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IBM Model F keyboard disassemble

musicforlife

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2018
Messages
255
Location
Finland
Hi. In my 5150 PC keyboard the spacebar works fine when pressed from center area but can't be pressed from either extreme sides as it only wobbles up and down so I wonder if it's normal or something broken? I recall reading that in order to reach spacebar you have to disassemble everything else first? Are there any great step by step guides to disassemble model f keyboard?

IMG_2355.jpg
 
I guess perhaps someone opened it up before and broke the plastic clips inside when attempting to remove the spacebar. The model F has a weird design on spacebar.
 
You can indeed only take the spacebar on and off a model F by disassembly. It's not normal for it to wobble at the sides; it should work pressed at any position. It may have been broken by someone attempting to force it or it may have been previously disassembled and reassembled without the support bar in place.

Although it is often stated to be a pig of a job, I didn't find it a particularly bad keyboard to strip down when I had sticky keys caused by dirty contacts. Just pull off all the keycaps, bend up the one bent over tab that locks it together and then use some light taps with a hammer to unlock to the two plates. Try not to disturb the foam layer any more than necessary as that will pretty much disintegrate on contact after all these years. Once open you may as well give the contacts a good clean. Reassemble by holding upside down so all the plungers are free from the board then once the bottom plate is back on a few more light taps with a hammer will engage it back together again. When putting the keycaps back on check that each key does 'click' properly, sometimes it takes a few attempts before the spring sits correctly for the clicking magic to happen (particularly with the larger keys). I had the thing stripped down, cleaned and back together again in less than an hour.

Certainly easier than stripping a model M where you need to bolt mod it to put it back together again (to say nothing of needing a special thin walled socket just to open the case whereas the model F is just undoing two screws and you're in).
 
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