Model F Technical Manual Project

[darkcruix]

Check https://www.bucklingspring.com from time to time. I don't have any automated notification in place, unfortunately.

[darkcruix]

Uploaded the latest version 0.5.17 of the Technical Reference for Model F at:
https://www.bucklingspring.com/technica ... downloads/

Version 0.5.17 contains
Additions in section 4 for: Solenoid and Beeper
Additions in the Appendix: Keycap Font
Some minor corrections

We have now over 200 pages ...

[shampoo]

Hi

I am trying to download it, but I am getting the following error:

Screen Shot 2020-11-16 at 7.38.23 AM.png (180.67 KiB) Viewed 644 times

Thanks

J

[darkcruix]

Hi

I am trying to download it, but I am getting the following error:

Screen Shot 2020-11-16 at 7.38.23 AM.png

Thanks

J

I have a relatively tight setting on the access rights. Can you give me your public IP (e.g. navigate to whatsmyip.com) and PM me your IP. I can then update the configuration.

[OxC0FFEE]

@darkcruix, regarding the font, is it a derivative of Gorton as many keyboard manufacturers used, or a bespoke font? If the latter, do you have it available?

[darkcruix]

@darkcruix, regarding the font, is it a derivative of Gorton as many keyboard manufacturers used, or a bespoke font? If the latter, do you have it available?

Neither, as far as I was informed. Zed has done some research on it - let me quote him:

The 'tail' or 'leg' on the 'R' is the dead giveaway for Helvetica. The curve at the end is completely out of character to the rest of the font. The F font certainly looks like it was derived from Helvetica with some interesting differences.

Characters are uniform height and stroke thickness. This is why the round characters 'O', 'S' etc. appear to be slightly shorter than their neighbors. Typefaces compensate for this optical effect by making those characters slightly taller. The vertical and horizontal line thickness is usually varied as well for similar reasons. IBM did not do either. I assume they were planning for additional characters to be added and placed the alphas upper left justified to create a grid where the other quadrants could be used. Perhaps uniform letter height was considered a better option when multiple characters might be sharing the same key but I don't know for sure. It may be as simple as the artist didn't know any better or it was decided that this wasn't like typesetting a book so the font didn't have to follow the traditional rules.

The small text for the modifiers, F row, etc. was probably done using a Keuffel & Esser 'Leroy' lettering set. IBM used a slightly different font (not Helvetica or a derivative) for their templates than ones I have seen in the catalogs but K&E did all sorts of custom templates and the artwork has all the hallmarks of a pantograph drawn character.

Zed has hand-drawn the font and icons according the original keys and they look fabulous.

[darkcruix]

I have uploaded another version today with the full key cap set in the Appendix as well as additions to the Section 4. Overall we are at 241 pages now.

As always, the download is available from:
https://www.bucklingspring.com
in the "Download Section"

[darkcruix]

After 6 weeks I found time for an update ... hopefully work is not interfering so much with my little project here.
Overall we are at 245 pages now.

The updates I made are around the Solenoid and a few pages about the Keycap Legend Font while I created some comparison figures with Helvetica etc. I only have a few open ends on the hardware portion, so my plans are to jump very soon into the firmware section. I don't want to re-create a QMK or Xwhatsit handbook, but referencing external information in a book is not optimal. I try to find the balance to give the right start into the possibilities.

Download the latest version (0.5.19) from here:
https://www.bucklingspring.com/technica ... ownloads/

[darkcruix]

Added another 10 new pages around Cleaning and Lock Lights in version 0.5.20.
I spent some time in getting the Layer indication via LED implemented in QMK with some nice outcome (IMHO).

Download the latest version (0.5.20) from here:
https://www.bucklingspring.com/technica ... downloads/

LayerLED.jpg (555.46 KiB) Viewed 384 times

[darkcruix]

Added more info around cleaning and more about Lock Lights in version 0.5.21.
I also showed the first iteration of the LED breakout board to the documentation:

LockLightWire_BreakoutBoard.jpg (915.15 KiB) Viewed 312 times

Download the latest version (0.5.21) from here:
https://www.bucklingspring.com/technica ... downloads/

[Bjerrk]

Not to contaminate the thread, but I want to say that the work you're doing here is highly appreciated.

[Scarpia]

Fantastic work on both the text and the look&feel of this!!

I wonder if the final version can include an appendix of all the serial numbers and which round they were part of (and for the sake of future collectors’ provenance, with permission, the original owner’s country and name/handle)?

[John Doe]

A 411Mb size pdf file, impressive work.

plus: should be there tricks added about how to disassemble the legs from f122/unsavers?

[darkcruix]

Thanks so much guys ... there is still some work to be done, but keep the ideas coming. For the serial table, I think an online database would be better suited. I have an idea to make the bucklingspring.com web page more versatile in the future. Sharktastic has a great DB already btw.
Disassembling the legs of F122 and similar ... great idea!!!! I just added it to the list of tasks ....

Screen Shot 2021-01-12 at 10.38.59.png (154.74 KiB) Viewed 237 times

[Bjerrk]

By the way, darkcruix, are you aware that the "Home" link in the menu on bucklingspring.com points to a rather odd URL? (sktperfectdemo . com / demos / laptoprepair )

A remnant of the site template, I assume?

[darkcruix]

By the way, darkcruix, are you aware that the "Home" link in the menu on bucklingspring.com points to a rather odd URL? (sktperfectdemo . com / demos / laptoprepair )

A remnant of the site template, I assume?

HUGE thanks - you were absolutely right - still from the template and somehow it slipped through Should be corrected now.

[Bjerrk]

HUGE thanks - you were absolutely right - still from the template and somehow it slipped through Should be corrected now.

No problem!

By the way, another little thing: If I go to http://bucklingspring.com (without the www.), I get an SSL certificate warning:


If I add the www, everything seems fine. Same on mobile (Firefox @ Android).

[darkcruix]

HUGE thanks - you were absolutely right - still from the template and somehow it slipped through Should be corrected now.

No problem!

By the way, another little thing: If I go to http://bucklingspring.com (without the www.), I get an SSL certificate warning:


If I add the www, everything seems fine. Same on mobile (Firefox @ Android).

I have only the FQDN (www.bucklingspring.com) in the SSL certificate. So, this is expected, I am afraid.