Mind The Gap - Unicomp NOS Industrial case

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 12:55

My Model M arrived from ebay - a 1401 from 1990. Nice cosmetic condition - 8 rivets missing.

Anyway, I also bought an Industrial Gray case from Unicomp for $30 with a proper lock lights sticker. (cool black logo w/ silver IBM in the mail)

It arrived and looks almost-great, however there is a problem that I'm sure others on this forum already know about, however I will give some background.

The problem doesn't exist on the left side of the board, but as things go towards the right, an increasing wider gap forms between the case and the various key clusters, culminating at the numpad where there is a rather sizable gap on the left, and virtually no gap on the right side.

My questions:
1. I don't see how anything could reasonably be done to solve this, but.... uhh, can something reasonable be done to solve this?
2. Is there a version of Model M that better fits this case that I can be on the look out for?
3. How about the Unicomp innards?

I did notice a similar issue on my 1990 stock white 1401 case, but it was less pronounced.

zippolupan · 13 Mar 2020, 13:24

Sorry for not answering your question (beginner here). However, where do they sell the Industrial cases? I've been looking for something like that for a while.

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 13:42

No problem, you can get them here:
https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/1394942

Don't forget to get the lock lights overlay here: (Pebble, LED's on bottom)
https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/LED

Black logo with silver IBM lettering:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-In ... 0667.m2042

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 13:57

Hmmm - the plot thickens. I see on Ebay there is an auction with what LOOKS to be an authentic Industrial Model M from 1993 that also displays a very similar gap... interesting. Or is this someone getting fancy with a laser printer and a Unicomp NOS case?

$850 - yowzer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-In ... SwotJdtxzZ

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 14:02

The above ebay link appears to be a fake, as the Model M Wikipedia page doesn't list that model number as an Industrial variant in the notes. Possibly an oversight, but likely not.

JP! · 13 Mar 2020, 14:24

Tritian wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 14:02 The above ebay link appears to be a fake, as the Model M Wikipedia page doesn't list that model number as an Industrial variant in the notes. Possibly an oversight, but most likely not.

That means nothing to me. Things are still being rediscovered and there are a dizzying array of different part numbers for what is essentially a Model M. Any community driven wiki is a work in progress. Unsurprisingly there are plenty of keyboards here on DT that are not in the wiki so there is that

wiki/IBM_part_numbers

[Edit]
After a lookup of that part number we see a standard vanilla model m...maybe there is a conspiracy here. Also the black badge looks like a reproduction pcb badge. The real crime here is the price.
https://clickykeyboards.com/product/199 ... 11-nov-93/

[Edit #2]
Also I see my case from Unicomp shares similar characteristics as yours.

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 14:41

True, it's possible this is legit...

The wikipedia page does list this model as a blue badge - Not sure if that is automatically disqualifying, as my NOS Industrial Case from Unicomp is also a blue badge by default, and apparently they are legit Industrial cases made in 1995 by Lexmark.

JP! · 13 Mar 2020, 14:50

Tritian wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 14:41 True, it's possible this is legit...

The wikipedia page does list this model as a blue badge - Not sure if that is automatically disqualifying, as my NOS Industrial Case from Unicomp is also a blue badge by default, and apparently they are legit Industrial cases made in 1995 by Lexmark.

Oh just read this from the listing...

"the IBM Badge has been replaced with one that has been modeled after the Industrial Model M Keyboard badges"

So this had the blue badge originally. Hard to tell if the seller changed the case or the factory just decided to use up industrial cases without changing the part number or someone was hungover and affixed the wrong label.

kmnov2017 · 13 Mar 2020, 15:48

JP! wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 14:50
Tritian wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 14:41 True, it's possible this is legit...

The wikipedia page does list this model as a blue badge - Not sure if that is automatically disqualifying, as my NOS Industrial Case from Unicomp is also a blue badge by default, and apparently they are legit Industrial cases made in 1995 by Lexmark.
Oh just read this from the listing...

"the IBM Badge has been replaced with one that has been modeled after the Industrial Model M Keyboard badges"

So this had the blue badge originally. Hard to tell if the seller changed the case or the factory just decided to use up industrial cases without changing the part number or someone was hungover and affixed the wrong label.

I wouldn't be surprised if the back label was printed by the seller and stuck on.

robo · 13 Mar 2020, 16:23

Regarding the case fit, could you not shift the innards over towards the right, to sort of average out the gap? I imagine some judicious shaving of plastic inside the case might be necessary, but you just need a few millimeters...

zippolupan · 13 Mar 2020, 16:38

Tritian wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 13:42 No problem, you can get them here:
https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/1394942

Don't forget to get the lock lights overlay here: (Pebble, LED's on bottom)
https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/LED

Black logo with silver IBM lettering:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-In ... 0667.m2042

Thanks!

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 20:00

robo wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 16:23 Regarding the case fit, could you not shift the innards over towards the right, to sort of average out the gap? I imagine some judicious shaving of plastic inside the case might be necessary, but you just need a few millimeters...

No, if i shifted the innards over to the right, then a gap would form on the left side of the board which currently fits perfectly.

Weezer · 13 Mar 2020, 20:52

My F122 has the same off center gap, although not as bad as the keyboard pictured. The manufacturing tolerances on these were not always perfect.

You can always tell the real oval industrial keyboards apart by the raised metal lettering of "IBM"

PlacaFromHell · 13 Mar 2020, 21:54

The gap in my silver label model M is almost the same as in your keyboard and the XT I had used to have the same issue. My 3178 and my F 122 are quite well centered. Looks like IBM engineers had some stupid errors

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 22:31

Weezer wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 20:52 You can always tell the real oval industrial keyboards apart by the raised metal lettering of "IBM"

Interesting. Even the silver and blue badged Industrials have raised lettering?

wobbled · 13 Mar 2020, 22:37

Nope, the blue badges are flat stickers

Replica black badges are flat pieces of PCB

Industrial IBM badges are metal stickers with raised silver text

Weezer · 13 Mar 2020, 22:55

Tritian wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 22:31
Weezer wrote: 13 Mar 2020, 20:52 You can always tell the real oval industrial keyboards apart by the raised metal lettering of "IBM"
Interesting. Even the silver and blue badged Industrials have raised lettering?

No my apologies my post was way too vague. I meant that the real black oval badges could be told apart by the metal raised lettering. The industrial model Ms with blue badges were made by unicomp and just have normal flat plastic badging. The original square black badges were flat as well.

Tritian · 13 Mar 2020, 22:58

Well then, I think I feel confident enough to say...

Nobody should pay $850 for that Model M in the ebay listing I listed before.

JP! · 14 Mar 2020, 02:41

I have a similar issue with my F107 but I'm sure I can tailor it to make it perfectly center.

fohat · 14 Mar 2020, 13:48

I haven't had an F apart in a while, but when the internal assembly screws down into the base it might be near-impossible to shift it in the tray.

1394946 · 28 Jul 2020, 22:46

Weezer · 28 Jul 2020, 22:49

This has been for sale for a while. You can tell it's fake by the badge, which is flat on his keyboard.

1394946 · 28 Jul 2020, 22:59

wobbled · 28 Jul 2020, 23:12

Yep that's definitely a replica badge (he didn't buy from me though, as I've never given him any ebay feedback, unless he's a deskthority user?)
The case is also a Unicomp swap-out, which you can clearly tell from the weird square things on the back.
Not to mention the model number on the back matches with grey model M's from 1993 and 1994.

ddrfraser1 · 28 Jul 2020, 23:15

I don’t get it. Did he paint it?

wobbled · 28 Jul 2020, 23:17

ddrfraser1 wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 23:15 I don’t get it. Did he paint it?

Which part?
The cases can be bought here:
https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/1394942

And the badges here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164296163469 ... 1555.l2649

ddrfraser1 · 28 Jul 2020, 23:21

Oh cool! I totally did not know you could get an industrial Grey case from them. Well, I know what I’m buying next! I’ll have one of these $750 gems in no time, for about 30 bucks...

1394946 · 28 Jul 2020, 23:22

ddrfraser1 · 28 Jul 2020, 23:24

1394946 wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 23:22
ddrfraser1 wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 23:21 Oh cool! I totally did not know you could get an industrial Grey case from them. Well, I know what I’m buying next! I’ll have one of these $750 gems in no time, for about 30 bucks...

hahaha dont sell for profit tho

wobbled · 28 Jul 2020, 23:24

ddrfraser1 wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 23:21 Oh cool! I totally did not know you could get an industrial Grey case from them. Well, I know what I’m buying next! I’ll have one of these $750 gems in no time, for about 30 bucks...

Don't forget the LED overlay sticker too!
And yeh... Don't resell for £800 either LOL