Converting a Model M from horizontal ENTER key to vertical ENTER key

[TacticalCoder]

Hey all,

I'm new here: I do own four Model M's since a lloonngg time and I use them for programming (one is attached on my main workstation, one on my server and I've got two stocked in my garage and I do swap them once in a while).

I was wondering: can a Model M that has a vertical ENTER key (and hence three keys between the 'L' and the ENTER key) be modified to use an horizontal ENTER key (and hence only two keys between the 'L' and the ENTER key)?

Underneath the vertical ENTER key I can see a spot but with no hammer and no spring: can I simply add a hammer + spring there and will the key start working?  Or do I also need to change other things?

Can you do this the other way too?

[Soarer]

Yes, but, you'll need to do the 'bolt mod'.

Welcome to geekhack :-)

[Soarer]

That's the easy bit though... it's the bolt modding that makes it a fairly major task. :-/

[theferenc]

Yes, you can, and I did that to my 1397000 Model M.

Just thought I would chime in, since I've actually done it.

[TacticalCoder]

Yes, you can, and I did that to my 1397000 Model M.

Just thought I would chime in, since I've actually done it.

OK cool, thanks to all...

But I don't get it : why do I need to do the bolt mod in order to do that change?  What does replacing the rivets (?) by bolts change?

(sorry for the silly questions: I'm a huge Model M fan but I never really modded them)

[Soarer]

It's because taking it apart enough to do that mod destroys the rivets.

Ok, they're not individual rivets but pillars that are part of the upper plastic frame, that are squashed flat to hold it all together, as if they were rivets. Close enough :@)

[ch_123]

The beauty of the Model M (and the earlier Model F) is that there's contacts for pretty much every position in the keyboard. The European and US Model Ms have the exact same membranes.

[theferenc]

Soarer is right. In order to get a hammer in the location you'd need it, and to remove the hammer from the extra key between L and Enter, you need to fully disassemble the keyboard.

In order to put it back together, you have to have something hold it in place. I suppose you could find some other method for doing it, but the bolt mod works, is fairly easy, and lots of folks here have experience with it, so can offer help if you run into issues. It does take some time and effort to do properly though. You just have to pay attention and be careful, and it will work out just fine.

[TacticalCoder]

Oh ok I get it now

So the membranes are the same: I thought I could simply add a hammer+spring and be done with it but I didn't realize I couldn't do that without "breaking" a few things.

The bolt mod seems interesting but I'm not sure I'd be very good at doing that.  I'll start reading more on it

[theferenc]

It really isn't that hard. It's just a matter of attention to detail.

Well, this is assuming you're mechanically inclined, of course.

[Soarer]

Well you have four of 'em, so that's good if you're a bit hamfisted!

First things first... can you open the case? A normal socket is too fat to fit in the hole, so you'll need something like a thin 5.5mm nut spinner.

Then, if you pick on the keyboard whose key action feels the least 'fresh' and open it up, you'll probably find that a few of the rivets have fallen off already.

Just not a job to rush, I think.

[TacticalCoder]

First things first... can you open the case? A normal socket is too fat to fit in the hole, so you'll need something like a thin 5.5mm nut spinner.

Then, if you pick on the keyboard whose key action feels the least 'fresh' and open it up, you'll probably find that a few of the rivets have fallen off already.

Just not a job to rush, I think.

Yup I already opened them big Model M's ; )

It's ok, I did work a bit on my bikes, changing upper part of the engine etc.

But here one potential issue is that altough I'm fine with english, I'm sometimes a bit lost when it comes to a specific technical vocabulary: like in the bolt mod tutorial(s).  So I may come up with more questions.

How long does the bolt mod take to realize on a regular Model M, approximately?

[ch_123]

I own a Model M that was bolt modded by its previous owner. I've never done the actual drilling and stuff, but reattaching all the bolts and screws took me something like 1-1.5 hours to do on an 84-key Space Saving Keyboard. It's something of a labor of love to say the least.

[theferenc]

My first one took a little over 3 hours. I can do the whole thing in a little under 2 hours now.

Honestly, the most annoying part of popping off the old rivets. They have a tendency to go flying all over the place, unfortunately.