Beamspring restoration tips

[naahS]

I recently bought an IBM 3278 beamspring keyboard and it's currently in the mail. Once it arrives, I plan to clean it up and get it converted to USB. I've restored a Model F XT in the past (took it apart, cleaned it, replaced the degraded foam) but I've heard that the restoration process for beamspring boards is quite a bit more involved. Is there anything I should be aware of before jumping into it? Tips and trick, common pitfalls, etc. I've read through a few threads people have made documenting the restoration process and I think I get the gist of it, but I figured I should ask so that I don't screw something up and accidentally ruin the board, since it's expensive and difficult to replace.

One thing I'm especially concerned about is pulling the keycaps and disassembling the switches without damaging the caps or stems. Can I just pull the caps off with a standard wire keycap puller like I would with Alps or Cherry mount keycaps? How about disassembling the switches? My plan there was to grab the stem with some pliers and pull it apart.

[naahS]

Got this mostly restored now, just waiting for my xwhatsitcontroller to arrive in them mail. Big shoutout to /u/hhkb4lyfe (I think tron on GH and DT) for helping answer a lot of questions I had on the restoration process.

I noticed a couple odd minor differences between my 3278 and other examples I've seen online. The foam is white rather than black, it doesn’t have the IBM Canada 1977 text on the back, and it has these two divots in the back plate I haven’t seen elsewhere. Not pictured, but one of the screws holding the main assembly with the switches together also had a nut on it. Anyone know where or when this one might have been manufactured? I couldn't find a date stamp or a country of origin stamped anywhere on it, but it's possible I just missed it.

Getting an error when I try uploading photos, so here's an imgur link to some pictures:

https://imgur.com/a/zvRjAGW