[WTB] Model F flippers&springs, many

[pandrew]

Hey,

I'm looking to buy Model F flippers in bulk, for a reasonable price.
I want to convert up to 3 Model M keyboards to FEXT.
So I'm looking for around 320 pieces (3 * 104 + a few spares), but if you have fewer, I'm okay with buying from multiple people to get to the quantity I need.

I'd really prefer if these weren't harvested from keyboards that could be restored.

Cheers,
Andrei

EDIT: I now successfully got the minimum amount I want, but if you're throwing out parts, better they be with me than in the trashcan, so do still PM me.

[hellothere]

Are you just looking to buy from folks in the EU? Shipping to Romania from the US might be a bit high.

[pandrew]

I have an uncle in the US who can forward to me, so I can buy from the US too. The Unicomp parts I'm planning to use for this project are still in his posession, so it wouldn't be completely out of order to ask another favor to also forward flippers with those.

So US and EU would be most convenient, but if there's someone reading this from outside of those regions, maybe we can still find a cheap way to ship?

[pandrew]

Are you just looking to buy from folks in the EU? Shipping to Romania from the US might be a bit high.

Please see my response above.

[cakeanalytics]

If you have your own resin 3D printer, maybe try printing your own? SneakyRobb has released a model that works.
viewtopic.php?p=470760#p470760

For the springs just use Model M springs.

[pandrew]

If you have your own resin 3D printer, maybe try printing your own? SneakyRobb has released a model that works.
viewtopic.php?p=470760#p470760

For the springs just use Model M springs.

I love following SneakyRobbs projects, but I don't have resin printer and I'm not looking to get into a printing hobby right now. Maybe in a few years, who knows...

Anyway I now successfully got the minimum amount I want, but if anyone's throwing out parts, better they be with me than in the trashcan, so do still PM me.

[fohat]

if anyone's throwing out parts

Anybody on DT is likely to know how precious Model F parts are.

[pandrew]

True, I probably exagerated with the wording, and it's unlikely someone on DT would throw these parts out, even if rusted to hell. Indeed precious they are.

[hellothere]

If you have your own resin 3D printer, maybe try printing your own? SneakyRobb has released a model that works.
viewtopic.php?p=470760#p470760

For the springs just use Model M springs.

Model M springs are shorter than Model F. There's actually a picture in the thread that you linked to . (I also had several people note this to me when I was restoring a Model F.)

I don't think they have a working prototype in the SneakyRobb thread. They're trying to nail down the size and shape. The next hurdle is trying to get conductive material into the flippers. The conductive stuff is the major difference between the Model M and Model F "key." (I also had several people note this to me when I was restoring a Model F.)

ModelFKeyboards.com is the cheapest place I know of to get new flippers, springs, and barrels for a Model F. Orihalcon, a member here and frequent ebay seller, sometimes has them, too.

[pandrew]

Even though the springs are a bit different, and they might feel a bit different, they might still work:

See this thread for example (link credit, got it from kmnov)
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=77902.0

In the thread above they moved model F springs to model M, so the opposite could be more noticable.

Andrei