Where to buy replacement Model M barrel plate?

[gnudon]

A while back I knocked on my IBM Model M, 1993 a little too hard and knocked loose a buckling switch. I took a look and saw the keyboard needed a good cleaning. Also, a lot of the rivets fell out.
I decided to fix the cracked barrel plate while I was sprucing things up.
I didn't fully appreciate or understand the mechanics of the keys while I was fixing the barrel plate with epoxy. I ended up getting too much epoxy on some of the barrels. Scraping away the excess epoxy had been somewhat helpful. I'd also read that using denatured alcohol could help clear up the extra epoxy (I didn't have any luck with that).
I contacted clickykeys and they said they only provided barrel plates to refurbish customers - not as a part to purchase.
I contacted Unicomp and they said that they did not sell the plates. [I did try buying a barrel plate available on their site - but it wasn't suitable for my model M - it's their new version.]
I have had no luck with Ebay.

I've seen some old threads where people were printing / selling barrel plates. Is there any source for barrel plates that you are aware of?
Aside of that, any clever / pragmatic ideas for clearing of the extra epoxy?

[Weezer]

Can the flippers still move freely or is the epoxy inside the barrel plate inhibiting the movement of the flippers?

[gnudon]

The flippers can move freely as far as I can tell. The barrels don't have epoxy on the inside from what I've seen. It seems that where the movement is limited - is occurring from epoxy on the outside of the barrels.
I've had some success scraping epoxy of the outside of the barrels - the keys can then move freely up and down.
But other barrels are proving more problematic to scrape off the epoxy or sand off with a little file.

[gnudon]

Despite that in direct communication with Unicomp I was told that they don't sell the barrel plates - or frames as they refer to them, I had ordered a frame. It is the new style - which is incorrect. I looked at my invoice and it seems that's what I had ordered.
I have now ordered the 101 key - I hope that is correct. cf. https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/CVSET

[Jan Pospisil]

So why wouldn't these fit your model? I've been reading up on M restorations and people mention the Unicomp barrel plates as viable replacements.

[pgru]

Maybe I am wrong thinking, but if they sale new products in most of Europe, and they are still in production, they MUST sell replacement parts, according to new directive, which as far as I known gave rights to repair things 10 year after production EOL.

[Muirium]

So why wouldn't these fit your model? I've been reading up on M restorations and people mention the Unicomp barrel plates as viable replacements.

Look at the pic. Wrong layout. The bottom rows don’t match. Won’t fit in the winkeyless case or use its caps.

Maybe I am wrong thinking, but if they sale new products in most of Europe, and they are still in production, they MUST sell replacement parts, according to new directive, which as far as I known gave rights to repair things 10 year after production EOL.

Unicomp is a small mom & pop company. They will be unaware of the directive / in no position to fulfil it.

Please don’t sue them.

You’ll turn off Europe’s supply of new SSKs! Or bankrupt them entirely if your lawyer knows the right people in Brussels.

[Jan Pospisil]

Oh, so do they not sell winkeyless types of the barrel plate anymore?

[Muirium]

Unicomp likes to be confusing—maybe they are just confused? This link looks right to me:

I have now ordered the 101 key - I hope that is correct. cf. https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/CVSET

Select the right item in the dropdown list "Frame 101 key" and it's still in stock: "Style: FR101"

Last time I ordered from them was 2015 or so. The images were "coming soon" back then too.

[pgru]

Unicomp is a small mom & pop company. They will be unaware of the directive / in no position to fulfil it.

Please don’t sue them.

You’ll turn off Europe’s supply of new SSKs! Or bankrupt them entirely if your lawyer knows the right people in Brussels.

Oh I defo don't want to sue or bankrupt that company. Just I am thinking that this directive is good for both sides - fans of repairing older things, would get spare parts, and they will get extra money for selling spares. Everyone may be happy...

[Muirium]

Yeah we're both on the same side. I think the directive has good intention, but small companies can get hit real hard in the crossfire. These things are really targeted at Apple and Samsung etc. Those big guys can afford to keep old parts inventory available. (They just prefer not to: buy a new model!) Small firms are the ones which can get into real trouble.

[kmnov2017]

Yeah we're both on the same side. I think the directive has good intention, but small companies can get hit real hard in the crossfire. These things are really targeted at Apple and Samsung etc. Those big guys can afford to keep old parts inventory available. (They just prefer not to: buy a new model!) Small firms are the ones which can get into real trouble.

Unicomp is not registered in the EU, so that directive doesn't even apply to them.

[Muirium]

Then what the hell good is it?

[Rayndalf]

Then what the hell good is it?

I suppose it's for larger companies who hold parts and repair hostage (Apple making certain parts locked by hardware ID ).

Unicomp sells more replacement parts than most and has enabled for more than a few Model M restorations, so I think they comply with the spirit if not the letter of the directive.

[Muirium]

I know. My reaction was to the claim this directive only applies to European companies. Because poor Apple, Xiaomi, Sony and Samsung couldn’t possibly afford to allow repairs to their boutique, limited run, artisanally assembled devices.

I know! Let’s punch ourselves in the balls!

[Obin]

Firstly I don't think the law currently even covers keyboards or computers but only large household appliances like dish washers and washing machines.

Aside from that the directive should apply to products that a company sells within the EU, no matter where the company is registered. So that applies to Apple, Xiaomi, Sony and Samsung. Besides, isn't Apple registered in Ireland anyway to avoid taxes?

Unicomp however (much to my displeasure) doesn't sell their products in the EU. They just ship to the EU, which is an entirely different thing. You buy a product in the US and are importing it into the EU. If your order gets stuck in customs, you're the one who has to go there and pay taxes, not Unicomp.