geekhack Community > Reviews
IBM Model M review (buckling springs)
leech:
@Maledicted
great link, thanks for it! It is great to have the link in this review thread, so that surfers can find it more easily.
@funkmon
Thanks also for your post. I booted my pc and was about to start my morning work session (typing, coding) but then thought i'd check this thread first .. and i was glad that you guys posted something. Your timely advice encouraged me. I had to close the morning session (all my browser tabs and the huge Mathematica application), shut down the PC but i wanted to give a shot. Point being, i dont have the key cap removal tools at arm's length and it is a hassle to get them out of storage (and find them tucked away haha). But i did go through it. Got a pair of removal tools and took off some caps and keys (photo uploaded dedicated to you two):
The green thing is firmly inserted, i couldn't take it out (for what). Apart from the spring, nothing seemed offcenter. Also no gunk. I tried to turn the spring with tweezers (and i think i managed to rotate it a bit) but i knew that i'd be in trouble if the spring came off. No, the spring wasn't the primary issue of the key sticking.
So i applied some original Liquid Superlube (shipped from the US to gemani thx ebay, ouch costly) into the Shift key (not the green hole). Thats all i could really do. Put the key back on (there is no cap for the Shift key) and ... tarahh the Shift key works "just fine", no more DOuble CApital LEtters at the beginning of GEman NOuns ;) (all geman nouns start with a capital letter unlike engrish nouns)
This made my day! You guys made my day.
I am very thankful. Thanks for the help, highly appreciated.
I knew that one day, even without your posts, i would have taken off the key/cap and examined the situation (offcenter, gunk, loose, bonedry) myself. But it was with your posts that i felt encouraged to do it today, now, even by closing my started morning session.
The PC is restarted, obviously, and i am happy to continue with my day. Lots of typing, coding, calculating ahead. I am gonna enjoy the work at the PC, thanks to the very fixed Shift-key. (if i doht "hit" as in normal typing behaviour but just slowly/gently press it down at the very left side, then i can make the key tilt and stick. something which i cannot do with the Backspace key, for example. But i am not concerned by that. with normal usage/behavior i consider the Shift key fixed, thank you again!!)
To cut the whole story short: a bit of lube did all the trick, for me.
funkmon:
Hey thanks for the update. Your post actually inspired me. I've always been of the opinion that lube does NOTHING and if there's sticking, it's some kind of a mechanical problem that the lube won't fix. I'm glad to know that it actually does stuff for some people! Haha! Great man! Enjoy many more years of Model Ms. Also visit the modelm subreddit if you're a redditor. Tons of guys there who like em.
leech:
Thanks for the feedback on my report. Ah, model missus, now i get it haha. ;D
I shall check out that subreddit someday, no hurries though. I do like modern mechanical keebs and i would not hesitate to return to them. As i am counting, i seem to own only 3 not 4 (Everglide, Ajazz, Leopold), they're beauties, also missuses :))
If my IBM really gives up life one day, then i'll re-welcome the modern mechies.
For now i am just too busy to spend all my free time into typing/working and making full use of the keeb. no time or interest for watching youtube reviews. And i enjoy the work everyday .. because of the nice quality keyboard. VERY important part of enjoying the working hours. THE other important part is lighting. I take best care of that aspect, e.g. through personal lighting.
Cheers everyone, may 2021 be a great one!!
here some mnemonics “Bei-jing Des Ge-setzes” “My N-o Left Hand” “Kein Thai-chi Por You!”
Maledicted:
--- Quote from: leech on Tue, 16 February 2021, 01:49:54 ---If my IBM really gives up life one day, then i'll re-welcome the modern mechies.
--- End quote ---
You may be stuck with that Model M for many decades then. Enjoy.
--- Quote from: leech on Tue, 16 February 2021, 01:49:54 ---Cheers everyone, may 2021 be a great one!!
--- End quote ---
I have my doubts, but we can hope.
leech:
--- Quote from: leech on Sat, 24 February 2018, 14:21:55 ---People on the internet said that the correct size would be "5.5mm". And while it is true that the nut size is exactly 5.50mm —i checked it with my digital calipers—, the actual size of the 5.5mm Penggong driver is 5.7mm, which means that the driver is notably bigger than the nut
--- End quote ---
Nobody told me that hex screw drivers (hex keys, inbus, imbus, allen) existed in metric standard (millimeters) and in US standard (inches). Same with sockets, nobody told me that socket drivers (hex head, nuts, sockets) existed in metric standard (millimeters) and in US standard (inches). Now that i've got a complete set of metric&US hex keys and metric&US hex sockets, i am fully aware. And the answer/solution to the above is clear:
The correct driver for the IBM screws is not 5.5mm (metric standard) but 7/32" (US standard), or 5.56mm. I tested it, it's a perfect fit!
Ah never mind. A 5.5mm driver is very close to a 7/32" driver, same same. Maybe that's why my 21458 set doesn't come with a "5.5mm" socket to begin with:
Btw the world's best manual bit holder (bit driver) is made in gemani, do a yt search on <best bit holder>. This driver solution works for de keeb two:
Thanks for looking!
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