My 1991 NorthGate OmniKey 102 with ALPS SKCM Whites

[kbTinker]

Here is the story of how I found this beauty. I was on youtube searching for reviews on a gaming keyboard I was looking to buy when I stumbled across a video by Chyrosran22 video for a $40 gaming keyboard (https://youtu.be/vsJq434UYTA). In the video he mentions that if you are worried about not having NKRO, you can find yourself a NorthGate OmniKey 102, which has it natively. I then watched about 10 more of his videos, I was hooked. I had been looking for a new hobby to get into and lo and behold, I had found one. Thanks Chyrosran22!!!

I scoured ebay and proceeded purchase a Dell AT101W, a Gateway Anykey (about 5 of its keys are not working, even after a restoration and cleaning) and my crown jewel, a NorthGate OmniKey 102. The 102 was listed as untested and had been sitting in storage for years. From the pictures provided, the board looked to be in great condition. I took a gamble and bought it for $120 USD.

When the board arrived, I immediately took it apart and methodically cleaned everything. The mounting plate has a lot of rust spots on it, however they were merely cosmetic and had not compromised the the integrity of the plate or the the PCB underneath. I used a dental scraper, some WD-40 and q-tips to clean removed most of the rust. Then using Chyrosran22's video guides on how to restore and clean ALPs switches, I took apart every switch on the board, placed each ones components in their own compartment in my storage boxes. They're actually jewelry making storage boxes, but they worked perfectly keeping each switches components separate and organized by number. I then painstakingly cleaned each switch housing and components using rubbing alcohol, fine tipped paint brushes and my x-power computer duster. After uttering every curse word I could think of, springs flying off around my room and praying the board would work, I put the board back together and tested it. The board 100% worked, I felt like a kid on Christmas.

However this story has sort of a melancholy ending. After testing the board, I went to bed, it was 2 in the morning when I had finally finished. The next day I fired up my computer with the intention of typing some emails that I had been putting off, just as and excuse to use my new baby. Then tragedy struck, I was typing and email and was attempting to type "appointment" but for some reason the "M" key was not registering. I unplugged the board and took apart the switch, thinking that the contact leaf was not pressing against the switch plate enough. I bent the bottom of the contact leaf slight more forward and reassembled the switch. I then tested the key, still nothing. I took it back apart, keeping the board connected to my PC, and using a toothpick, I pressed the contact plate against the switch plate. The presses were registering, however they were doing so inconsistently. I took out my flash light and using the tooth pick I gently pried open the switch plate a little bit and my heart sank. The switch plate was covered in corrosion. Not to be easily defeated, I used to a dental pick, white wine vinegar and a toothpick to get as much of the crud off as I could. But to not avail, after reassembling the switch and testing it, the damn thing still did not work. Crap.

In conclusion, in order to get the "M" key fixed I have to now purchase a soldering kit and replace the switch. I know I can savage a switch from some other key that is not used on the board, however I plan on buying some white ALPs new old stock switches from ebay, if I can find them. However, if anyone on here has some, I will happily pay you for them. The up-side is that I already know how to solder, so it should be an easy fix once I get everything I need. And if you have stuck around to read my entire post, thanks for reading it!

Below I have uploaded some photos.

[Redmaus]

I love your switch opener dude! Also sucks that the M key didn't work, but I do have a few contact leafs sitting around in one of my trays if you end up needing one.

Welcome to deskthority

[kbTinker]

Thank you! The issue with the switch is that the switch plate itself is corroded beyond repair, not the contact leaf, but thank you anyways! I ended up buying 7 new old stock switches from eBay. I got 7 just in case another switch dies and I can’t repair it. I plan on taking all of the switches out when I do the repair so I can sand and repaint the mounting plate. Do you know if there is a specific type of paint that I should use?

[hellothere]

I'm a fan of Rust-Oleum products. Check out my thread and before/after pics. I have at least two more Alps and one NEC keyboard that need some mounting-plate work. Hey, it worked great on a Model F, so let's see how it does on Alps!

I seriously thought the tape on your fork said, "Alps meth opener." I had to re-read it a couple times Anyhow, last week I got this thing. It worked perfectly for me. I disassembled about 200 clicky and linear Alps switches in about an hour and a half. Desoldering took a bit longer, but I do have a desoldering gun.

[kbTinker]

I was thinking of doing just that, on un-related projects in the past, rustoleum has never let me down. I saw in your post that you used evapo-rust for your plate, I was thinking of doing that for mine, however in some spots the rust looks like it goes pretty deep sadly so I have decided to just sand it down.

And I have seen that switch opener listed and was thinking of buying one, however as of right now, I no longer need one because I only have two ALPs board and they have been both thoroughly cleaned. However if I do end up buying another ALPs board, I will get one.

Finally, I’m saving up money to buy all of the soldering equipment/supplies that I am going to need. The wait is going to kill me because I am beyond looking forward to fully restoring my baby.

Oh and I didn’t realize that I misspelled “switch”, thanks for pointing that out

[hellothere]

Finally, I’m saving up money to buy all of the soldering equipment/supplies that I am going to need. The wait is going to kill me because I am beyond looking forward to fully restoring my baby.

Keyboard restoration is an exercise in patience. I still have another week+ to wait for some 40V developer to come in so I can retr0bright some key caps and cases. I ordered last week. I have Amazon Prime. They're just out of stock.

I bought this desoldering gun. Short review: the tube from the nozzle to the solder "waste" chamber got clogged and couldn't be cleaned. Returned. New one's better. I've also found out that I can fix any further clogging with my soldering iron.

If you decide to go for a manual solder sucker, I'm told that this one's the best. I absolutely despise these. They hurt to use and constantly need cleaning.

Speaking of, I bought this soldering iron. I've had no problems with it, but I think I would have been happier with the lower cost version because it has the "helping hands" thingies built in.

All of the above were listed in various places as the best price/performance. However, if you want the best of either, Hakko and Weller are the go-tos. I just can't afford them.

[Willy4876]

Finally, I’m saving up money to buy all of the soldering equipment/supplies that I am going to need. The wait is going to kill me because I am beyond looking forward to fully restoring my baby.

Keyboard restoration is an exercise in patience. I still have another week+ to wait for some 40V developer to come in so I can retr0bright some key caps and cases. I ordered last week. I have Amazon Prime. They're just out of stock.

I bought this desoldering gun. Short review: the tube from the nozzle to the solder "waste" chamber got clogged and couldn't be cleaned. Returned. New one's better. I've also found out that I can fix any further clogging with my soldering iron.

If you decide to go for a manual solder sucker, I'm told that this one's the best. I absolutely despise these. They hurt to use and constantly need cleaning.

Speaking of, I bought this soldering iron. I've had no problems with it, but I think I would have been happier with the lower cost version because it has the "helping hands" thingies built in.

All of the above were listed in various places as the best price/performance. However, if you want the best of either, Hakko and Weller are the go-tos. I just can't afford them.

One thing that you didn't mention is soldering wick. If I only have to desolder one or two switches then I tend to just use solder wick. My go to company for solder wick is the Chemtronics one that I linked. I have found that that one works really well (I have used some which are really bad).

I really hate the manual solder suckers. I have used them a decent amount and I find they just don't work very well, but they are better than nothing. I agree, the one that you recommended is the best one that I have tried, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the powered ones.

A couple of months ago, I bought a Hakko FR301 and I absolutely love it and have had no issues. The Hakko is expensive but it is also excellent and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

For a soldering iron I have a Hakko FX888d and it is also very good, but isn't really anything special. One thing that I have noticed with Hakko's stuff is that the tips seem to last longer than other irons I have used. Personally, I went with the Hakko stuff over some of the other smaller companies on Amazon just because I wanted to make sure that I could get replacement tips and other parts for years to come. Yes, the Hakko stuff is expensive, but if you think that you are going to be using them a lot then in my opinion they are worth it.

Finally, if you feel comfortable with it I would recommend that you pick up some leaded solder. I tend to use 37% lead solder and get good results with that. I find that with the lead-free stuff your solder joints just aren't as good and you have work with your iron quite a lot hotter (which will decrease the life of you soldering iron tips a bit and can risk of damage to the PCB's pads). Also, flux is your friend. If you are having trouble getting a solder joint to melt add a bit of rosin flux and it will be a lot easier.

[hellothere]

One thing that you didn't mention is soldering wick. If I only have to desolder one or two switches then I tend to just use solder wick. My go to company for solder wick is the Chemtronics one that I linked. I have found that that one works really well (I have used some which are really bad).

Yup. Sorry 'bout that. However, my comment on solder wick is, "I don't like it." All it does is try to burn my fingers. I did pick up a couple of flux pens. I like those a lot.

[Willy4876]

One thing that you didn't mention is soldering wick. If I only have to desolder one or two switches then I tend to just use solder wick. My go to company for solder wick is the Chemtronics one that I linked. I have found that that one works really well (I have used some which are really bad).

Yup. Sorry 'bout that. However, my comment on solder wick is, "I don't like it." All it does is try to burn my fingers. I did pick up a couple of flux pens. I like those a lot.

Flux pens are really nice. They really help to avoid mess that liquid or paste flux can cause.

[GivenZane]

Congratulations Mate!!! I just got one myself last week and I'm about to start the exact same process of restoration! They're a joy to type on for sure and they make the alps sound ever so nice! They one I got was part of a lot that appears to have been stored in someone's attic for the last couple decades LOL Keep us posted on how it all goes!

I'm sorry about you M key mate. It sucks. My 5 key in the Number row doesn't work so I feel you. I agree with the statement about a soldering wick. I've used them quite a bit and they work great.

Cheers,
--Given

[GivenZane]

Are you going to be using Lead solder? I would highly recommend it. My experience with Lead free solder in keyboards has been rather sad. It tends to crack and be more brittle then 60/40 tin/lead solder. Just to be clear I am not a professional and so your experience may vary LOL
Cheers,
--Given

[kbTinker]

Are you going to be using Lead solder? I would highly recommend it. My experience with Lead free solder in keyboards has been rather sad. It tends to crack and be more brittle then 60/40 tin/lead solder. Just to be clear I am not a professional and so your experience may vary LOL
Cheers,
--Given

Don't worry I will keep you all posted on my progress, I just ordered all of the tools and supplies I need to fix the M key and to repaint the mounting plate. I did in fact purchase 60/40 solder just as you suggested.

Oh and thank you! Congratulations to you as well, the board does make a magnificent sound when I type on it, I find myself eagerly awaiting emails, just so I can type out responses. And the key presses are surprisingly light, which is strange because according to the user manual, they are rated for 90g. Perhaps they have softened due to age and use. Regardless, the board is wonderful to type on and once I get the M key fixed, it will become my daily driver for everything from emails to gaming. My friends are just going to have to put up with my ALPs switches singing with every key press.

[GivenZane]

Are you going to be using Lead solder? I would highly recommend it. My experience with Lead free solder in keyboards has been rather sad. It tends to crack and be more brittle then 60/40 tin/lead solder. Just to be clear I am not a professional and so your experience may vary LOL
Cheers,
--Given

Don't worry I will keep you all posted on my progress, I just ordered all of the tools and supplies I need to fix the M key and to repaint the mounting plate. I did in fact purchase 60/40 solder just as you suggested.

Oh and thank you! Congratulations to you as well, the board does make a magnificent sound when I type on it, I find myself eagerly awaiting emails, just so I can type out responses. And the key presses are surprisingly light, which is strange because according to the user manual, they are rated for 90g. Perhaps they have softened due to age and use. Regardless, the board is wonderful to type on and once I get the M key fixed, it will become my daily driver for everything from emails to gaming. My friends are just going to have to put up with my ALPs switches singing with every key press.

Nothing beats lead based solder in my opinion.

Back when I had roommates they hated whenever I typed on my Model M LOL I never understood it. It's such a nice sound!!!

I spent some time today cleaning my OmniKey and it's been used so much! The PBT keycaps are shined up! I'm having a few issues with binding due to that sadly as well... Mainly just the left CRTL. I'll have to change a couple of the switches out due to that along with clean ever switch even though they still feel good. :/ I'll definitely do what you did and use a plastic container to sort my switch parts. That's such a better Idea then how I normally do and use small plastic bags LOL I'm just waiting on my ultra sonic jewelry cleaner to deep clean them LOL

Cheers,
--GIven

[kbTinker]

Are you going to be using Lead solder? I would highly recommend it. My experience with Lead free solder in keyboards has been rather sad. It tends to crack and be more brittle then 60/40 tin/lead solder. Just to be clear I am not a professional and so your experience may vary LOL
Cheers,
--Given

Don't worry I will keep you all posted on my progress, I just ordered all of the tools and supplies I need to fix the M key and to repaint the mounting plate. I did in fact purchase 60/40 solder just as you suggested.

Oh and thank you! Congratulations to you as well, the board does make a magnificent sound when I type on it, I find myself eagerly awaiting emails, just so I can type out responses. And the key presses are surprisingly light, which is strange because according to the user manual, they are rated for 90g. Perhaps they have softened due to age and use. Regardless, the board is wonderful to type on and once I get the M key fixed, it will become my daily driver for everything from emails to gaming. My friends are just going to have to put up with my ALPs switches singing with every key press.

Nothing beats lead based solder in my opinion.

Back when I had roommates they hated whenever I typed on my Model M LOL I never understood it. It's such a nice sound!!!

I spent some time today cleaning my OmniKey and it's been used so much! The PBT keycaps are shined up! I'm having a few issues with binding due to that sadly as well... Mainly just the left CRTL. I'll have to change a couple of the switches out due to that along with clean ever switch even though they still feel good. :/ I'll definitely do what you did and use a plastic container to sort my switch parts. That's such a better Idea then how I normally do and use small plastic bags LOL I'm just waiting on my ultra sonic jewelry cleaner to deep clean them LOL

Cheers,
--GIven

Yours came with PBT caps??? Nice, mine came with ABS double shots, however they are still very nice, albeit a bit thin. Also I was very fortunate to receive board that appears as though it was hardly ever used, the caps have almost zero yellowing and none of them are shiny.

And perhaps after you deep clean all of the switches with your ultra sonic cleaner, the binding will cease. If that does not help, you could either replace the switches that bind or check out Chyrosran22's video on how to lubricate ALPs switches and lubricate them. Lubricating them may help with the binding issue.

[GivenZane]

Don't worry I will keep you all posted on my progress, I just ordered all of the tools and supplies I need to fix the M key and to repaint the mounting plate. I did in fact purchase 60/40 solder just as you suggested.

Oh and thank you! Congratulations to you as well, the board does make a magnificent sound when I type on it, I find myself eagerly awaiting emails, just so I can type out responses. And the key presses are surprisingly light, which is strange because according to the user manual, they are rated for 90g. Perhaps they have softened due to age and use. Regardless, the board is wonderful to type on and once I get the M key fixed, it will become my daily driver for everything from emails to gaming. My friends are just going to have to put up with my ALPs switches singing with every key press.

Nothing beats lead based solder in my opinion.

Back when I had roommates they hated whenever I typed on my Model M LOL I never understood it. It's such a nice sound!!!

I spent some time today cleaning my OmniKey and it's been used so much! The PBT keycaps are shined up! I'm having a few issues with binding due to that sadly as well... Mainly just the left CRTL. I'll have to change a couple of the switches out due to that along with clean ever switch even though they still feel good. :/ I'll definitely do what you did and use a plastic container to sort my switch parts. That's such a better Idea then how I normally do and use small plastic bags LOL I'm just waiting on my ultra sonic jewelry cleaner to deep clean them LOL

Cheers,
--GIven

Yours came with PBT caps??? Nice, mine came with ABS double shots, however they are still very nice, albeit a bit thin. Also I was very fortunate to receive board that appears as though it was hardly ever used, the caps have almost zero yellowing and none of them are shiny.

And perhaps after you deep clean all of the switches with your ultra sonic cleaner, the binding will cease. If that does not help, you could either replace the switches that bind or check out Chyrosran22's video on how to lubricate ALPs switches and lubricate them. Lubricating them may help with the binding issue.

Actually in hind sight they may be ABS? I haven't done the acetone test on them to be sure. It was more of an assumption that they are PBT due to the lot of keyboards I bought it in; they ABS had yellowed a decent about in the rest. The only keyboards that weren't were the Model Ms and the OmniKey. They key caps are double shots with the colour coded modifier keys. I'll try the acetone test later on one of my keys and let you all know.

I've already checked out Chyrorans22's video. It's been a bit help to me for sure. Thanks Chyrosrans!!!

Honestly in it's current condition, it''s not the best typing experience. I've been using it for the last couple days and the binding is getting a bit to annoying for me. I have been quite spoiled by using a near mint IBM Model M (1390120) from 86 for the last couple months. :/

I'm really going to have to deep clean each switch and see where that gets me. If all else fails I have a Focus FK-2001 with white alps I can steal switches out of.

Cheers,
--Given

[kbTinker]

Nothing beats lead based solder in my opinion.

Back when I had roommates they hated whenever I typed on my Model M LOL I never understood it. It's such a nice sound!!!

I spent some time today cleaning my OmniKey and it's been used so much! The PBT keycaps are shined up! I'm having a few issues with binding due to that sadly as well... Mainly just the left CRTL. I'll have to change a couple of the switches out due to that along with clean ever switch even though they still feel good. :/ I'll definitely do what you did and use a plastic container to sort my switch parts. That's such a better Idea then how I normally do and use small plastic bags LOL I'm just waiting on my ultra sonic jewelry cleaner to deep clean them LOL

Cheers,
--GIven

Yours came with PBT caps??? Nice, mine came with ABS double shots, however they are still very nice, albeit a bit thin. Also I was very fortunate to receive board that appears as though it was hardly ever used, the caps have almost zero yellowing and none of them are shiny.

And perhaps after you deep clean all of the switches with your ultra sonic cleaner, the binding will cease. If that does not help, you could either replace the switches that bind or check out Chyrosran22's video on how to lubricate ALPs switches and lubricate them. Lubricating them may help with the binding issue.

Actually in hind sight they may be ABS? I haven't done the acetone test on them to be sure. It was more of an assumption that they are PBT due to the lot of keyboards I bought it in; they ABS had yellowed a decent about in the rest. The only keyboards that weren't were the Model Ms and the OmniKey. They key caps are double shots with the colour coded modifier keys. I'll try the acetone test later on one of my keys and let you all know.

I've already checked out Chyrorans22's video. It's been a bit help to me for sure. Thanks Chyrosrans!!!

Honestly in it's current condition, it''s not the best typing experience. I've been using it for the last couple days and the binding is getting a bit to annoying for me. I have been quite spoiled by using a near mint IBM Model M (1390120) from 86 for the last couple months. :/

I'm really going to have to deep clean each switch and see where that gets me. If all else fails I have a Focus FK-2001 with white alps I can steal switches out of.

Cheers,
--Given

I am quite jealous of your Model M, I cannot justify spending over $300 on one, at least for right now. Later on in life I may finally acquire one, however in the meantime I may just purchase a Unicomp Model M, seeing as they are the exact same thing, right down to the tools used to make them.

I hope that you can get your baby up and running properly, keep us updated!

[GivenZane]

Yours came with PBT caps??? Nice, mine came with ABS double shots, however they are still very nice, albeit a bit thin. Also I was very fortunate to receive board that appears as though it was hardly ever used, the caps have almost zero yellowing and none of them are shiny.

And perhaps after you deep clean all of the switches with your ultra sonic cleaner, the binding will cease. If that does not help, you could either replace the switches that bind or check out Chyrosran22's video on how to lubricate ALPs switches and lubricate them. Lubricating them may help with the binding issue.

Actually in hind sight they may be ABS? I haven't done the acetone test on them to be sure. It was more of an assumption that they are PBT due to the lot of keyboards I bought it in; they ABS had yellowed a decent about in the rest. The only keyboards that weren't were the Model Ms and the OmniKey. They key caps are double shots with the colour coded modifier keys. I'll try the acetone test later on one of my keys and let you all know.

I've already checked out Chyrorans22's video. It's been a bit help to me for sure. Thanks Chyrosrans!!!

Honestly in it's current condition, it''s not the best typing experience. I've been using it for the last couple days and the binding is getting a bit to annoying for me. I have been quite spoiled by using a near mint IBM Model M (1390120) from 86 for the last couple months. :/

I'm really going to have to deep clean each switch and see where that gets me. If all else fails I have a Focus FK-2001 with white alps I can steal switches out of.

Cheers,
--Given

I am quite jealous of your Model M, I cannot justify spending over $300 on one, at least for right now. Later on in life I may finally acquire one, however in the meantime I may just purchase a Unicomp Model M, seeing as they are the exact same thing, right down to the tools used to make them.

I hope that you can get your baby up and running properly, keep us updated!

The Unicomp boards are quite nice from what I've heard. Ive yet to try one myself. If they ever release that bloody tenkeyless version I'll Probably pick one up then. I've been extremely lucky and have managed to acquire 6 original model Ms that all worked when I bought them; My cat splashed my Gin and Tonic into one of them and now it's not so happy -_- I got 2 of them in the same lot with the Omnikey; not counting the M2. It's barely a model M LOL

[hellothere]

[H]owever in the meantime I may just purchase a Unicomp Model M, seeing as they are the exact same thing, right down to the tools used to make them.

As a former owner of a brand new Unicomp and current owner of a lot of Models M, at least one of which I'm probably going to post for sale today or tomorrow, I can say that the IBM-made ones and early Lexmark ones are superior to the Unicomp ones.

Somewhere on this forum is even a chart that tells you when each version of the Models M came out and how they differ in weight. You can also see obvious differences in key caps, such as the fact that the Uncomp ones are one-piece and the IBM/early Lexmark (maybe all Lexmark; I'm writing this off the top of my head) are two piece. There are also differences in the quality of printing on those keycaps. I've also seen posts here where the key stem, i.e. the part that goes into the barrel, are demonstrated to have differing levels of quality. Also, arguably, the tools used to make them are at least 20 or so years old, if not considerably older. I don't remember if the tooling is the exact same stuff Lexmark was using in 1993 or Unicom did a refit at some point.

There is some excitement on this forum about new products that Unicomp is coming out with and, in my opinion, a "low-end" Unicomp is better than almost any new $99 US keyboard you'll find on the market (Unicomp just raised the price from $85), unless you custom-build something. I've also had some extremely good service from Unicomp, like combining my orders in a different way to save me a few bucks on shipping.

FWIW, the Models M that I've sold have sold for less than $99. That includes units that had only one or two plastic rivets missing. If you're thinking close to $300 US, that's reserved for very odd variants of the Model M in perfect condition, like an SSK, or a Model F variant, like a 104 or 122 key. The "Brand New Model F" starts at $346.

Sorry. One edit. There were Models M with rubber domes. You should always check the model number unless you can see the spring.

[kbTinker]

[H]owever in the meantime I may just purchase a Unicomp Model M, seeing as they are the exact same thing, right down to the tools used to make them.

As a former owner of a brand new Unicomp and current owner of a lot of Models M, at least one of which I'm probably going to post for sale today or tomorrow, I can say that the IBM-made ones and early Lexmark ones are superior to the Unicomp ones.

Somewhere on this forum is even a chart that tells you when each version of the Models M came out and how they differ in weight. You can also see obvious differences in key caps, such as the fact that the Uncomp ones are one-piece and the IBM/early Lexmark (maybe all Lexmark; I'm writing this off the top of my head) are two piece. There are also differences in the quality of printing on those keycaps. I've also seen posts here where the key stem, i.e. the part that goes into the barrel, are demonstrated to have differing levels of quality. Also, arguably, the tools used to make them are at least 20 or so years old, if not considerably older. I don't remember if the tooling is the exact same stuff Lexmark was using in 1993 or Unicom did a refit at some point.

There is some excitement on this forum about new products that Unicomp is coming out with and, in my opinion, a "low-end" Unicomp is better than almost any new $99 US keyboard you'll find on the market (Unicomp just raised the price from $85), unless you custom-build something. I've also had some extremely good service from Unicomp, like combining my orders in a different way to save me a few bucks on shipping.

FWIW, the Models M that I've sold have sold for less than $99. That includes units that had only one or two plastic rivets missing. If you're thinking close to $300 US, that's reserved for very odd variants of the Model M in perfect condition, like an SSK, or a Model F variant, like a 104 or 122 key. The "Brand New Model F" starts at $346.

Sorry. One edit. There were Models M with rubber domes. You should always check the model number unless you can see the spring.

Thank you for the information, I will keep it in mind when I am in the market for a Model M!

[hellothere]

I stand on the shoulders of greater posters .

FWIW, I'm one of the odd ones who doesn't like the Model F. I much prefer the Model M. I restored a Model F XT with mostly new parts a few months back, then sold it when it didn't meet my expectations. I then found that another poster here had a NOS XT "core," which is everything but the cable, case, and feet, for a really good price. I had a serviceable case, so I bought it, thinking maybe I screwed up something in my restoration. Nope. Felt the same.

Reminds me that I have to sell that, too.

[GivenZane]

[H]owever in the meantime I may just purchase a Unicomp Model M, seeing as they are the exact same thing, right down to the tools used to make them.

As a former owner of a brand new Unicomp and current owner of a lot of Models M, at least one of which I'm probably going to post for sale today or tomorrow, I can say that the IBM-made ones and early Lexmark ones are superior to the Unicomp ones.

Somewhere on this forum is even a chart that tells you when each version of the Models M came out and how they differ in weight. You can also see obvious differences in key caps, such as the fact that the Uncomp ones are one-piece and the IBM/early Lexmark (maybe all Lexmark; I'm writing this off the top of my head) are two piece. There are also differences in the quality of printing on those keycaps. I've also seen posts here where the key stem, i.e. the part that goes into the barrel, are demonstrated to have differing levels of quality. Also, arguably, the tools used to make them are at least 20 or so years old, if not considerably older. I don't remember if the tooling is the exact same stuff Lexmark was using in 1993 or Unicom did a refit at some point.

There is some excitement on this forum about new products that Unicomp is coming out with and, in my opinion, a "low-end" Unicomp is better than almost any new $99 US keyboard you'll find on the market (Unicomp just raised the price from $85), unless you custom-build something. I've also had some extremely good service from Unicomp, like combining my orders in a different way to save me a few bucks on shipping.

FWIW, the Models M that I've sold have sold for less than $99. That includes units that had only one or two plastic rivets missing. If you're thinking close to $300 US, that's reserved for very odd variants of the Model M in perfect condition, like an SSK, or a Model F variant, like a 104 or 122 key. The "Brand New Model F" starts at $346.

Sorry. One edit. There were Models M with rubber domes. You should always check the model number unless you can see the spring.

In my experience the best Model M's are from 86-90. With the selection I have, which admittedly is only a handful; the quality began to drop off in the early 90's. I am typing on a 1397661 born on 05/19/1992 right now and it pales in comparison to my 1390120 born on 09/13/1986. It feels ever so slightly less refined and the sound is a little less refined too. It also has 1 piece key caps and stems. Don't get me wrong, it's still plenty nice to type on, it's just not as nice as the earlier variants. I would recommend trying to find a 1391401 variant. They're quite common and they're in that nice middle ground of being common but still retaining excellent build quality. I'm not sure of the exact production years for the 401 but the selection i have them were made from mid 1989 to early 1991.

As fair as the Model F goes it's quite a lovely keyboard. I got a 5150 model in excellent shape it's it's nice to type on for sure. My problems with it are how thick the chassis is and the sound being as pingy as it is. It's not a bad sound, but sounds less refined and is louder then any other buckling spring i own except maybe my M2 LOL The sound is much high pitched then the M and can be distracting in a way when compared to the M. As far as the chassis goes that may or may not be a problem for you. I use a wrist rest religiously and if you type with floating hands it wouldn't be a problem for you at all. Honestly I haven't been disappointed by any Model M I've touched so far when taken on it's own merits and not what came before. They're all great typing boards; just some aren't as refined as others. Honestly, I will use my M2 over my Corsair k95 RGB with Cherry MX Browns for typing long documents; the Buckling Springs are really hard to beat.

I guess this just goes to show that there's different strokes for different folks LOL

Cheers,
--Given

[hellothere]

I've got two computers I use daily. One has an Apple Extended Keyboard II and the other has a custom with Kailh Box Jade "Thick Clicks." It might just be the layout of each desk, but I use a wrist pad on one and "floating hands" on the other. I use only one chair, which had padded armrests, so I do rest my arms on them while typing.

I don't know how to type. I use maybe 4 to 5 fingers and get over 60 WPM, so I'm not necessarily looking to learn something new. However, I type significantly faster on the AEK than on the Box Jade or the Box Navy 'board I have on a shelf. I should look up the weightings on those and compare.

I did forget one thing about the Model F. On the restoration I did, the spacebar felt a touch heavier than the other keys. On the new core, it was at least five times heavier, if not more. I do know that this is due to the stabilizer and you can fix that, but I had thought that the folks posting that the spacebar was too heavy were, well, whiny. I ask their forgiveness, now.

[GivenZane]

I've got two computers I use daily. One has an Apple Extended Keyboard II and the other has a custom with Kailh Box Jade "Thick Clicks." It might just be the layout of each desk, but I use a wrist pad on one and "floating hands" on the other. I use only one chair, which had padded armrests, so I do rest my arms on them while typing.

I don't know how to type. I use maybe 4 to 5 fingers and get over 60 WPM, so I'm not necessarily looking to learn something new. However, I type significantly faster on the AEK than on the Box Jade or the Box Navy 'board I have on a shelf. I should look up the weightings on those and compare.

I did forget one thing about the Model F. On the restoration I did, the spacebar felt a touch heavier than the other keys. On the new core, it was at least five times heavier, if not more. I do know that this is due to the stabilizer and you can fix that, but I had thought that the folks posting that the spacebar was too heavy were, well, whiny. I ask their forgiveness, now.

That's odd to hear. I didn't notice it was all that much heavier, but that might be my typing style where I always hit the space bar with my thumb? I have a rather proper typing style where I use almost all of my fingers to get around 60-80wpm depending on the keyboard I'm using. Oddly enough I'm fastest on a vintage NEC Rubber dome keyboard LOL I'll post about that board at some point due to it being one of the nicest rubber domes I've ever used. It could also be that I haven't restored my Model F yet. I know it needs a new Foam mat and some cleaning. If it's the stabs, maybe some lube would help it? In my experience that has helped somewhat. I've used and heard good things about a small amount of Super Lube for Guide shaft stabs. It's helped me with binding issues as well too.

Cheers,
--Given

[hellothere]

I wasn't lazy this time and looked up the thread on Model F spacebar mods: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6982&start= This mod does require you completely disassembling the keyboard. Once I figured out that clamps really are the way to go, even though it looks counter-intuitive, to me, at least, it became maybe an hour or so job to do a full disassemble and reassemble.

I've heard of lubing stabilizers on Cherry MX and Alps keyboards. Not so much on Models F or M. It could be interesting to try.