geekhack
geekhack Community => Reviews => Topic started by: zombiegristle on Mon, 13 June 2016, 00:18:45
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Grabbed this really cool-looking IBM Model M 5-1 keyboard with Lexmark database-oriented keycaps on it and a sweet little integrated mini-trackball. Figured I'd do a writeup and pictures of the brief "restoration", though I'm not sure it qualifies as a review per se. The keys are a little gritty and the buckling-spring mechanism isn't as crisp as I'd like, but the trackball works great and is a really cool feature in a convenient spot. The unique database-oriented keycaps are just about the coolest thing ever, I love them.
These are the original pics from the eBay listing:
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/fld6ndgjucq3xy0/s-l1600.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/95dutwxzvebncbk/s-l1600b.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/ld77u2kvxk2xz1d/s-l1600c.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/f0hp90n13h3gy15/s-l1600d.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/8lukbnyflwn5wdi/s-l1600e.jpg?raw=1)
I can't guarantee my photos will be much better, I'm no photog and all I have is a couple of phones but I tried to pick the one that took the nicest snaps.1
Removed all the caps from the Model M 5-1 for cleaning.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/berweaoaffgfhrp/WP_20160607_17_27_46_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Here you can see how the wiring is run on the outside of the plate for the trackball, looks like it was supposed to go under/inside the small piece of plastic that's shrunk/warped over the years and no longer lines up. I may try to repair that plastic at some point later.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/tu5js2as9a3z314/WP_20160607_17_28_01_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/5eljzgq2q4lt40l/WP_20160607_17_28_08_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Trackball innards:
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/z3j6tugrojmke17/WP_20160607_17_35_01_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Keycaps have nice, vivid LEGO colors now that they've been washed. I'm just letting them air-dry, in my climate standing water doesn't last long so they should be more than fine by morning.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/hqvx3s71dwx9ct0/WP_20160607_21_04_37_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Disassembling the keyboard to clean the guts out and ensure everything is as it should be:
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/9kyvjhuwtw43x4o/WP_20160608_17_22_28_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Here I've already unscrewed the ground cable, and discovered a molded retaining clip for the trackball cable.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/24quf84wtmkeww4/WP_20160608_17_26_21_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
The trackball board underside:
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/r9somb2c05k1tuc/WP_20160608_17_23_56_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
And topside:
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/xmbysg4qo85bcui/WP_20160608_17_29_57_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Main controller:
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/0e0v2aftg8jsgjn/WP_20160608_17_27_06_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
At this point I stopped to spend some time and alcohol (bourbon, not rubbing) cleaning everything thoroughly. Look how nice that plate looks now!
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/x17wya32w03po91/WP_20160609_15_57_42_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
Reassembled without bolt-modding it because of time constraints, I'll have to revisit later for that one. Looking much nicer after a good cleaning! Sadly, buckling-spring isn't the thing for me, the keys seem "gritty" yet mushy at the same time. I will likely end up putting this in the classifieds to pass on to another member.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/zrhut2i7pfdfdwo/WP_20160612_13_46_21_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/w7r9l8athxv7ncn/WP_20160612_13_46_29_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/4lpxa0w5srkdit3/WP_20160612_13_46_41_Rich.jpg?raw=1)
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Really cool keyboard, that looks like a lot of work cleaning that up, especially if buckling springs are not your thing. But anyway, thanks for sharing all these pics, I remember those Lexis-Nexis terminals from when my wife was in Journalism school.