geekhack
geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: pixelpusher on Mon, 08 February 2021, 14:00:11
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Seems to be close to mint:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Keyboard-IBM-Model-M-1391401-with-IBM-cable-1393120-As-Is/293908089125?hash=item446e498925:g:p3sAAOSwoKxf3Wcw
1992 model for $75. Ships for a fair price as well.
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A prospective buyer may want to read the seller notes:
“Tested with my laptop using an adapter. All lights come up as you see on the photo, but when I attempted to type, about one third of keys fail to type letters (or numbers). With further inspection, I notice that the PAUSE key is stuck, half-pressed and not moving. Not sure if these issues are related. But, we are selling as is. Its cosmetic condition is overall very good and clean with no missing keys. The IBM cable 1393120 has signs of minor use. Please use zoom function on photos to best judge condition.”
Far from mint. Is it a loose ribbon connector, a broken trace, or a bolt mod? Gamble and find out.
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Good catch! Might be worth a gamble. I have a pretty crappy M that was “in box” that ended up having all rivets broken and a glued on paper shortcut guide. Could swap out Internals and commence bolt modding. Meh, I’m too lazy for that.
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Well, someone bought it. I've had good luck with virtually all Models M I've picked up on ebay. One in good cosmetic condition is sometimes worth its weight in gold, since I consider cleaning a keyboard to be next to torture, I'd sometimes rather have a clean one that I have to **** with than a perfectly functional one that looks like it spent 20 years under a child's carseat.
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Well, someone bought it. I've had good luck with virtually all Models M I've picked up on ebay. One in good cosmetic condition is sometimes worth its weight in gold, since I consider cleaning a keyboard to be next to torture, I'd sometimes rather have a clean one that I have to **** with than a perfectly functional one that looks like it spent 20 years under a child's carseat.
I finally cleaned up my metal badge M. I honestly wonder if that thing spent some time soaking in dumpster juices or something. Cleaning it took forever, and I haven't even taken the sandwich apart for an overhaul. Pretty sure the IBM badge has some surface rust on it ... which I don't want to scratch the brushed finish on (or the plastic of the case) trying to remove. Maybe some targeted application of vinegar down the road. I think those barrels are tougher to clean around than a lot of other switch designs (literally everything gets caught on the springs too), and then if you drop anything inside and the board still has plastic rivets ... that must be lost to the void forever.
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which I don't want to scratch the brushed finish on (or the plastic of the case) trying to remove
A couple of drops of naptha (aka cigarette lighter fluid) in the depression that holds the badge will soften the adhesive so that it can be lifted out easily, but, you're right, if it stays there too long it can soften and damage the plastic. 20-30 seconds will probably be enough time to accomplish this.
As soon as you lift out the badge, wipe up the naptha with a paper towel and immediately wash the whole thing with hot soapy water. I have done this several times, and it can also be used to remove an oval plastic label.
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which I don't want to scratch the brushed finish on (or the plastic of the case) trying to remove
A couple of drops of naptha (aka cigarette lighter fluid) in the depression that holds the badge will soften the adhesive so that it can be lifted out easily, but, you're right, if it stays there too long it can soften and damage the plastic. 20-30 seconds will probably be enough time to accomplish this.
As soon as you lift out the badge, wipe up the naptha with a paper towel and immediately wash the whole thing with hot soapy water. I have done this several times, and it can also be used to remove an oval plastic label.
Among my other unhealthy infatuations, I also have one for Zippo lighters, so I have plenty of naptha lying around. Do you find it to be a better solvent for adhesives than Goo Gone? I haven't used it for cleaning since I figure I would probably grow an extra limb breathing it in any more than I already do. It did always seem like pretty potent stuff though.
I usually remove rust with a copper brush, but have used pennies with good results in a pinch. The rust spots are so small that a penny might be viable without scratching anything. If not, I may just try your naptha trick. Thanks for the tip.
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It's spelled NAPHTHA.
I'm not being a pedant, I just found this out myself like three months ago and wanted to pass the info along. :)) Apparently my brain just glosses over letters nobody actually pronounces.