F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! New Kishsaver+Industrial Model F Keyboards

[raoulduke-esq]

Excellent work! I'll be sure to have this ready in case I ever get my solenoid and keycaps

[Ellipse]

Below is another factory assembly video, this time showing the second part of the top inner assembly production - the stamping operations to bend the part to shape.

First, the steel for the top inner assembly is laser cut (see previously posted video). Then it is stamped to shape in a huge custom-made stamper tool (as shown in this video). Then the two ends are stamped to bend them into place. The final step of this process is inspection of the angle of the stamping. After the laser cutting and stamping are complete, the top inner assembly plates will be powdercoated. You can see that one piece is kept uncurved on the table, used for the stamping tool operator as a reference for the proper direction of the stamping.

robo I believe that many of these computer systems were delivered directly by IBM to the authorized resellers as well as to some of their corporate customers; that seemed to be what the person who worked at IBM was noting. I'd imagine the customers would go to the store and pick up the computers directly where possible, without shipping.

Thanks for your review, custom layout notes, and photos paddle0!

Great work strah on your custom 3d printed solenoid and solenoid driver holder! https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4934026 Looks quite professional. I wonder if the plastic dampens the sound of the solenoid a little.

[strah]

Great work strah on your custom 3d printed solenoid and soelnoid driver holder! https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4934026 Looks quite professional. I wonder if the plastic dampens the sound of the solenoid a little.

The plastic does indeed dampen the sound a little but I still like the sound quite a bit. I tried recording the solenoid mounted inside the F62 with the holder through my RØDE NT-USB Mini. The microphone is placed right in front of the keyboard. Here's how that sounds: https://soundcloud.com/strah/solenoid-i ... wCNJriUi4u (please ignore the rattly spacebar, I'll get around to tuning that later)

[Wazrach]

Typing demo of my F62 with original IBM springs and keycaps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOrh7SkJpTY

[clickclack]

So a funny thing happened when cleaning my compact F62. I removed the case to dust it and I happened to rest the case top over the mechanism for a moment ... and the keyboard looked so much cooler with an inclined top.

Anyway. I've made a prototype replacement for the "mid case" which has a 12 mm high front and 18 mm high back (the original is a bit over 16 mm on both front and back edges). I'm going see if I can convince a friend to machine me a proper aly replacement (this one is made of modelling wood)

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Unfortunately I think I've added about a millimetre back with over zealous painting. I might have to sand off the paint from the inside surfaces to get back the full "exposed mechanism" feel.

[Pete]

So a funny thing happened when cleaning my compact F62. I removed the case to dust it and I happened to rest the case top over the mechanism for a moment ... and the keyboard looked so much cooler with an inclined top.

IMG_20210822_110357705.jpg
IMG_20210822_110330422.jpg

That’s a really nice aesthetic.

[Powerslice]

Is there any known way to get 1000Hz polling on the boards? I know there is a guide for how to do this with QMK boards but I'm not sure how it would apply here since the hex files are already premade.

[raoulduke-esq]

Is there any known way to get 1000Hz polling on the boards? I know there is a guide for how to do this with QMK boards but I'm not sure how it would apply here since the hex files are already premade.

Build it from source so you can edit the config.h?

[d3adrock]

Hi everyone. I got my f77 setup with Via.

The only problem I'm having is that I cannot toggle the solenoid on or off. I am on a mac.

I have tried with both QMK and Via (it is currently set to Via)

Whenever I try to bind the "Any" what happens is a small window pops up asking to enter either the QMK keycode or Hex code, so I enter either HPT_TOG or HPT_BUZ and press confirm, after that nothing appears on the configurator keyboard display to let me know that the Any key has been bound to the key I selected. Nor does it work when I press the key on my keyboard. All the other function keys in the other layers work which I've set worked so I don't know what's going on with this one. Currently the solenoid is stuck on.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Powerslice]

Is there any known way to get 1000Hz polling on the boards? I know there is a guide for how to do this with QMK boards but I'm not sure how it would apply here since the hex files are already premade.

Build it from source so you can edit the config.h?

I am not sure where to find the source. That's the main issue? Maybe I'm blind and not seeing it.

[JP!]

I just received my new F77 after waiting these past few years and I a bit let down by some rather inconvenient issues on an otherwise quality piece of kit. Right out of the box the spacebar is not operational as it will not release on it's own. It is simply stuck unless I manually pull it up. Seems like a basic thing to test prior to shipping but I guess other bigger and better projects may have taken precedence. It kind of seems like the space bar stabilizer clips or metal stabilizer bar are not adjusted or installed properly and I'm just not sure what I can do without making things worse

Additionally after just putting a handful of keys in place I am having trouble getting many keys to click even after reseating a few times. I guess I have this issue on vintage Model F's but not nearly to this extent. I may end up swapping with original parts from a vintage donor Model F to see if this makes a difference. Per the operator guide holding the keyboard vertically "space bar side up" does seem to help but still have some extra tricky keys it seems.

Good things:
-Heavy build like the original (perhaps a con to some)
-The new keys and dye work looks amazing

[Edit]
I ended up using the stabilizer bar from a 1987 vintage Model M (because that was it had close by) and it works perfectly. The vintage stabilizer was slightly thicker (likely more so than later Model M's) and it's length appeared slightly shorter than the one that came with my F77 when comparing them side by side. They look very identical but the included one was out of spec is some manner where it just does not work correctly. After reseating I actually did get this one to work slightly so that the spacebar would return if I slapped the spacebar fairly hard. The same issue is also present when I try and use the F77 stabilizer bar in the donor Model M.

With the spacebar functioning well I noticed it was fairly loose and kind of rattly. Just not quite satisfactory but functional at least. After some quick thinking I used some thin strips of some 3M double-sided tape (with the smooth non-adhesive backing left on) as shims to fill in some of the dead space between the stabilizer bar and the clips. Now at least the spacebar feels and sounds like a proper Model F now.

Spoiler:

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[Ellipse]

clickclack very interesting mod! Thanks for sharing the photos.

JP as a note I install and test each space bar on the keyboards that go out, but sometimes they require adjustment after the keyboards are bounced around in shipping - sometimes they are bounced so much that people have found the space bar separated from its keyboard barrel!

It's a matter of slightly bending the space bar so it performs optimally. Definitely more of an art than a science. When the space bar gets stuck in my QC process, I usually take the wire with two hands, with the long part of the wire closest to my thumbs, and use both thumbs to very slightly push up the wire - I do this about 4-5 times but not too hard that the bend becomes noticeable. That way the wire is pushed out of the way enough of the metal stabilizer tabs so that there is a little room, maybe 0.5mm to 1mm. If they're too close to the back of the metal tabs, the space bar wire can get in the way of normal operation. This will also make the space bar stabilizer wire ever so slightly wider in the two places where it connects to the space bar itself - this also helps adjust the looseness vs. tightness of the space bar while in operation. And as mentioned in the manual, the metal space bar tabs should not be pressed down so far that they cause the space bar to get stuck, nor should they be parallel to the top inner assembly plate, where they may get stuck on the end of the space bar.

As part of the initial install process, if keys are not clicking you may have to adjust the springs as shown in the QC secrets video. Sometimes the keyboard should be tapped gently or the springs pushed down gently by hand to make sure the springs move as low as possible from the perspective of the keyboard held vertically, space bar side up.

[JP!]

JP as a note I install and test each space bar on the keyboards that go out, but sometimes they require adjustment after the keyboards are bounced around in shipping - sometimes they are bounced so much that people have found the space bar separated from its keyboard barrel!

I'm actually typing on my new F77 now! It looks like UPS did a number on this one as usual. Apparently I was supposed to sign for this package but was at my door when I got home. The main keyboard box has a nice gash from an impact and the thin cardboard box with the keyset was pretty well crushed. The stem on the caps lock key is broken but all other keys are fine fortunately. I prefer to never do business with them in any form as I've already had too many unique things destroyed by them specifically.

As far as the spacebar it is dead to me.

As part of the initial install process, if keys are not clicking you may have to adjust the springs as shown in the QC secrets video. Sometimes the keyboard should be tapped gently or the springs pushed down gently by hand to make sure the springs move as low as possible from the perspective of the keyboard held vertically, space bar side up.

Thanks for the tips. So far all keys appear to be working just fine. Also to be fair I was pretty tired when I first tried installing a few keys just to get a feel for things.

Spoiler:

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[Ellipse]

As an update I have posted the monthly update on the project web site blog. It summarizes the goings-on of the project and my forum posts made after the prior update.

The most recent post is for the new Model F project, and the post before that (both on the same page) is the update for the Brand New Beam Spring Project launch.

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/blog/

Some key (pun intended!) points from the introduction to the post: Do not buckle (!) under the pressure of too many words in the update!

***If you have a new shipping address please do email me to let me know your order numbers and the new address. Check your order email and our email communications (if applicable) to make sure the latest address I have on file for you is the correct one.

The major news is that I’ve QC’d and shipped out 1700+ keyboards so far and am continuing to send out keyboards. Now that the shipping is going into full speed mode, split shipping is no longer available; please hold off on split shipping requests which were designed to fill in the down time and reduce the backlog before the printed keys arrived.

I expect to continue mailing out keyboards for the rest of this year into early next year, after which the Beam Spring Keyboards will be the focus.

[darkcruix]

As an update I have posted the monthly update on the project web site blog. It summarizes the goings-on of the project and my forum posts made after the prior update.
...

Great updates in your blog post! Definitely worth a read!

[raoulduke-esq]

Oooh! Separate-shipped keys maybe this year!!

[Pete]

Oooh! Separate-shipped keys maybe this year!!

Late September for those who requested split shipping I think. I’m really looking forward to getting a keyset!

[raoulduke-esq]

Yo is there a 1U “000” key extra for JIS or individual purchase? Asking for a weeb friend.

[PRIPARA_PLAYER]

Yo is there a 1U “000” key extra for JIS or individual purchase? Asking for a weeb friend.

I've requested a pingmaster based layout that happens to have a 000 key as part of it (because that was on the pingmaster), not sure if that would help.

[DrivenKeys]

As an update I have posted the monthly update on the project web site blog. It summarizes the goings-on of the project and my forum posts made after the prior update.

Thanks again for all your effort with these keyboards and your detailed updates. Watching this project unfold over the last year has been a consistent highlight of my day. Your drive is inspiring.

[Ellipse]

xwhatsit controller update:

Is anyone interested in helping this week to update the xwhatsit controller to add support for 3 LED lights and a solenoid driver at the same time?

This was brought up as a suggestion now that the Brand New Beam Spring Keyboards have 3 LEDs and some people also want a solenoid. Currently xwhatsit's header limits you to two LED lock lights if you also want to use a solenoid. This of course won't be for the first round of already-produced beam spring keyboards but will be available for the next round. Sorry Scroll Lock LED with solenoid!

The plan is to make the controller slightly wider, add 3 pins to the right side, and move most of the components rightward while keeping the ribbon cable positions, two ground pads, and USB connector exactly where they are now for backwards compatibility with the F77 and F62 keyboards.

That way the 6 pin xwhatsit header is unchanged and a spot for a 4 pin header is added to the left hand side of the controller. The 6 pin header would work the same as it does now, the new 4 pin header is for the LED expansion of existing boards, and the additional 3 ribbon cable positions are so that the next beam spring keyboards' LEDs can be attached directly through the ribbon cable and traces on the large capacative PCB instead of by wires as IBM did with the PC AT keyboard. So the boards will support both the future beam board LEDs connected by extra pins on the ribbon cable (totaling 33 positions) as well as the expansion header for existing 30 position boards. There is of course some experimentation needed - will the LED traces interfere with the capacitive sensing with all those traces at the top of the board?

Keeping clearances for the F62 and F77 bottom inner assembly plates and "arms" is also important. Photos of the installed controller: https://imgur.com/a/xaPg4Z0

Also for the new controller: I've been chatting with pandrew who suggests removing the "103" 745C101103JP chip and using the atmega's internal pull up resistors. This would require a firmware update as well, since the pull up resistors are higher value than 10k.

Here's a photo of the latest board with the smaller atmel chip: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=11046&p=486306&hil ... or#p486306

Attached is the latest wcass diptrace file of the xwhatsit controller. As with the xwhatsit, of course all derivations of xwhatsit's work are GPL3 open source as well. (The gerber files are published in the project manual in case someone prefers to work in kicad or another program: https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/wp-cont ... _files.zip and wcass published the gerber files on another thread last year)

Any other xwhatsit PCB suggestions are of course welcome.

[cloudhax]

The major news is that I’ve QC’d and shipped out 1700+ keyboards so far

incredible work

[chayu]

That's around half of the orders...! Looks like Eclipse is going at a rate of 200-300 boards a month. Not bad. I'm in the bottom 500 based on when I placed my order so it looks like it will be a while (December/January) until I get min. I shall continue to wait patiently.

[Ellipse]

xwhatsit PCB update.

The "103" 10k resistor pack was removed as suggested by pandrew, and 5 10k resistors were added in their place (might be removed for the next revision). The updated file is attached. For the engineers out there, are there any errors? Hopefully the schematic has not changed by mistake if a line was connected incorrectly for example.

[ReAL4U]

Hello Ellipse, I am a fan of your work!

Coud I ask a question: How long the production run is going to last?

Do you have plans to make this a permanent product?

I mean you have invested in all the tooling, what is stopping you from continuous production?

I just discovered this awesome endeavour (LGR Blerbs and Chyrosran22 YouTube videos), and currently wanted to buy a "programmers" keyboard, but all offerings are gaming oriented and they don't cut it for me. Was about to bite the bullet and buy a UNICOMP keyboard, but, they product lack some love, honestly.

But to gather the money to buy one F77 I am going to save money, and I believe I will have enough to make the order in December, maybe November, and I do not want to be left out.

Thanks, and keep up the good work!

[Ellipse]

ReAL4U thanks for your interest in joining the project! We are still in the early round for now so there will be time to order later this year. The final round has not yet started.

Regarding the updated xwhatsit PCB, if a few folks could look over my corrections to make sure I didn't mess anything up it would be much appreciated. I'd like to order another batch of these updated PCBs in the next couple days, as noted before.

[snacksthecat]

Wanted to share the 3D model that I made from photos of my F77.

Link to the 3D model on Sketchfab:
https://skfb.ly/opPQz

[Ellipse]

Wanted to share the 3D model that I made from photos of my F77.

Link to the 3D model on Sketchfab:
https://skfb.ly/opPQz

Interesting! The page notes that the 3d model used 391 photos. Did you have an automated machine to take the photos?

[PhineasRex]

Finally got my F62. I love typing on it except for a sticky left shift which I can't seem to resolve.

One question for Ellipse: will the front-print and custom keycaps be shipping separately? They were included in my invoice but not the order.

Picture:

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[Ellipse]

Thanks for posting your new Model F photo PhineasRex! Please do read the manual - troubleshooting section as the fix for stuck keys is noted there.