IBM 5251 restoration (rebuilding phase)
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Subcat sold me this really awesome beamspring that should make a great project. I had a blast going through all the different parts and learning bits and pieces about what makes this keyboard chooch.
Here are some photos of the unboxing:
The parts came in two separate shipments. Here is the first one.
Parts and pieces of switches
One single beamspring switch
Two little white boxes
Little white box #1
These things are beafy
Little white box #2
Electrical components
The other shipment
Case
Backplate and PCB
Switch plate
Keyboard skeleton (spooky)
I have a whole lot of different stuff going on at the moment so not sure how quickly I'll be able to move on this. Seems like it's going to be a good time though!
Here are some photos of the unboxing:
The parts came in two separate shipments. Here is the first one.
Parts and pieces of switches
One single beamspring switch
Two little white boxes
Little white box #1
These things are beafy
Little white box #2
Electrical components
The other shipment
Case
Backplate and PCB
Switch plate
Keyboard skeleton (spooky)
I have a whole lot of different stuff going on at the moment so not sure how quickly I'll be able to move on this. Seems like it's going to be a good time though!
Last edited by snacksthecat on 24 May 2019, 03:53, edited 2 times in total.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Got all the switches disassembled and ready for cleaning.
A lot of the metal bits were badly rusted/corroded and very difficult to pull apart. I found that it is much easier if you have two people; one to clamp onto the metal stem with a pliers and another to pull on the switch bottom. I wrap the switch bottom in a tshirt so that it doesn't hurt my hands.
A lot of the metal bits were badly rusted/corroded and very difficult to pull apart. I found that it is much easier if you have two people; one to clamp onto the metal stem with a pliers and another to pull on the switch bottom. I wrap the switch bottom in a tshirt so that it doesn't hurt my hands.
- Khers
- ⧓
- Location: Sweden
- Main keyboard: LZ CLSh
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Ergo
- Favorite switch: Buckling Springs | Topre | Nixdorf Black
- DT Pro Member: 0087
I have a similarly far gone 5251 that's been sitting in pieces for a couple of years by now while I've been trying to figure out what to do with it. Following this with much interest!
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Here's the whole thing broken down.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
The switches have these little rubber o-rings that I would like to replace since some of them ripped and I lost a few.
I did my best to measure them and ended up buying a pack of these:
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/124/3606
We'll see if it works out when they arrive.
I did my best to measure them and ended up buying a pack of these:
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/124/3606
We'll see if it works out when they arrive.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Many of the switch stems were badly rusted/corroded. I've used this evapo-rust stuff in the past with good results. I think it did a nice job of getting off the junk.
- ZedTheMan
- Location: Central US
- Main keyboard: IModel F77/IBM 3101/Omnikey 102/96Kee
- Main mouse: Logitech G430/Logitech M570/Kensington Expert
- Favorite switch: Beamsprings. Alps SKCM Blue, Capacitive Buckling S
- DT Pro Member: 0219
Yeah, that before and after really shows how much rust was removed!
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
The switches have been cleaned and reassembled.
The o-rings that I bought were a perfect match so that's awesome. I usually have bad luck ordering stuff based on measurements.
The o-rings that I bought were a perfect match so that's awesome. I usually have bad luck ordering stuff based on measurements.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
This may be the most suspenseful video you watch today
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
I originally just wanted to remove the rust and corrosion from. the plate but the rust remover actually also removed the thin layer of plastic and plating (?) that was on the plate as well. No doubt these layers were intended to protect the metal from rust. Is my best bet to paint it or is there another route that I can take to protect it?
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
If you want to stay faithful to the original, you may get a zinc plating treatment and some clear lacquer just to be sure. Also just the lacquer would look good and work. Anyway, painting it isn't a bad option.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Just looked into zinc plating. I never knew that was something that could be done by an amateur. I'm sure there are shops that would do it as well, but it seems like it would actually be a fun DIY project.PlacaFromHell wrote: ↑If you want to stay faithful to the original, you may get a zinc plating treatment and some clear lacquer just to be sure. Also just the lacquer would look good and work. Anyway, painting it isn't a bad option.
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
why not just use some clear varnish for protection?
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
That'd certainly do the trick but the plate looks pretty gnarly in its current state (granted, it hasn't been fully stripped down quite yet). I'm trying to go full bore with the restoration. I even have some special plans for the case.matt3o wrote: ↑why not just use some clear varnish for protection?
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
personally I prefer to go with the minimum amount of restoration required and painting the whole thing would feel like sacrilege, but yeah that looks pretty bad indeed...
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
I'm not going to paint the case for that exact reason. My plan is to put it in an XT case like ekeppel did (which should be totally reversible). I've always thought that mod looked so cool and unique.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17339&start=
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17339&start=
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Finally dragged this big box of beamspring parts back up from the basement today. Then I let this old dog outside for the last time. Dropped him off to get replated. I should get it back in about a week hopefully.
The guy I went to said he didn't do zinc plating; only nickel and chrome. He offered to recommend some other platers that do zinc but the shop seemed cool so I pulled the trigger and got nickel. It was about as much as I had expected, maybe a bit less ($50). Just mentioning in case anyone else is looking to replate their plate (what?).
The guy I went to said he didn't do zinc plating; only nickel and chrome. He offered to recommend some other platers that do zinc but the shop seemed cool so I pulled the trigger and got nickel. It was about as much as I had expected, maybe a bit less ($50). Just mentioning in case anyone else is looking to replate their plate (what?).
- PlacaFromHell
- Location: Argentina
- Main keyboard: IBM 3101
- Main mouse: Optical piece of shit
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Didn't IBM chrome-plated the backplate of the portable XT's? I'm only saying if you want to be more accurate with it. Paint will work perfect anyway.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
Wow, the shop did a fantastic job with this. Shout out to Tom at Griffin Plating in Bucktown (Chicago). Definitely going to be returning in the future!
- User101
- Location: South California
- Main keyboard: IBM 3278
- Main mouse: Kensington pro trackball
- Favorite switch: BeamSpring
- DT Pro Member: -
Personally i will powder coat it black but this is awesome.snacksthecat wrote: ↑25 May 2019, 02:55Wow, the shop did a fantastic job with this. Shout out to Tom at Griffin Plating in Bucktown (Chicago). Definitely going to be returning in the future!
- SneakyRobb
- THINK
- Location: Canada
- Main keyboard: KB-5161A, F122, Dc2014, Typeheaven, Beamspring FXT
- Main mouse: MX518 Legendary
- DT Pro Member: 0242
Seriously cool, good jobsnacksthecat wrote: ↑25 May 2019, 02:55Wow, the shop did a fantastic job with this. Shout out to Tom at Griffin Plating in Bucktown (Chicago). Definitely going to be returning in the future!
- adamcobabe
- Location: London
- Main keyboard: Norbatouch
- Main mouse: Razer
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Oh, man. I'm definitely going to do something like this with my restoration. It's so shiny. Thanks for the inspiration. I'll probably try doing zinc but the nickel looks so nice. Hmm, decisions...snacksthecat wrote: ↑25 May 2019, 02:55Wow, the shop did a fantastic job with this. Shout out to Tom at Griffin Plating in Bucktown (Chicago). Definitely going to be returning in the future!
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
On Friday my girlfriend randomly said to me "let's finish putting the boomspring back together". I cant exactly argue with that!
I guess 2mm foam is recommended for this part but I didn't have that. We made a trip to Michael's (craft store) and Walmart but neither place had sheets large enough. So I decided to just use the 1/8" foam that I already had from other stuff. My hope was that this keyboard would be more forgiving than a model F, where this foam was a bit too thick.
Hole tracing...
Then we punched out the holes with a leather punch....
Here you can see that nearly none of the switches properly clipped in...
It took a few rounds of putting the backplate on, tightening, adjusting, repeat, etc. before the foam squished down enough to allow all the switches to clip in nicely.
Even in the last picture there are a few that are not clipped. I had to wiggle and tug on the keys to line the switches up. Then tightened the backplate a bit more and everything set in place.
I guess 2mm foam is recommended for this part but I didn't have that. We made a trip to Michael's (craft store) and Walmart but neither place had sheets large enough. So I decided to just use the 1/8" foam that I already had from other stuff. My hope was that this keyboard would be more forgiving than a model F, where this foam was a bit too thick.
Hole tracing...
Then we punched out the holes with a leather punch....
Here you can see that nearly none of the switches properly clipped in...
It took a few rounds of putting the backplate on, tightening, adjusting, repeat, etc. before the foam squished down enough to allow all the switches to clip in nicely.
Even in the last picture there are a few that are not clipped. I had to wiggle and tug on the keys to line the switches up. Then tightened the backplate a bit more and everything set in place.
- adamcobabe
- Location: London
- Main keyboard: Norbatouch
- Main mouse: Razer
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
I've had good success with 2mm neoprene foam from eBay. I've found that EVA craft foam eventually accepts the pressure of the switches and stops pushing back enough. Probably won't have that problem with 3mm+, though.
- snacksthecat
- ✶✶✶✶
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: SSK
- Main mouse: BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
- DT Pro Member: 0205
- Contact:
I haven't seen it talked about before but what are people's thoughts on "tuning" the switches in your beamspring?
Everyone is familiar with this page out of the IBM manuals that explain how to reassemble individual key switches. But I never really stopped to read the part about bending the fly plates so that they're all even:
So what do you guys think about this? Is it worthwhile to remove all the fly plates, bend them, and reinstall them?
Everyone is familiar with this page out of the IBM manuals that explain how to reassemble individual key switches. But I never really stopped to read the part about bending the fly plates so that they're all even:
So what do you guys think about this? Is it worthwhile to remove all the fly plates, bend them, and reinstall them?
- adamcobabe
- Location: London
- Main keyboard: Norbatouch
- Main mouse: Razer
- Favorite switch: Beamspring
- DT Pro Member: -
Interesting. Seems a little risky to me given there is minimal stock to replace them if you mess up (from Orihalcon at $10 each). Did you bend the fly plate in the image?