M2 IBM Keyboard Reassembly Issue, Help Needed

[Masemusic]

I've just spent some time dismantling this classic bucklin keyboard and I cleaned it with some iso and rubbed off all the grime its clean, so so clean...and now I have it upside down and have replaced all the springs so they hang in their respective slots but on the big keys all but the far right enter and plus sign on the num pad, are sticking up too high.  I've noticed some small part numbers on each spring but I have been unable to locate a proper schematic for placement, i'm wondering if some of the springs are slightly smaller than others to accommodate the height.  I'm all ready to put it back together except for these erroneous springs that don't fit into their slots.  If anyone is familiar with this M2 and this process i'd value the input and it would be much appreciated, i'm really sick of typing this on the rubber dome, no good.

I followed this tut initially http://hxxp://www.instructables.cxm/id/Clean-your-vintage-IBM-M2-clicky-keyboard/?ALLSTEPS and it worked wonderfully but didn't mention this issue of some springs sticking up too high.


-masemusic

[mich]

IIRC, all springs are of exactly the same length, all holes are of exactly the same depth and all springs stick out exactly to the same height on the opposite side. I suspect you are doing something wrong.

Note that big keys have two slightly different stems. Only one of them will fit onto a spring, so you have to insert springs into correct holes.

[DaemonRaccoon]

Uh, ripster the M2 doesn't require a bolt mod, it has different construction from the regular Model M.

[dorkvader]

He's losing his #1 expert status.

Also, here's the link (Initially, I forgot the X in "com") You can only view all the steps if you're logged in.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-your-vintage-IBM-M2-clicky-keyboard/step7/Dont-panic//?ALLSTEPS

[rootwyrm]

M2 is all equal-height springs, yes. There are two distinguishing bits of an M2 in these areas though. That being: is it a U-brace for the 'oversize' keys, or is it two stems with a plastic slider in the top stem? If it's a U-brace, you didn't slot it in quite right. If it's a slider, well, they like to not sit correctly. Don't superglue to fix it, just pop the key, push the slider back into position, put some LITHIUM grease in there, carry on.

But yus, more pics if neither of those are the case.

[Findecanor]

Only one of them will fit onto a spring, so you have to insert springs into correct holes.

For these keys with two holes, you can look at the indents on the rubber sheet to find which hole that used to have a spring in it.

Uh, ripster the M2 doesn't require a bolt mod, it has different construction from the regular Model M.

I have never heard of anyone who has made a bolt mod on the M2 ... but I don't think that it would be a bad idea.
 have never been able to open and reassemble a M2 without breaking at least one of those gnarly plastic tabs that hold the keyboard together.

[spolia optima]

I love the M2 so much. Unicomp should produce new ones with a new controller though.

Regarding your problem, I'm not sure. I've disassembled many M2s and rebuilt them with new unicomp springs probably over a dozen times and never experienced a problem as you describe it. Pics would help A LOT. You should whip out the camera phone and give this thread a little illustration.

[mich]

I love the M2 so much. Unicomp should produce new ones with a new controller though.

And without these plastic stabilizers. M2's backspace is awfully stiff and hard to n-ple tap because of this.

[spolia optima]

And without these plastic stabilizers. M2's backspace is awfully stiff and hard to n-ple tap because of this.

Yeah, those stabilizers suck. They break so easily, and when they break they're pretty much kaput.