deskthority

Yesterday the elusive IBM Space Saving Keyboard, having ninja'ed it's way through Customs without getting caught, found it's way to my home...but in a moment of lapse it walked through a patch of light in my room...and was captured... Beautiful blue box!

Upon interrogation, it revealed it's true identity:
IBM Personal System/2 Space Saving Keyboard P/N 1392934 born on 14th January of 1992, two days late for it's 23rd birthday. Tape was still intact! Promptly an operating table was set up and the outer shell removed to reveal the protective insides! And..here it is! It was flipped to show it's label The label is covered in plastic film, presumably to protect the sensitive label underneath!
The underside shows some casting irregularities but no big deal! While turning it, I heard some noises inside, so out came the "Model M Violator"... And the DIY "Metal stuff Retriever" After it's shell is removed the problem becomes apparent: (look at the membrane connector and below right Alt)

Innards removed and rivets poked with fingernail, and the result is this: Half were already off and the rest needed just the slightest of touches...

The back of the plate clearly shows the distribution: Funnily enough, the middle ones are intact although they are under way more stress than the others.
And even more funny, the keyboard works fine...keys are not as crisp as they could be, but still...
I am typing on it right now...27 rivets missing vs 22-23 remaining and it just won't die...

I forgot to show it's little pet snake: NIB coiled goodness!

All in all I am really happy with it!

congrats on that beautiful NIB SSK! You got the beige barrel, quite rare.

Innards removed and rivets poked with fingernail, and the result is this:

what I find strange is that I own serveral Model M´s, on some the exact same situation: the rivets allmost falling off by themselfs. Other M´s I own are completely intact, and it has nothing to do with the age either. Strange.

I guess it is just material stress and ability of the plastic to handle said stress!
My other M is a quite used 1383295 Greek one from 1990 with black barrel plate (which I must shoot some day). When I bolt modded that all the surviving rivets were super strong, ejecting themselves all over the place! Maybe some formulations are more elastic than others, enabling them to withstand the stress for longer?

Wow, that first picture!

That first picture is gorgeous, wow!

Madhias wrote: Wow, that first picture!

Thank you!
I was torn between that one and this: But I decided to use the darker one!

Maybe some formulations are more elastic than others, enabling them to withstand the stress for longer?

Well we`ll probably never find out. I recently took a look inside a IBM 1389278 from 1989 that I own for the first time and all the rivets were super firm. But that´s a different keyboard of course.

Very nice pics, chzel!

I had something similar with regards to broken rivets, but also mine works despite this. Only one of my four model Ms have all/most of its rivets intact. It is also the only one I have with Swedish layout and thus is the only one that has not been shipped across the Atlantic at some point (recently)...

chzel wrote:

DSC_0434.jpg

I like this pic a lot

Soooo nice!!!!
I envy you chzel. And the first picture. May I have it as a desktop background

May I have it as a desktop background

yes me too!

beltet wrote: May I have it as a desktop background

seebart wrote: yes me too!

Please do! I am honored!

I've been using it as mine since this afternoon, if you need some more ego stroking.

Is there a bolt mod in the future for this machine?

Absolutely! This is a keyboard to be used, so a bolt mod (screw mod most likely) is a must!

chzel wrote: Absolutely! This is a keyboard to be used, so a bolt mod (screw mod most likely) is a must!

Great. Love the attitude.

Yeah I will have to remember this thread for the 2015 Photo DTA's.

Any chance of posting that first one uncompressed full res?

pyrelink when I get back from work I'll see what I can do!

There you go!

Nice! I feel really bad about getting only one.

nice , i hope mine does not have too many missing rivets i don't feel i could do a good enough job on an SSK

argh, so nice... hope I receive mine soon.

Thanks! It makes a fantastic background.

Closer AND closer!

Hmm does that mean i got past the UK extortion racket ?????

Ether way its even CLOSER!

Customs Clearance UNITED KINGDOM January 21, 2015 8:56 am

you're clear and ready for takeoff!

Somewhere, probably around Watford or Slough, I sense a disturbance in the Parcelforce. Like every penny in one man's current account screaming in unison, then silence.

Expect a nice curtly worded postcard from them demanding £40 or so for the hostage!

Muirium wrote: Expect a nice curtly worded postcard from them demanding £40 or so for the hostage!

Sneaky bastards...

How about i just spend the 40 quid fixing pot holes in my road as you know the government will just keep it in there piggy bank or spend it buying new carpet for the hose of commons or something, assholes.

ooo and no letter or email for charges yet ..... you never know !