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Author Topic: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT  (Read 6063 times)

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Offline jaffacake

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There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« on: Tue, 03 January 2023, 08:51:31 »
Hi everyone, I've just bought a Model F XT and it has an interesting metal badge on the top right, above the pen-holder ledge.
I'd like to remove this badge at some point to clean up the look of the keyboard, however I don't want to damage the paintwork or plastic of the top case. Is there a safe method I can try to remove the badge that's safer than using a hairdryer and a plastic spudger to pry it off? My main concern is damaging the plastic with the heat (if that's even a risk).
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 03 January 2023, 09:01:35 »
That case looks pretty good. I would take it apart and simply wash it with hot soapy water.

I have had good luck through the years using naptha (old-fashioned cigarette lighter fluid) to remove adhesive, but there is always a risk of damage. If I were going to try it there, I would work quickly and then still wash it with soap and water as soon as I finished.
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Offline ander

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Re: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 23 February 2023, 03:46:57 »
That's epoxied on. I don't think there's any way to remove something like this without seriously damaging the case.

As you may have guessed, businesses, schools, and government offices applied these so people couldn't remove them... They were intended as permanent ID, to indicate it was their property. That's why they went to the trouble of cementing on a metal plate, rather than just sticking on a label or printing their names on the board.

Why not just leave it as-is? It's in perfect original condition, with a nice brushed-metal finish. That's an expensive plate. It's just as authentic as the board itself... It's history.  ;)
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Offline Maledicted

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Re: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 27 February 2023, 02:15:00 »
Quote from: ander on Thu, 23 February 2023, 03:46:57
Why not just leave it as-is? It's in perfect original condition, with a nice brushed-metal finish. That's an expensive plate. It's just as authentic as the board itself... It's history.  ;)

You've got two votes for this. It is cool as all heck, and is part of the history of the board. How many other F XTs do you see with weird branding on them?

I know I have seen that same badge around before, but I can't think of where.
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Offline Mandan

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Re: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 27 February 2023, 10:40:35 »
The plate is part of its history.

Some years ago I purchased a milling machine.  It was in pretty good shape, other than the paint job the seller had applied.  I think it was latex house paint mixed with kitty litter.  It was remarkably resistant to paint stripper, scrapers, abrasives, and other tools... it took a while to get the thing cleaned up.

Under the thick layer of ick was a brass plate riveted to the column, stating it had been registered as a national asset by the United States War Department.  That would have been during World War II.

After removing and carefully cleaning the plate, I riveted it back on.
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Offline matt-taco

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Re: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 13 March 2023, 23:38:30 »
Do you want to trade model f's?
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Offline anawilliam850

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Re: There's a metal plate glued to my IBM Model F XT
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 14 March 2023, 13:15:24 »
If you want to remove the badge without using heat, one option is to use dental floss or fishing line to carefully "saw" behind the badge and loosen the adhesive. You can do this by wrapping the floss or line around your fingers and pulling it back and forth behind the badge.

Another option is to use a plastic pry tool or guitar pick to gently wedge between the badge and the keyboard case and slowly pry it off. This method is less likely to damage the plastic than using a metal tool.
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