I finally got my hands on one of those beamspring .. for a really nice price ! (and the day before my birthday !!!) I'm on my way to restoring it, I don't have much free time and usually my restoration jobs aren't the greatest but I want to make this one my best, this one of my favourite looking keyboard (even before I got it!) and I don't want to waste it by making a half-assed restoration. (I'm going to make some kind of index since I have way too many pictures to make a straight post)
Chap 1 : The Outside
- I've seen just_add_coffee's thread and in here he washes the top case in the dishwasher, now ... should I do the same ? There is no sticker and there is nothing else on the case, I'd just need to know at which temperature I would put it on.
- Where to get some DisplayWriter keycaps ? I know this won't be easy and I know that Selectrics have the same mount but I would be much happier with OG (at least the same colour and of right size) DisplayWriter keycaps.
- How would I remove any rust as much as I can ? Sanding the plate is something I can do, but what about the springs ?
- How would I remove the lock mecanism from the plate ? Can I even ? I don't seem to find a way to do it and there is still some pieces of containment shield under there
- How to disassemble the beampsring switches ?
- Where to get beamspring switches ?
- I heard that the forn legends are quite fragile and I'd prefer keeping them as they are, would putting the keycaps with fron legends in an ultrasonic cleaner be better than washing them very carefully ?
some videos I made during this restoration which might help some people who are stuck with the opening/putting back together process of beamsprings...
Opening them up :
- The disassambly
- I have to take off the top case ✔
- I have to remove the keycaps ✔
- I have to remove the containment shield ✔
- I have to remove the Inside from the bottom plate ✔
- I have to open the inside's inside ✔
- I have to remove the controller and speaker ✔
- I have to remove the pcb ✔
- I have to take off each beamspring ✔
- I have to remove the foam✔
- The outside
- I have to clean the outside ✔
- I have to clean the keycaps ✔
- I have to find a way to get the right amount of keycaps✔
- The inside
- I have to clean the inside✔
- I have to find a way to de-rust all the stuff✔
- The inside's inside
- I have to find a way to clean the Beamspring Switches✔
- I have to get some spare Beampsring Switches✔
- I have to get a new foam✔
- I have to clean the pcb✔
- The assembly
- I have to assemble the Beamspring✔
- I have to convert the Beamspring
- The fun part
- I will enjoy the White Whale
- I will make a nice photography of all the IBM keyboards I have
- 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 are from the 26/01/2018 and 27/01/2018
- 1.1 is from the 01/02/2018
- 3.1 is from the 30/03/2018
- 3.2 is from the 30/03/2018 and 22/04/2018
- 3.3 is from the 22/04/2018 and 27/04/2018
- 5.0 is from the 01/05/2018
- 5.1 is from the 26/06/2018