deskthority

Small update: XT foam now available to order Would you ever considering making the foam thicker? I suppose it's not true to the originals, but god I love 3mm foam in my keyboards now. It makes them sound much more solid than the original stuff that IBM used. I think it provides more compression so ...

If I game, I use the Apex Pro. As others have said, good typing boards (ei, vintage boards) don't usually make for good gaming boards. Not a hard and fast rule but I don't think I've ever even attempted to game on something like a buckling spring or even an alps board. IMO, better to use the boards...

The Apex Pro feels and sounds pretty nice, but yeah, the stabilisers are AIDS. You cannot disassemble the TKL version without damaging it, so you'll never be able to tune the stabilisers.

Wow, the dark grey caps really go well with the industrial grey!

Interesting - what are the best methods for the original model F's spacebar mod? I've seen it said that some people just bend the bar, but someone else said to do it properly, you have to alter some of the plastic too.. I was referring to the F122, Unsaver and 4704 Model F spacebar. It's similar to...

Good to know, not sure why it was mentioned, perhaps it was a particular batch. They do look so good, an F77 would be my choice as well. I had an issue with my F77 spacebar when I got it, although that isn't surprising - it is not uncommon for keycaps on buckling springs keyboards to dislodge durin...

Have the shipping notification email come to you? I haven't received mine, yet. :cry: My custom S/N order was placed later than yours, but the same day as ironicmoustache Nah I'm still waiting. I added some stuff since (after making sure it's all in stock), and was told it wouldn't make a differenc...

I-I purchased mine even earlier, with a low serial! *sweats* Have the shipping notification email come to you? I haven't received mine, yet. :cry: My custom S/N order was placed later than yours, but the same day as ironicmoustache Nah I'm still waiting. I added some stuff since (after making sure ...

i prefer the key feel of the F AT also. it is heavier than an F XT though, and in my experience a lot of people in this hobby prefer light clickies. i also prefer the sound of the F AT. no alt keys in their proper place can be annoying but people get used to the AT layout. There is always the alt-m...

Bit late I know, but the TMK thing really helped me. I just flashed my Pro Micro with a custom TMK keymap so that my Bigfoot has a more convenient layout. I now have all the keys I need.

I turned 23 two months ago, been in the hobby for three years.

@Redmaus had a Model F XT NIB (maybe multiple?) for sale for a long time, for a very fair price. You could ask if he maybe has one? He actually ran out. I think I bought the last one a few months ago! I know because I tried to buy another. Edit: My bad, I am thinking of the NOS 5155 Model F XT asse...

It can be very hard, depends on the firmness of the foam. I constructed a kind of wooden clamp that fits the curve of the plates, maybe others have some easier solutions. The spacebar mod itself is pretty easy however. I was thinking of doing that for a while but ended up not needing it. I now use ...

At the time I was looking for a way to do a "bolt-mod" like people do with Model Ms, but later decided that keeping the original tabs and augmenting them with about 3 "helper" bolts was the optimum solution. https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48786.msg1048948#msg1048948 I ended up doing this on m...

Looking forward to using an F that doesn't have a spacebar that feels like it's trying to kill my thumbs... haha! I think my left thumb could lift a bus at this point and I've only been using an XT for about a week I underestimated how hefty that thing is When you replace the foam, also bend the sp...

Ouch! Apologies if my excitement has had a... detrimental effect on your wait. Let's hope it's not too long until yours ships! I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I was told that my keyboard is due to ship soon! :D Edit: Oh I see, I didn't mean to come across as impatient - I just put two and t...

Damnit I think I'm going that way too. Looking at Tom's video, I think I'm looking towards a 5170 for the better key layout, separate num keypad and nice big enter key. Are there disadvantages to the 5170 I should be aware of? Either way, I have a feeling I'll have to wait a pretty long time for a ...

I know the feeling. I got the F77 like a year ago under split shipping and have caps ordered like blue buckling spring, Apple keys, media keys, and a solenoid so I'm not even on the radar yet. I'm just thankful I already have the keyboard and that it's SO EFFING NICE! What does your F77 look like? ...

an_achronism wrote: ↑

03 Jun 2021, 18:55

Wazrach wrote: ↑

03 Jun 2021, 18:46

Nope, ANSI!

I dunno then, that's upsetting.

I actually prefer the way ANSI looks, it is more symmetrical. I like having a large left shift too. I'm a strange boy, I know.

I-I purchased mine even earlier, with a low serial! *sweats* UK layout though innit? I think anything slightly non-"Standard" makes it less likely to appear quickly. US layout, fast. UK layout, not so much. Bunch of custom caps, nope. Mine's both a UK main layout and a shitload of extra fancy caps ...

I-I purchased mine even earlier, with a low serial! *sweats*

Personally, I think it's easier to see any problems if they've been pointed out to you. I don't have a huge issue with the alignment of my new Unicomp caps, I think it's good enough for my eyes. My issue is that the caps have a big too much play. They're actually pretty smooth, but when pressed in t...

I forgot to mention, but many people prefer the sound of the Apex Pro, as they are a bit muted in comparison to the Razer's comparitively clacky "opto-mechanical" switches. Both ping quite a bit, although it's quite nice on the Apex Pro. The Razer has stabilisers that are easier to tune, however.

It's a bit of a hard question to answer, as some people can't type on linears and everyone has their preferences. That said, I think the Apex Pro is a great typing keyboard. The switches feel incredible and you can adjust the actuation so that they're slightly less sensitive than say, Cherry MX Reds...

I know this doesn't pertain to the PCB, but how do you find the switches? I'm curious and would like to try one of these out sometime.

Thanks for the suggestion, guys. I ordered a glossy black cable from Zap Cables for my F122 - it looks fantastic!

In some cases, the springs may be damaged or not seated on the nub of the flipper correctly. This can definitely cause the issues you're describing. That's if countless reseating of the keycaps doesn't work.

I've been crafting a lot of foam mats lately, all pretty lazy attempts that didn't take me long and the holes all line up snugly with my rudimentary method of marking them. The perfect material that is working flawlessly is this: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252353238313 I used the 2mm thickness in my F122 an...

Hi there! I have a US Model F XT in excellent condition with its original box and a soarer's converter. The foam was replaced with 3mm neoprene for a super crisp feel and the barrel frame was painted black (a rough job, but it looks great under the keys). It's not exactly got German legends, but you...

after my nightmare with clamps and neoprene, I didn't much fancy reopening my AT It gets easier, trust me. And the small ATs and XTs are very easy compared to the 122-key terminals. I would like to have one but I am in the US, and my F AT re-assembly might not percolate to the top of the list for a...