Replacing a hammer on a Model M

[lamune]

I'm making a custom 122 keyboard, combining some 102 key caps in order to make the main layout as "normal" (to me) as possible.

The spot where the \ key would go has no hammer, but the membrane is there and it registers when pressed. Is it possible to get a hammer into there without disassembling the keyboard entirely?

My guess is no, but I figure someone here may know for sure.

[Halvar]

No. You need to do a bolt mod for that (which means: take off the backplate).

[Muirium]

I misread the title as "Replacing a hammer with a Model M." Well, when under attack…

Halvar is of course right. You have to break the plastic rivets which hold the plate and membrane together to get a new hammer inside. The bolt mod is then necessary to put them back together. There's a video how to here somewhere. I'll dig it out. I've one ahead of me too.

So there is everything else you need in the right spot already? Must be a barrel there if you can see the membrane I suppose!

[lamune]

Yes, everything is in good order. I need to move some barrels around, take out a couple of spring assemblies from where they're not needed and drop a hammer-spring assembly into the spot where the \ key should be in order to make the ISO-122 into a US-layout. Looks like I'll have to do it the hard way- thankfully I have a worthless dome-switch Unicomp 122 on hand to try it out on before the IBM goes under the drill.

I'm considering doing a "screw" mod, not a bolt mod though- I think it'll be easier. I'm not sure though what size screws would be best- I'm guessing some self-tapping M4's would be sufficient.

It would be awesome to rearrange the arrow keys into a pc-standard T, but it looks like that would be quite the endeavor.

[Muirium]

The video I mentioned. Phosphorglow writes about it here.

[lamune]

Thanks, that looks precisely what I want to do. I'll have to review that and see if somewhere he gives the dimensions of the screws used.