Just Started My 1st Model M Renovation

[Dirty Bint]

Hi,

I managed to locate a few old Model M's in the UK and have just started to renovate one of them. I have had a good read of the wiki and am now armed with my 5.5mm nut driver from Maplins and my denture cleaning tablets plus some peroxide if need be.

I am sure that I read somewhere in the wiki that removing the spacebar keycap and one or two other keycaps was a bit tricky. I have opened the case with my 5.5mm nut driver and have a good few of the keycaps off but am a bit wobbly about the spacebar and possibly some others. Can anyone please tell me if I am OK to pull of all the keycaps or should I clean some of them in situ. I am pulling them off with my fingers.

Also, the spacebar spring and the enter key spring seem a bit "flat" or worn out. Can I swith these springs for some from the NumPad as they are really clicky, or, are the spacebar and enter springs different to the other springs ?

This leads me to my final question, how do I get the key of to expose the spring and barrel if I do want to switch a few springs about. I just cannot seem to find this in the wiki, do I need to unscrew the steel plate and release the keys from the underside. I read "Sandys" guide to removing springs but could not find how to get the keys off to get to the springs

Thx for any help.
Dirty Bint

[Superfluous Parentheses]

With some care, you should be able to pry off all the key caps except the space bar. You won't need to open the case or anything. Just pull.

I've never removed the space bar on mine, so I don't know how tricky it is, but IIRC you pretty much need to remove the case to get it back on again. Other people here will know.


As for the springs, they should all be the interchangeable. You can sort of twist/pull them out and back in again from the top. They're not glued or anything like that. See http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=156128&postcount=12 on how to make the right tool to do it. It's practically impossible to do by hand.

[Mental Hobbit]

Brute force. Violence. Just tear them keys out!
Uhm... actually the keys should go off with very little force. The spacebar will probably have a grounding cable clipped to it, which goes off and back on easily too. Otherwise there's nothing special to it.  
Just don't turn the board upside down without keys. The exposed springs are delicate.
Can't comment on spring swapping, haven't had to do that myself yet.

[ch_123]

It's the Model F whose spacebar you don't want to remove. On the Model M, everything can be popped off with a flathead screwdriver and reinserted easily.

[nowsharing]

It is easiest to remove the shell, and then pop the keys off by hand for cleaning. You'll want to clean out the innards while you're at in there, as they'll be nasty.

Spring swapping is a challenge from what I've read. Search for the cue-tip or chop-stick methods.

[Dirty Bint]

Thx for all your advice so far. I took the top cover off and got all the keycaps off except the CapsLock keycap. I have the keys soaking overnight in the denture cleaner so its on to cleaning the area under the keys now. Its not that bad, no real gunge, just some general dust that will blow out with some air and the rest should be OK with cotton wool and alcohol etc.

One last question for now if I may, what is the preferred method to clean the PS2 cable, is a soak in denture cleaner OK, keeping the contacts dry or would a stronger method be needed such as the peroxide paste or soak. Its a darkish yellow colour but I do not know what colour it was originally, ie, if it has yellowed from an original grey etc. The PS2 cable is the thinner coiled version and is only removable by taking the case apart, ie, it is not the large coiled detachable version. However, I have the case open so I can disconnect it if need be.


Thx once again
Dirty Bint

[kishy]

Not sure if anyone has tried Rit dyeing a SDL cable yet.

If anyone does it would be important to note a couple different types of rubber were used for the cable jacket...easiest way to differentiate is glossy and inflexible vs matte and flexible.

Chances are the two would react to dye differently.

[Dirty Bint]

Ah, OK, my 1st thought were "what is "RetroBrite", however, the modifications section shows the process with the paste. I will give this a go as all these constituents are available in the UK under different brand names mainly.



Thx
Dirty Bint