deskthority

Production update:

The factory notes that they are finishing up production of the B104 next month, with assembly finishing up in mid-June. They are going to check that everything is good with the B104, and then they will make the remaining 3 models, with assembly finishing up around the end of July ...

Stolen keyboard alert:

Everyone please keep an eye out for a True Red Model M style case F104, serial number 680 which was stolen earlier this month. Please let me know right away if you come across such a listing, or if you see a listing for a keyboard without a serial label shown.

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We have not had a factory video post in a while. This above video shows how the factory adjusts the torque of each bolt for the beam spring keyboard inner assembly. The tool they are using is a torque screwdriver, which allows you to specify the torque and it will let you know if the ...

Great to see these mods! Thanks for sharing the details.

What were the findings of your swap with old flippers and putting back the new barrels?

Yes, the barrels product pages notes that the barrel angle may be slightly different for an older Model F keyboard, so you may not want to use old ...

Below are my current updates to the manual for the Leyden Jar firmware, which includes a discussion of optimizing the firmware. The firmware will have various options for folks who want some choices. I note below the current plans for which firmware I will be flashing to each F122 during QC - a ...

Yes, good point, in the US that appears to be known as "duty drawback" but it is not easy:

https://www.ups.com/us/en/supplychain/l ... back-guide

F122 update:

I am working on the first batch of F122 orders, with priority towards the low/custom serials (it is still OK to add a custom/low serial upgrade to your F122). I want to make sure everything is good so as to avoid the need for folks to do a firmware update. There are about 150 boards ...

Thanks for your feedback robo; I always like hearing these kinds of stories about how folks use these keyboards. Some people tell me they prefer to rotate around different types of keyboards, and many folks do only notice a big improvement when they compare something new with what they currently ...

Happy to hear that you fixed the issue! This was such an unusual error!

As I mentioned in the manual, on some keyboards the controller was not aligned correctly with the bottom inner assembly's ears and so it produced a short. The manual shows how you can push the controller back into place so that ...

Yes, quite a number of updates since then! Check out the dedicated beam spring project thread: https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?p=524241#p524241

Everyone please do check out the manual on the project web site as I am currently in progress of a major update, which has reorganized the setup ...

It is not helpful to assume that folks will not receive their keyboards because of project delays, tariffs, etc.

The keyboards are all in production and will go out regardless of any tariffs. Production and assembly continue at full speed. Almost all of the several hundred thousand parts have been ...

Phil_Goodman there should be no issues, regardless of how much it is used. If there is any issue, following the manual fully will result in a complete fix. As a last resort I can help, if you are willing to lose using the board for a month or so (shipping back and forth and QC time) but all I would ...

That is something to consider but there are still VAT / other import taxes for Europe regarding goods sent from outside Europe. Since the goods are all made in China, my understanding is that they would be subject to the same duty, not any increased or reduced duty for made in US goods.

I am hoping ...

Please fill out the Google form linked below to reserve or request one of the possible new Model F designs (Split Ortho, Planck, Preonic, 6x12, F20, Kinesis Advantage, Unsaver, etc.). All of these designs may not be made, so in the Google form, please do feel free to request second choices and third ...

As noted in the manual, intermittent issues are sometimes due to dust or debris inside the keyboard, if replacing the springs and correctly reinstalling them does not fix the issue. The quickest way to fix this issue permanently would be to remove the keys and replace the springs and flippers with ...

Tariff update: as an update, the 8471 code (covering keyboards and other items) appears to have been temporarily exempted from the vast majority of the tariffs per the below update; currently this category remains subject to the 20% level, but not the 145% level: https://content.govdelivery.com ...

As I mentioned in the manual, the last step is to email me to discuss any issues that could not be resolved. The manual does not say that everything can be resolved without my help, but just that I am the last resort to get the keyboard set up and running.

The manual notes that you should discuss ...

My guess is that your spacebar wire needs to be bent even more, so much so that there is a 1mm or so gap for each of the 2 metal tabs between those tabs and the spacebar wire. I did not see a response indicating whether that was tried; my reading of your follow up reply indicates that you did not ...

I recommend reviewing the manual from beginning to end, as this specific issue of constantly pressed keys is addressed there. Everyone's first step should be reviewing the manual instead of posting about these kinds of errors as I feel that every error can be addressed by following all the steps in ...

Very nice! I recommend adding links for each of your keyboard pages onto the timeline, so folks can directly click each timeline post to go see more details on your site about each featured keyboard. I see them for some timeline elements.

I have added it to that page as requested!

With permission I am posting a great review and photos of the classic style F104 keyboard from last month:

"First of all, I cannot thank you enough for the time and effort you’ve put into designing and developing the Classic Style Model F keyboards. It’s truly a blessing for IBM and keyboard ...

My personal expectation is that the tariffs will not be a problem by the time these keyboards are ready to ship later this year, so no one will be paying tariffs, since that time is several months away. The keyboards are not ready to ship, so no one should be worrying right now about months into the ...

"Since there are no spare springs included, I could not replace them. That's the only suggestion I have not yet tried."

This is not accurate - the manual notes you can definitely switch out springs with other working springs to see if the issue is due to the spring itself, but I agree that not ...

OreoCookie I recommend reading through the written manual from beginning to end, not just the hour-long setup video, as there are many recommended steps not that are not all shown in the video.

You may need to remove and re-seat or replace the shift and spacebar springs.

If the space bar gets ...

Yes, the troubleshooting steps are in the recently updated manual. Replacing the springs is one of the steps. Sometimes removing the keys and moving around the flippers by hand or with tweezers helps to dislodge some debris underneath the flipper that may have caused odd issues. A couple times I've ...

All the zinc case boards use the same uncoated old style powdercoating. The textures vary with each keyboard but they are the same paint formulations; just the bumps are different.

Yes, as I mentioned over email, it is expected that the uncoated original style paint will wear where it is rubbed during contact. To keep the project's goal as a reproduction of the IBM originals, the paint has no glossy automotive style protective finish.

Several years ago I changed the paint ...

Nothing just yet in terms of a new update. The factory is still working on those remaining parts (module assembly, case parts and top and bottom inner assembly plates) noted with last month's update; they are expected to take several months in total to complete. The expectation is still for these ...

Yes, please see a few posts up for updates on the F122, and see the beam spring project thread for the latest updates on the Round 2 beam spring project. Those posts are the latest updates. Were you looking for an update on another part of the project? Please let me know.

Please note that the ...