deskthority

Hi, I just recently found the Model F XT case that I needed. I got it from ClickyKeyboards. Very nice of them to arrange the sale to me.
Thanks as well to Redmaus for your reply. Do you have both parts of the case for sale?

Two years ago, I bought a Cougar PURI TKL with Cherry Red caps. The keyboard was inexpensive, but reviews on it were very good and it appeared to be well built. However, after a year of light use, the bottom row of keys failed and would not register keypresses. The rest of the keyboard was fine. Of ...

Did you receive any news about that Model F XT case? I may have found one, but I'd better source more than one just in case

Hi,
How nice! Thank you! I'd appreciate it greatly if you could ask for me.
I'll look forward to hearing from you.

I asked Clicky a few months ago about Model Fs, but it seems they don't sell them now. Only Model M. Perhaps they have a few Model F XT cases lying around.

I'm looking for a plastic case for an IBM Model F XT. I bought a pristine internal keyboard unit in an auction a while back, but need to buy a case for it. Unfortunately, finding a case for it has proven more difficult than I thought. Do any of you have a case for sale or have suggestions on where I...

Any advice on the type of foam?

I'm ordering from Canada Rubber Group. The price seems OK

Thanks for the advice on the foam thickness. I'll go with the 2.3mm.

Any ideas on if blended neoprene will be OK?

Hi! I"m about to order foam to rebuild my Model F XT boards I tried to order 2mm as this seemed to be most commonly recommended. However the supply company only has 1/16 inch (1.6mm) 3/32 inch (2.3mm) Which one should I get. I wonder if the 1.6mm might be too thin. Also, the foam they offer is "2A1 ...

I used teflon spray lubricant on the barrels and on the flippers as well. Hopefully that won't cause a problem. I imagine that will take care of any possibility of friction and wear. I cleaned the springs in a chelation rust-removal solution which transformed them from dull grey to shining metal. I ...

Denture tabs and 60 degrees celsius warm water. Let it sit for 30 mins until the water is cold. I tried the denture tablets last night. The greenish-yellow tinge on the keycaps has not faded at all. I'm guessing its from smoking and typing on the keyboard. I'll try to post a photo of these oddly di...

Did you experience that greenish-yellow colour tinge on the keycaps? The denture tabs take care of it? I will try that.

Yes, good point. I was overzealous with my use of the can

I will try washing the flippers in isopropanol alcohol. The barrels were extremely dirty and needed three rounds of cleaning to remove the accumulated dirt. Does anyone know if the flippers are coated with conductive material, or if they are made of a solid conductive plastic that won't rub off? Bef...

I noticed that a lot of the caps on my Model F XT keyboards have stained caps- probably from smokers typing on them for years. I washed the caps in a vinegar and water solution in fairly hot water (not at all near boiling) then scrubbed them with a toothbrush and dish detergent. Interestingly, even ...

I found the barrels are really very dirty. The degraded foam stuck onto the barrels with great tenacity. I've soaked them and scrubbed them with a toothbrush, but they still need need more cleaning. I'm guessing the springs are also quite dirty. If I soak the flippers and springs in regular isopropa...

Hi
I've dissembled my XT board and plan to wash the springs, flippers and barrels before reassembling with new foam.

The barrels are already soaking in soapy water.

But should I wash the springs and flippers? Is this safe? Will the spring rust? Should I avoid this?
Any recommendations?

Thanks for the advice. I'll fix the cracked case with epoxy, and then being preparations for painting and clearcoating.
Any recommendations on the brand of paint or clearcoat?

The compressed air has worked as a temporary solution. The keyboard is now functioning perfectly. The problem with compressed air is that the air blown out is very cold and this caused water condensation inside the board. Condensation, visible on the spring, must have seeped onto the capacitive boar...

Hi Today I cleaned one of my Model F XT boards, reassembled it and found that three keys were not working. This board's foam was in good condition and I hoped it would function normally. To my disappointment, several keys did not work properly. Pressing them revealed an abnormal "click" sound, and n...

Hi! Hi, I recently went nuts after receiving my first Model F XT and then bought 5 more on an auction. One of them was a totally new internal keyboard unit (no case). Its clearly never been used and is pristine. The foam however needs to be replaced in 5 out of my 6 boards. I'll keep two and reventu...

Hi! I have two Model F XT keyboards that have scratched and cracked cases. The crack in one is not serious and I assume that using superglue will be the way to repair it. I'll do more reading here and wait for suggestions before I attempt anything. My main concern is what type of product should I us...

Hi, I've begun the first steps in restoring my Model F XT. I attached Soarer's Converter and tested the board. It seems to work well, but perhaps the left ALT sticks when I press it because occasionally the keyboard will behave strangely by no longer allowing me to type. It seems as if a function ke...

I would think almost any of the modern synthetic based foams would last for quite a long time - though I'm not a polymer chemist. What color for the for the face plate? I prefer the original, but go for whatever you like! .... with the spring clamps holding the plates together, I've found the bar c...

Thanks for the advice! I'll get a few more hand clamps. I only have 4 right now. The one member advised using C-Clamps, but fohat recommended against it for reasons that seem quite sensible to someone who's never done it yet. Once my Soarer's converter and keycap puller arrives, I'll begin the proce...

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm quite impressed with unxmaal's rebuild in which he painted red the top plate. It provides a nice contrast for the ivory keys. I guess there's no advantage to using red foam (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TXQDYDC#customerReviews) for aesthetics as I assume ...

Hi, Thanks for the link. I will begin my rebuild over the coming weeks. I'll see if I can document the clamping process using C-clamps. I have a few dozen of them and am curious to see if it might make the dreaded reassembly easier. How much of the foam should I buy? If I make a few extra foams for ...

Hi! I'm quite new to all of this, so please do excuse my "noob-ness". :D I recently received an IBM Model F XT keyboard. It appears to be in very good condition. I've attached a photo. However, it is quite dirty, and I want to take it apart, clean it, possibly dissemble it completely, replace the fo...

Thanks for your replies! Much appreciated. I read about other foam and foil boards and apparently, they are not so nice to type on. I don't think it'll meet my needs, but it is exceptionally cool.

It does seem interesting. I'm not interested in collecting actually.. I just want one or two boards that I'll really like typing on, and that will offer my hands/fingers/wrists some relief by switching amongst them. I've just uncovered some information on the makeup or workings of a "foam and foil" ...

I'm curious about buying an older non-backlit Coltron Model 80. It looks quite intriguing and its certainly not very expensive. Has anyone else much experience typing long documents on it? It's apparently high actuation and I'm wondering if that would be exhausting to type on. How would it feel comp...