IBM Model M 1391401 cleanup

[invariance]

I know there are plenty of Model M keyboard refurbishment and modification threads around on here and DT, but I wanted to put up my little excursion into the 'restoration' of this iconic keyboard.

So, here I found this old girl lying forlornly on the side of the road.



Looking quite dirty, missing a few keycaps and had her cable cut right off at the sdl connector.

She came with a birth certificate:



I have submitted it to the clickykeyboards database and it seems to be pretty early in the production run for this model.

Time for a strip down and clean up.



I thought it would a lot dirtier, but it is principally dust.

Rub-a-dub-dub 101 keys in a tub



Off to to get a hex driver set for the screws on the rear of the case now.

[fohat.digs]

There have been several reports from Oz on Model Ms lying on the side of the road.

WTF?

Are your roads piled with garbage, or do people deliberately select 30-year-old US name-brand electronics to use for litter?

[pr0ximity]

There have been several reports from Oz on Model Ms lying on the side of the road.

WTF?

Are your roads piled with garbage, or do people deliberately select 30-year-old US name-brand electronics to use for litter?

The streets are paved with buckling springs!  )

[invariance]

There have been several reports from Oz on Model Ms lying on the side of the road.

WTF?

Are your roads piled with garbage, or do people deliberately select 30-year-old US name-brand electronics to use for litter?

Only the best will do 

The local city council has a program referred to as 'kerbside collections' where once every 12 months they will pick up larger household items.
Generally used by people to do a mini spring clean.  Most of the items put out would have generally fit into the trash anyway, but ends up in a temporary pile on the roadside, sometimes to another's benefit. 

There have been several reports from Oz on Model Ms lying on the side of the road.

WTF?

Are your roads piled with garbage, or do people deliberately select 30-year-old US name-brand electronics to use for litter?

The streets are paved with buckling springs!  )

.... and MX's .... Alps ..... hall effects ....   

Now that would be a collectors utopia!
Sadly not at this ass end of the world. 

[rowdy]

Nice start to the restoration.

I like the ghetto keycap remover

Also I am yet to find a Model M lying on the road side, despite looking.  The best I've found are old rubber dome keyboards during the recent hard rubbish collection, and most of those had the cables cut off.

[invariance]

Thanks rowdy.
Made it out of paperclips during a particularly busy time at work.   )

Got the 5.5mm hex socket driver and removed the 4 screws from the back


then flipped the keyboard over and lifted the top half of the case off, from the rear as there are clips under the front edge


Slid the plate assy out to inspect how many of the plastic rivets have broken


There were a number of rivets broken, but it wasn't until I was cleaning around the barrel plate and the back that more decided to jump off: time for a bolt mod. 

Started separating the plate assembly: plate removed and membranes exposed


Bottom membrane removed


Separation/insulation layer removed


Top membrane removed


now the blanket has been removed revealing the barrel plate with hammers in situ


In researching the bolt mod, I also came across SpaceGhost's comments within njbair's thread Model M "nutless bold mod (http:// https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=70410.msg1697379#msg1697379) and I particularly liked the idea of using 'machine' screws instead of a screw and nut.
Unfortunately I didn't take photos of the process I used, but it has been documents many times before by others, and I essentially did the same:

• Cut off the rivet heads with a sharp blade.  I have an old "wallpaper knife", but a small art knife/stencil knife/etc can be used.  I didn't go as far as removing the posts down to the 'shoulders' on the barrel plate as my reasoning is I wanted to leave as much plastic for the screws to bite into as possible.
• With the switch plate assembly altogether, drill pilot holes in the posts with a 1mm bit in a pcb drill.
• Get ahead of myself and now order some screws.

Good old fleabay to the rescue.  Ordered 100 machine screws M2 x 6mm stainless steel hex head finished in black.

[rowdy]

Actually there is a thread for DIY keycap pullers: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46003.0

Thread needs moar love

These threads I read with interest as I should really try bolt-modding one of my Model M.

[Elrick]

Thread needs moar love

These threads I read with interest as I should really try bolt-modding one of my Model M.

True, these type of threads is what's needed here on Geekhack.  More restoration and fixing of old keyboards because let's face it any goon can buy brand new keyboards, it doesn't take much effort but restoring an old beauty that has been abused and chucked onto the streets like a forgotten child, is brilliant to see another Model-M rise from it's dreadful street life  .

Time to get back to restoring and enlivening these type of keyboards, we need this type of feel good restos  .

[rowdy]

Thread needs moar love

These threads I read with interest as I should really try bolt-modding one of my Model M.

True, these type of threads is what's needed here on Geekhack.  More restoration and fixing of old keyboards because let's face it any goon can buy brand new keyboards, it doesn't take much effort but restoring an old beauty that has been abused and chucked onto the streets like a forgotten child, is brilliant to see another Model-M rise from it's dreadful street life  .

Time to get back to restoring and enlivening these type of keyboards, we need this type of feel good restos  .

Er actually I was referring to the ghetto keycap puller, which is definitely DIY and very much holding with the GH spirit

[bocahgundul]

GL at restoring this beautiful board bro 

[FreeCopy]

Thanks rowdy.
Made it out of paperclips during a particularly busy time at work.   )

Got the 5.5mm hex socket driver and removed the 4 screws from the back
(Attachment Link)

then flipped the keyboard over and lifted the top half of the case off, from the rear as there are clips under the front edge
(Attachment Link)

Slid the plate assy out to inspect how many of the plastic rivets have broken
(Attachment Link)

There were a number of rivets broken, but it wasn't until I was cleaning around the barrel plate and the back that more decided to jump off: time for a bolt mod. 

Started separating the plate assembly: plate removed and membranes exposed
(Attachment Link)

Bottom membrane removed
(Attachment Link)

Separation/insulation layer removed
(Attachment Link)

Top membrane removed
(Attachment Link)

now the blanket has been removed revealing the barrel plate with hammers in situ
(Attachment Link)

In researching the bolt mod, I also came across SpaceGhost's comments within njbair's thread Model M "nutless bold mod (http:// https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=70410.msg1697379#msg1697379) and I particularly liked the idea of using 'machine' screws instead of a screw and nut.
Unfortunately I didn't take photos of the process I used, but it has been documents many times before by others, and I essentially did the same:

• Cut off the rivet heads with a sharp blade.  I have an old "wallpaper knife", but a small art knife/stencil knife/etc can be used.  I didn't go as far as removing the posts down to the 'shoulders' on the barrel plate as my reasoning is I wanted to leave as much plastic for the screws to bite into as possible.
• With the switch plate assembly altogether, drill pilot holes in the posts with a 1mm bit in a pcb drill.
• Get ahead of myself and now order some screws.

Good old fleabay to the rescue.  Ordered 100 machine screws M2 x 6mm stainless steel hex head finished in black.

The internals in this board are in great condition. Good find.

Good call on the SS screws. I used standard steel screws on my nut/bolt mod two years ago and recently took it apart to find all the little hex nuts on the back of the plate rusted. Good thing I painted the plate because I'm sure it would be corroded as well. Now I need to replace the screws and probably go to a nutless mod.

[invariance]

Actually there is a thread for DIY keycap pullers: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46003.0

Thread needs moar love

These threads I read with interest as I should really try bolt-modding one of my Model M.

I should put mine up there as well, although nothing will beat the 'Special Edition' keycap puller.

If the plastic rivets are falling off definitely get in a do it!  The other advantage with the screw mod is they don't foul with the stabilizer guides under + and Enter on the numpad.

GL at restoring this beautiful board bro 

Thanks bocahgundul

The internals in this board are in great condition. Good find.

Good call on the SS screws. I used standard steel screws on my nut/bolt mod two years ago and recently took it apart to find all the little hex nuts on the back of the plate rusted. Good thing I painted the plate because I'm sure it would be corroded as well. Now I need to replace the screws and probably go to a nutless mod.

Thanks FreeCopy.
Knowing those screws are corroded is going to be a nagging thought in the back of your mind and there is only one way to stop it: do it!
Provided you initially drilled the holes undersized and the screws have made a thread in the plastic there shouldn't be an issue going nutless.

Time to get back to restoring and enlivening these type of keyboards, we need this type of feel good restos  .

Cheers Elrick.
I see people getting hold of perfectly good old boards to rip the mechs out of to make up custom boards and shake my head in disbelief.
I liken it to taking a tired old t-bird (or put in your preferred classic/vintage car) and turning it into a drag car - why???
Anyway, getting a bit OT.

[invariance]

While I wait for the screws to come in from Hong Kong, I have turned my attention to the cut cable.  Here is what remains:



I want to try and keep it as close as possible to the original, and ideally would get an original cable from clickykeyboards, but shipping to Australia and the exchange rate puts it over $50aud.  A bit too pricey for me unfortunately.
So, I have spent some time looking around for a beige ps2 curly cord to attach to the plug, which seem to be just as rare as the keyboards themselves.
I eventually found one and now have it in my possession to convert into a copy of the original.

The first step is to remove the ferrule


Unclip the shield halves


If, like me, you haven't dealt with one of these beasts before, they are an SDL connector (Shielded Data Link) and are essentially an ethernet connector.  Actually a 6 position 6 conductor (6P/6C) plug.  It has two strain reliefs that must be raised as they clamp the conductors inside the plug housing.  The one down near the back of the housing is easily raised with some longnose pliers.  The second relief is behind the contacts and a small flat screwdriver is used to raise it.  I also worked the contacts up using the same 'jewelers' screwdriver and an art knife to remove the individual conductors.



With the plug in pieces I moved over to the extension cable and noticed something when the portion of the original cable is placed with it, the donor cable is a lot thinner than the original.


I reinserted the original conductors and stripped and tinned both ends to make an attempt at joining them.


Will see how I go with that another day.

[fohat.digs]

I know that Orihalcon had a heck of a time finding male SDL connectors and had to buy a ton of them when he did.

I have never seen a male-male PS/2 cable like that, it looks like an old Apple ADB cable. Or maybe is it a male-female extension cable?

[CPTBadAss]

Man that cable fix is really cool. I hope it works. Loving the restoration log so far

[rowdy]

Not many people would attempt to reconstruct an SDL cable starting with the plug.  Fantastic job!

And yes, the cost of an Orihalcon SDL/USb cable shipped to Aus cost me more than my first two Model M keyboards put together.  But it is a great cable.

[invariance]

Thanks guys.

The ps2 cable is a standard extension m-f; nothing fancy there.

Disassembling an sdl connector to reuse, I gladly concede that I am a bit crazy  ) ) )

Here I have soldered and heatshrinked the conductors and am yet to press the sdl contacts back onto position and the strain reliefs down.


I included a couple of pieces of heatshrink over the outer insulation to assist with bulking it up since it is a lot thinner than the original.  I am hoping there will be enough for the ferrule to press against when it is put back on.



Voila !!!
One completed 'replica' sdl to ps/2 cable.  It's nothing flash and certainly not durable, but it gives the semblance of originality to those that don't look closely.


Getting the ferrule on was not particularly easy, only because I didn't want to cut the original conductors down to have the solder joints further inside the housing.  I might have another go at it some day: slide the ferrule back, trim the yellow heatshrink a bit so it is less visible (it needed another layer to be effective packing) and probably run a little bit of electrical tape over the heatshrink to build it up a bit.

Anyway, it seems to be ok as is, provided no-one pulls on it!

[rowdy]

Looks like your soldering is a bit better than mine

[invariance]

I do it for the  ^f _u ^m _e ^s.

[fohat.digs]

And the lead.

That lead-free solder is crap.

[invariance]

I have a couple of 1kg (2lb) rolls which I have had for ages and I have only gotten half way through one, so it will be a looooooong time before I have to get the lead-free.

Besides, I use solder flux paste for when I'm tinning wires/legs/etc.  Makes a hell of a difference.

Look what the lovely postie brought me    pulled a couple out and they snuggled up to a 1.5mm hex key.


I then drilled the holes to a slightly larger diameter and began inserting the screws along the length of the board.
I then worked my way out from the middle of the board towards the long sides doing a final tighten of the screws.


A closeup of the finished screws.


A closeup of the front of the barrel plate.  A much nicer finish not having anything protuding through, even though it is covered by keys.


Although the screw ends aren't flush with the surface (and the photo tends to accentuate that) there is still plenty of hold on the threads and there isn't any movement.

A few guys (strafe and mr626) over on overclockers.com.au helped me out with the missing left arrow and the minus keycaps, so here are a few shots.

With the left arrow key and a red esc cap (hey, why not! one of the guys threw it in for me so I will put it on now and then to give the old girl a bit of **sparkle**).


The final shot with the full set of standard keycaps.


I have purchased a straight ps2 extension cable so I'm not straining the 'repro' cable, plugged it in and she worked first go.  Who knows how long it had been sitting unused, so it was a great relief to see the numlock led and feel every key work.

One problem now is everyone now knows when I am not working. 

Must say it was enjoyable refurbishing this keyboard and I was very fortunate it was in a pretty good shape to begin with, which made it all the easier.  Now I will look at soarer's converter for the Wyse-85 terminal keyboard I have.

Thanks for looking.

[yomammary]

What did you use to clean your keycaps?
Did it work well?

[CPTBadAss]

What did you use to clean your keycaps?
Did it work well?

Room temperature water + dishwashing soap or denture tabs is my go to. I also have a ultrasonic cleaner that I should test out. It works great with my fountain pens and I bet it'd be good with keycaps. Some people on GH have tried it but I still haven't.

[yomammary]

Thanks. And how much time do you usually leave them in the water?

[rowdy]

I use denture tabs in warm water.  Put the denture tabs in and wait for them to dissolve (I use 3 for a full set).  The water turns blue.

Put the keycaps in and swirl them around a little.  Then leave them until the water is no longer blue.

Depending on how dirty the keycaps are, the water could turn clear, or it could turn brown.

Then I remove the keycaps one by one and give them a quick rinse in clean water.

Nice minty smell too

[invariance]

Sorry I missed your question yomammary.

Fortunately these caps weren't grimy, just a buildup of dust/dirt.
I just used dish washing liquid in warm water, left to sit for about 10mins and lightly scrubbed them with an old toothbrush.

[yomammary]

Thanks guys

[invariance]

For a while now I have been wondering what the hell to put this in to 'protect' it whilst not being used.  I have looked around to see what others have done and it was either 'wrap it in a towel and put it in the cupboard' or 'use the box it came in'.
 Well I wanted to offer more protection than wrapping it in a towel and the second suggestion is obviously not applicable in this situation, so what to do?
 I have a few old road cases but they were either not long enough (although nice and slim) or way too large.
 Fortunately the other day some keyboards were being replaced at work and the box they were in was a perfect size: the Microsoft Natural Ergo 4000.
 
 I grabbed one and got to work on it and here is the result:



To support the board I cut up a fairly heavy cardboard box, folded it into the shape of a square wave and glued in braces between the verticals to further stiffen it up.  Then I cut out recesses in the verticals to slip onto the keyboard.
 For the outside sleeve I cut it down the overlap, turned it inside out and reglued the overlap so it is now just a plain brown box.
 
 Just like a bought one

[XMIT]

I use denture tabs in warm water.  Put the denture tabs in and wait for them to dissolve (I use 3 for a full set).  The water turns blue.

Put the keycaps in and swirl them around a little.  Then leave them until the water is no longer blue.

Depending on how dirty the keycaps are, the water could turn clear, or it could turn brown.

Then I remove the keycaps one by one and give them a quick rinse in clean water.

Nice minty smell too

I've started doing exactly this, in an ultrasonic cleaner with a heating element (gets up to about 60 C). Works better than hand cleaning, really amazing stuff.

[invariance]

I used to have an ultrasonic cleaner, but it died 

It was a piece of **** anyway and I would have had to hand clean anyway.

[XMIT]

Yeah. When my cheap Chinese ultrasonic cleaner dies I'll probably get a real one designed for light commercial use.