IBM Model F 122 Restoration

[Fkazim]

How the keyboard looked when I first got it.

Keyboard before restoration.jpg (466.51 KiB) Viewed 18835 times

Removed top case.

Removed top case.jpg (1.45 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Removing all keycaps and keystems.

starting to remove all keycaps.jpg (2.13 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Backplate removed.

Exposed barrels and flippers.jpg (2.16 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Key barrels and flippers very dirty.

flippers and barrels very dirty.jpg (1.05 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Starting to remove all key barrels and flippers.

starting to remove all key barrels.jpg (1.22 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

All flippers and key barrels removed.

all flippers removed and nicely layed out.jpg (1.95 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Foam in terrible condition.

Foam is in terrible condition.jpg (2.52 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Close up of foam stuck on one of the key barrels

close up of one of the flippers with foam stucked to it.jpg (251.43 KiB) Viewed 18835 times

Few close up's of dirt on the top case.

close up of dirt 1.jpg (363.32 KiB) Viewed 18835 times

close up of dirt 2.jpg (369.41 KiB) Viewed 18835 times

close up of dirt 3.jpg (234.14 KiB) Viewed 18835 times

Getting ready to clean the top case.

Getting ready to clean up top case.jpg (399.28 KiB) Viewed 18835 times

Key barrels, key stems and keycaps soaking in warm water with dish soap.

Key barrels, Key stems and keycaps soking in warm soapy water.jpg (2.21 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Everything nice and clean drying also new 3mm neoprene foam cut to shape.

top case key stems, key barrels, keycaps all drying and new 3mm neoprene foam cut.jpg (1.95 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Close up of back label.

Close of back label.jpg (1.58 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

The keyboard fully restored.

image fully restored F122.jpg (2.87 MiB) Viewed 18835 times

Here is a quick sound test and general look around the keyboard please let me know your thoughts on the restoration Thanks.

Link to sound test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdVHMyPIcIM

[Redmaus]

Nice job dude! Better than my ANSI mod, I didn't bother cleaning the barrels and flippers because my foam wasn't in as bad a shape.

You have yourself one the BEST mech keyboards out there hands down. I can't think of ANYTHING better for the price you can get these at(or could)

[Fkazim]

Thanks really appreciate it

You have some really nice keyboards yourself damn NIB Model F XT's amazing!

[Redmaus]

Thanks really appreciate it

You have some really nice keyboards yourself damn NIB Model F XT's amazing!

Thank you, I try my best to get good finds and share them with everyone at DT. If I found NIB F122's I'd be insanely happy and worried(storage yikes)

But an F122 will never let you down, mine has served me well(my first model F and mech keyboard) and will continue being one of my favorite boards, its super hard to beat.

[Wazrach]

Great job with actually being able to cram 3mm foam in there. I really don't know how you did it, but you did. It could just be the quality of your camera, but that does sound crisp and nice all over. What's with the Model M spring for the Backspace key?

I noticed you uploaded a sound test before that one, just a few days ago. This version sounds much better, as the first iteration had rattly stabilisers and the Enter key sounded spongy. What was up with that?

Seriously though, I really don't know what fucking voodoo magic you're using to get the assembly together with 3mm firm foam, but I'm jealous.

[Wazrach]

I only just sold my F122 a week ago, I think it was. Already missing it. It just had such a commanding presence. I'm just a purist, and feel like I've fucked it up once I've touched it. Heard back from the new owner, they seem very happy with it at least.

[Coco]

Wow, really nice! This is a job well done

[Fkazim]

Thanks really appreciate it

You have some really nice keyboards yourself damn NIB Model F XT's amazing!

Thank you, I try my best to get good finds and share them with everyone at DT. If I found NIB F122's I'd be insanely happy and worried(storage yikes)

But an F122 will never let you down, mine has served me well(my first model F and mech keyboard) and will continue being one of my favorite boards, its super hard to beat.

I also use an IBM Model F but not the F122 I use an IBM Model F AT with a modernised layout as my daily driver. Here is a picture of my daily driver not sure if I will switch to the F122 as my daily driver just because of the sheer size.

[Fkazim]

Wow, really nice! This is a job well done

Thanks It was so much work though compared to the Model F XT and AT so many more flippers, Barrels, Keycaps etc...

[Wazrach]

Wow, really nice! This is a job well done

Thanks It was so much work though compared to the Model F XT and AT so many more flippers, Barrels, Keycaps etc...

The real bitch about the F122 is those fucking three tabs underneath the F keys. Just HOW did you compress that 3mm foam sufficiently?

[Fkazim]

Great job with actually being able to cram 3mm foam in there. I really don't know how you did it, but you did. It could just be the quality of your camera, but that does sound crisp and nice all over. What's with the Model M spring for the Backspace key?

I noticed you uploaded a sound test before that one, just a few days ago. This version sounds much better, as the first iteration had rattly stabilisers and the Enter key sounded spongy. What was up with that?

Seriously though, I really don't know what fucking voodoo magic you're using to get the assembly together with 3mm firm foam, but I'm jealous.

I silenced the stabilisers using some heat shrink tubing to reduce the amount of room the stabilisers have in their slots to rattle. The enter spring Sounded really soft so I took it out and reseated it that sorted the softness. About the backspace still trying to work that one out I might try removing the spring then reseating that too maybe that would fix the problem?

[depletedvespene]

Excellent work! Enjoy the F122 for the decades to come.

[depletedvespene]

BY THE WAY...

Is that F122's 90° DIN plug the original one? I'd have expected it to have the older, straight DIN plug (so far, I've only seen the 90° one in M122 battlecruisers).

[Fkazim]

BY THE WAY...

Is that F122's 90° DIN plug the original one? I'd have expected it to have the older, straight DIN plug (so far, I've only seen the 90° one in M122 battlecruisers).

Thanks for the kind words about your other points the keyboard I think was refurbished by IBM as on the back label the original part number has been cut out of the label and a new one has been stuck down with a second piece of tape. Also the cable was made in 1987 by FUJIKURA LTD (THAILAND) but despite that this is the original cable that was on the keyboard when I got it. If it was on there from production I'm not sure probably not as the cable was made in 1987 and the keyboard was built in 1985.

[depletedvespene]

BY THE WAY...

Is that F122's 90° DIN plug the original one? I'd have expected it to have the older, straight DIN plug (so far, I've only seen the 90° one in M122 battlecruisers).

The keyboard I think was refurbished by IBM as on the back label the original part number has been cut out of the label and a new one has been stuck down with a second piece of tape. Also the cable was made in 1987 by FUJIKURA LTD (THAILAND) but despite that this is the original cable that was on the keyboard when I got it. If it was on there from production I'm not sure probably not as the cable was made in 1987 and the keyboard was built in 1985.

Probably a replacement, then (not that it'd be a bad thing, as those 90° DIN plugs are pretty nice).

[Fkazim]

BY THE WAY...

Is that F122's 90° DIN plug the original one? I'd have expected it to have the older, straight DIN plug (so far, I've only seen the 90° one in M122 battlecruisers).

The keyboard I think was refurbished by IBM as on the back label the original part number has been cut out of the label and a new one has been stuck down with a second piece of tape. Also the cable was made in 1987 by FUJIKURA LTD (THAILAND) but despite that this is the original cable that was on the keyboard when I got it. If it was on there from production I'm not sure probably not as the cable was made in 1987 and the keyboard was built in 1985.

Probably a replacement, then (not that it'd be a bad thing, as those 90° DIN plugs are pretty nice).

Your probably right but either way I really like the cable as it is really thick and nicely coiled and just has a much more industrial durable feel that both my M122 terminal keyboard with their flimsy telephone cord type cables lack. Also it is even thicker than my original Model F XT and AT cables so I'm definitely not complaining its just a bit short that is the only thing.

[Fkazim]

Also side note not sure if this is unique but the flip out feet buttons on my keyboard are white like the rest of the case whereas all the other F122's I have seen online have grey buttons just thought it would be worth pointing out below is an image showing this.

flip out feet buttons.jpg (1.23 MiB) Viewed 18679 times

[depletedvespene]

I noticed that in the video. Definitely an interesting unit.

[Fkazim]

Also what is up with that key in the middle of the arrow keys never seen that before also all my function keys are labbeled PF1 to PF24 where as most of the the other ones I have seen online have CMD1 to CMD24 is that something else of relevance to what terminal this keyboard came from?

Below is an image showing what I am talking about.

arrow keys.jpg (1.31 MiB) Viewed 18667 times

[depletedvespene]

Depends on what the terminal was supposed to be used with - some battleship keyboards (be them F122 or M122 or... gasp... off-brand) had Cmd1..24 keys, others had F1..24, or PF1..24; some had blue legends on top, some had pront-frinted legends of differing sets. What we now call EF9 sometimes had a "Setup" legend in blue. Your keyboard has a "space" key on the numpad (while most other battleships and battlecruisers have a "Field -" legend there). Mine didn't have a comma key on the numpad (and I had to buy one from Cindy); yours does.

There's dozens, if not hundreds, of variations on the mod legends on IBM M/F keyboards for terminals (and that's not taking into account non-English versions of them). IBM being IBM, most of those variations had their own part numbers, some of them famous (1393464 comes to mind), and surely, somewhere within IBM's old documentation, there's a guide to which is which.

Now, if I could lay my hands on OG 1U numpad zero keys...

[Fkazim]

Thanks for all the info never realised there could be so many different keysets. What do you mean by "OG 1U numpad 0 keys is that just a single key 0 key? If you don't mind me asking.

[depletedvespene]

Of course I don't mind.

Discounting the F XT, Model F and M keyboards with a numpad have either 17 or 18 keys, with the numpad+ a 2U key in PC models or two 1U place keys in terminal models; the keys Enter and 0 in the numpad are always 2U, but the underlying PCB or membrane supports splitting them as well into two 1U keys, so a numpad can have up to 20 keys. For example, this is how my full-size Model M keyboard looks like after that modification:



I need an OG ("original") 1U 0 key for that one place (and alpha-colored keycaps for +-*/, and a custom-made = key as well, but that's another issue).


By the way, the F122's PCB ALSO supports splitting the right Shift key (on the left side), the Enter key (to use a TIE instead of an ISO Enter) and the Backspace into two 1U keys.

[Fkazim]

Ok yes I got it now it's kind of similar to how I put an ISO enter on my IBM Model F AT then put a single key in the spare barrel.

Thanks for explaining all that much appreciated love those sublegends on your keycaps also.

[Redmaus]

Of course I don't mind.

Discounting the F XT, Model F and M keyboards with a numpad have either 17 or 18 keys, with the numpad+ a 2U key in PC models or two 1U place keys in terminal models; the keys Enter and 0 in the numpad are always 2U, but the underlying PCB or membrane supports splitting them as well into two 1U keys, so a numpad can have up to 20 keys. For example, this is how my full-size Model M keyboard looks like after that modification:



I need an OG ("original") 1U 0 key for that one place (and alpha-colored keycaps for +-*/, and a custom-made = key as well, but that's another issue).


By the way, the F122's PCB ALSO supports splitting the right Shift key (on the left side), the Enter key (to use a TIE instead of an ISO Enter) and the Backspace into two 1U keys.

Where did you get that red Buckling Spring DT key

[Fkazim]

That's exactly what I was wondering too I really want a DT cap for my daily driver F AT.

[Khers]

There was someone making and selling them on the forum some time ago.

[Fkazim]

Wow, really nice! This is a job well done

Thanks It was so much work though compared to the Model F XT and AT so many more flippers, Barrels, Keycaps etc...

The real bitch about the F122 is those fucking three tabs underneath the F keys. Just HOW did you compress that 3mm foam sufficiently?

I used a wide c clamp and also bent the tabs upwards slightly then once i got the 2 plates slid together I bent the tabs back down to their original position.

[Fkazim]

There was someone making and selling them on the forum some time ago.

Any ideas where I could get one. As I would like one for my ESC key.

Thanks.

[Khers]

The base material from Unicomp had issues leading to odd defects. The red ones were particularly bad. Mine are in a drawer somewhere as I didn't like the look of them with the defects.

[Fkazim]

Would you consider selling me some if so please could you send me some pictures of the keycaps if you don't mind Thanks.