IBM Model M bolt mod question
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- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Cm Novatouch
- Main mouse: MX Master
- Favorite switch: Topre / model F
- DT Pro Member: -
Hi All -
Just a quick question - how does one know when your Model M has broken rivets and needs to be bolt modded? I have two Model Ms and both seem to work okay, but I keep reading that the rivets break regularly and they tend to need to be fixed. I assume they keyboards I have are therefore fine, but I can also imagine it is possible that there have been broken rivets for a long time and I therefore don't know what a fully functional keyboard should actually feel like!
thanks for any input
Just a quick question - how does one know when your Model M has broken rivets and needs to be bolt modded? I have two Model Ms and both seem to work okay, but I keep reading that the rivets break regularly and they tend to need to be fixed. I assume they keyboards I have are therefore fine, but I can also imagine it is possible that there have been broken rivets for a long time and I therefore don't know what a fully functional keyboard should actually feel like!
thanks for any input
- alh84001
- v.001
- Location: EU-HR-ZG
- Main keyboard: unsaver
- Main mouse: logitech m305 / apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: BS
- DT Pro Member: -
If you don't have that kind of socket, and until you acquire it, you can try and shake the keyboard, or rotate it. If you hear some rattling sound moving in the case, those are probably broken-off rivets.
- fohat
- Elder Messenger
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Main keyboard: Model F 122-key terminal
- Main mouse: Microsoft Optical Mouse
- Favorite switch: Model F Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0158
This is Reagan-era US gear, 7/32" is official and 5.5mm is extremely close. Just make sure that it is "long" and "thin-walled".
As to the actual question, a bolt-mod is not needed unless the action of the keyboard has been impaired. Likely there will be an area that starts to feel mushy or rattles when certain keys are struck as rivets continue to break loose.
It will fail when the plates are separated to the point where the pivot plates move out of their sockets and refuse to activate.
- seebart
- Offtopicthority Instigator
- Location: Germany
- Main keyboard: Rotation
- Main mouse: Steelseries Sensei
- Favorite switch: IBM capacitive buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0061
- Contact:
Yes, it should look something like this. I remember someone here improvising one by melting a piece of plastic, I would not recomend that.
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- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Cm Novatouch
- Main mouse: MX Master
- Favorite switch: Topre / model F
- DT Pro Member: -
Thanks for all the comments. I gave it a good shake and don't hear anything. I don't feel like there is a problem, but I also don't know whether it should feel any different than it does (like more solid or with less rattle).
I'll wait to open it up until I get around to actually committing to the bolt modification at some point.
I'll wait to open it up until I get around to actually committing to the bolt modification at some point.
- clickykeyboards
- Main keyboard: 1395682
- Favorite switch: buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0233
- Contact:
Note, while shaking the model M keyboard might be an indication of broken plastic rivets, remember that many model M keyboards were used for years in real-world production environments in office and industrial settings and any number of "things" may have fallen inside the keyboard.
We regularly find paper clips, staples, binder clips, sewing needles, wire ties, screws, springs, bits of cut wire.. in addition to the dust, hair, paper confetti, nail clippings and Doritos snack chips that fall into "well-loved" keyboards.
We have a found a good industrial ShopVac with a HEPA filter to be indispensable in the first steps to restoring model M keyboards.
We regularly find paper clips, staples, binder clips, sewing needles, wire ties, screws, springs, bits of cut wire.. in addition to the dust, hair, paper confetti, nail clippings and Doritos snack chips that fall into "well-loved" keyboards.
We have a found a good industrial ShopVac with a HEPA filter to be indispensable in the first steps to restoring model M keyboards.
- Attachments
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- raw, unrestored model M keyboard internals with dust
- 10497241_10152541888826203_7779429002580046974_o.jpg (266.87 KiB) Viewed 4671 times
- fohat
- Elder Messenger
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Main keyboard: Model F 122-key terminal
- Main mouse: Microsoft Optical Mouse
- Favorite switch: Model F Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0158
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- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Cm Novatouch
- Main mouse: MX Master
- Favorite switch: Topre / model F
- DT Pro Member: -
I feel lucky to have owned both of my Model Ms from new - though I wouldn't be surprised if there is still a fair amount of lint hiding inside (but no paperclips or other macro items)
- micrex22
- Location: Canada
- Main keyboard: UltraNav
- Favorite switch: BS
- DT Pro Member: -
All of that lint and chow is actually a 'feature' to act as dampening instead of O-ringsclickykeyboards wrote: ↑ We regularly find paper clips, staples, binder clips, sewing needles, wire ties, screws, springs, bits of cut wire.. in addition to the dust, hair, paper confetti, nail clippings and Doritos snack chips that fall into "well-loved" keyboards.
- Chyros
- Location: The Netherlands
- Main keyboard: whatever I'm reviewing next :p
- Main mouse: a cheap Logitech
- Favorite switch: Alps SKCM Blue
- DT Pro Member: -
The M I bolt-modded was basically up to the edge of its barrels in board chow and had half a dozen dead spiders and flies in it. That was a fun project, though.
- vivalarevolución
- formerly prdlm2009
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Beam spring
- Main mouse: Kangaroo
- Favorite switch: beam spring
- DT Pro Member: 0097
Regardless of the amount of broken rivets, they will break one day and a bolt mod does create a more solid feel for the keyboard. In the long run, it's a good decision.
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- Location: Austria, Europe
- Main keyboard: Unicomp PC/5250
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Cleaned up my ex's one some years back only to find the needles of what must have been half a christmas tree in it. I'll never find out how she did that.
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- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Cm Novatouch
- Main mouse: MX Master
- Favorite switch: Topre / model F
- DT Pro Member: -
Is there a good tutorial to follow? The main thing I need to figure out is which bolts are optimal for the job. I have seen some photos of the process, but am not confident I could get it all to work right.vivalarevolución wrote: ↑Regardless of the amount of broken rivets, they will break one day and a bolt mod does create a more solid feel for the keyboard. In the long run, it's a good decision.
I was also thinking I could do my M13 at the same time, and for that one it would probably make sense to try to do a modification to USB - but I am not sure where to start with that (and whether it would work okay on an M13).
- alh84001
- v.001
- Location: EU-HR-ZG
- Main keyboard: unsaver
- Main mouse: logitech m305 / apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: BS
- DT Pro Member: -
Here's one - workshop-f7/ibm-model-m-screw-nut-and-b ... t9169.html
The necessary bolts/nuts/screws are pictured at the end of first post.
The necessary bolts/nuts/screws are pictured at the end of first post.
- THATGUY69
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: IBM Model F AT
- Main mouse: Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum
- Favorite switch: capacitive buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: -
Hey just a quick question, I just did a bolt mod and Im curious about how tight the bolts need to be, Do i need to just gently tighten them down or do i really need to hammer them?
- fohat
- Elder Messenger
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Main keyboard: Model F 122-key terminal
- Main mouse: Microsoft Optical Mouse
- Favorite switch: Model F Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0158
Gently! Hold the socket in your fingers and make it barely "finger tight"THATGUY69 wrote: ↑Hey just a quick question, I just did a bolt mod and Im curious about how tight the bolts need to be, Do i need to just gently tighten them down or do i really need to hammer them?
Remember that you are just replacing little plastic rods with steel screws.
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- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Cm Novatouch
- Main mouse: MX Master
- Favorite switch: Topre / model F
- DT Pro Member: -
Thanks for the helpalh84001 wrote: ↑Here's one - workshop-f7/ibm-model-m-screw-nut-and-b ... t9169.html
The necessary bolts/nuts/screws are pictured at the end of first post.