Author Topic: Just got an XT Model F - need advice (Read 3266 times)

trievalot · « **on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 20:50:29 »

Hey All

Just picked this dirty little beast up for $10 AU, and it need a bit of cleaning.
(i cant test if it works, so lets assume it does

)

The rust on the back and metal plate for the board is very bad, but seems to be just cosmetic - HOW can i remove this?

Ive removed and cleaned all the keys, and killed the spider using the internals as a residence.

The foam inside is practically new still! It was a little sticky, but a warm hair dryer got this off easily.

Any advice would be greatly appreicated!

kw71 · « **Reply #1 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 20:57:36 »

You can de-rust with glass beads in a sandblasting gun. The glass beads won't harm the good paint. Then you can scuff the plate and repaint it.

I got a little sandblasting gun from our chinese tool store. It was like fifteen bucks and works with any air compressor.

trievalot · « **Reply #2 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 21:01:34 »

It was living in this guys shed.....you should see the 3 x 5160s he has! rusty as an old Torana.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 21:04:54 »

LOL, I'll ship my 5150 all the way to australia; after you're done using it to test the keyboard, you can ship it back.

Okay bad idea. Shipping costs would be horrendous (and there's a chance the computer could get damaged, although, 5150s are quite strong).

trievalot · « **Reply #4 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 21:10:54 »

How about i send the board to you?

I actually want a 5170.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #5 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 21:16:11 »

Quote from: trievalot;163824

How about i send the board to you?

I actually want a 5170.

That board IS pretty rusty (and was that a blue doggy bed you put it in?)

I think my dad might get a bit upset having to ship a keyboard back to australia lol.

trievalot · « **Reply #6 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 21:19:34 »

it was a baby play pen, and yes, its a dog bed now (or keyboard workbench)

Well, i can say i have one now at least.
Check the classifieds for a rusty Model F, $999 or nearest offer.

Specter_57 · « **Reply #7 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 21:21:42 »

..

That first pic of the board...top of it, those two tabs...

Better get a hand-crank for them, to wind up the board with.....

...........
Spec57

HaaTa · « **Reply #8 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 22:46:50 »

Well, if it doesn't work, you now have spare parts for Model F's

.

The Model F AT you have still has 6 unused key pads (well 8 but the spacebar ones will take work to use).

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #9 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 22:56:36 »

here's a fairly cheap XT one:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/IBM-Clicky-Vintage-XT-Keyboard-83Key_W0QQitemZ370346691752QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item563a620ca8

HaaTa · « **Reply #10 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 23:00:28 »

Currently I don't need one, maybe in the future though (when I head back to Canada in June).

trievalot · « **Reply #11 on:** Sat, 13 March 2010, 23:08:57 »

Ok ok, I'll take $800 for it...... (plus shipping)

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #12 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 00:40:40 »

Quote from: trievalot;163855

Ok ok, I'll take $800 for it...... (plus shipping)

Shipping to australia shouldn't be THAT much, it's just a *tiny weeny* keyboard.

trievalot · « **Reply #13 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 05:58:23 »

Ive broken it down (using my new found knowledge of the AT model M) and cleaned.
This is the result.

(i musy say, even though i have not tested, this feels better than the AT model F in some ways.....i want to use this!!!! why cant i? (and yes, i know why))

JBert · « **Reply #14 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 06:00:14 »

The controller might have been saved from the spillage. Given the ruggedness of those keyboards, it might still work.

Still, why buy an XT model if you don't have an XT PC to test it on? :ohwell:

trievalot · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 06:04:38 »

Quote from: JBert;163882

The controller might have been saved from the spillage. Given the ruggedness of those keyboards, it might still work.

Still, why buy an XT model if you don't have an XT PC to test it on? :ohwell:

$10.....and also spares (and potential mod material) for my AT model F.

HaaTa · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 12:10:18 »

Has anyone figured out why the Model F XT feels better that the AT? Is it just the springs? Or is something else at work.

Looking at the pictures the XT layout using all of the capacitive switches, unlike the AT.

Currently my ideas for a Model F AT mod would be to split the right and left shift keys for extra modifiers (a Windows/Super key would be nice on the left, and a function key on the right). I actually use the right shift now that I've remapped the CapsLock to AltGr.
Splitting the Enter and Backspace keys is also possible, but I kinda like them big.
For kicks, splitting the numpad '+' and '0' is also possible. Currently its missing an Enter and '/' keys. Not that I really use the numpad (except for function keys).

If anyone gets this far, a completely off-topic question. Does anyone know what the KP_Begin key was ever used for?
It's the non-numlock version of 5 in the keypad for Linux. I've since remapped it to down, as it screws with my vim sessions (vim doesn't know what to do with it so it lags, and I'm too lazy to change the vim settings). It sends the '^[[G' escape code, so I guess I could go look it up or something.

JBert · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 14:31:27 »

Quote from: HaaTa;163919

Has anyone figured out why the Model F XT feels better that the AT? Is it just the springs? Or is something else at work.

I'm not sure what causes this, but here are a few observations to think about:

The barrels are made using a different mold. (This is proven by the fact that on an XT they barrel has a small protrusion which sits in its own little hole in the front plate to properly align them. The AT on the other hand has just a little notch on the barrel.)

Maybe they played with tolerances during this change, attributing the changed feeling.

On an AT, the backplate is ever slightly less curved, meaning it is easier to assemble yet also puts less force on the barrels. As a result, the barrels can wobble whereas on an XT they can not.
The shell's backside of an XT is a metal plate. This plate allows far more sound to pass through it, thus giving a more metallic sound. This might cause a subjective change of feeling.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #18 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 16:20:31 »

Quote from: JBert;163967

I'm not sure what causes this, but here are a few observations to think about:
The barrels are made using a different mold. (This is proven by the fact that on an XT they barrel has a small protrusion which sits in its own little hole in the front plate to properly align them. The AT on the other hand has just a little notch on the barrel.)

Maybe they played with tolerances during this change, attributing the changed feeling.
On an AT, the backplate is ever slightly less curved, meaning it is easier to assemble yet also puts less force on the barrels. As a result, the barrels can wobble whereas on an XT they can not.
The shell's backside of an XT is a metal plate. This plate allows far more sound to pass through it, thus giving a more metallic sound. This might cause a subjective change of feeling.

I find the XTs to be unpleasantly noisy from the metal plate (CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK). It's an amazing keyboard, but the layout is too foreign for me.
I'd really like to see how a controller could be built for it to be used in PS/2 though (I already got an adapter).

microsoft windows · « **Reply #19 on:** Sun, 14 March 2010, 17:11:21 »

I believe the 122-key Model F's have similar construction to the 83-key variety. Weren't they made in 1983?

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Author Topic: Just got an XT Model F - need advice (Read 3266 times)