has a Model M, I'm gonna try to get it from him.