Typewriter Mania

[guidemetothelight]

UPDATES DOWN BELOW
Since very early on in my mechanical keyboard journey I´ve been fascinated by electric typewriters.
They came right at that moment in time, where pc´s became widespread and got gradually replaced by them, fading slowly into irrelevance.

There are many interesting / beloved components / mechanisms to be found here , like Alps , BS , beautifully looking high quality keycaps and more. I like to get my hands on their keyboard modules and over time, get all of them usable via USB to a computer.
Eventually with (3d printed) cases and everything.

I´ve managed to find some examples that I liked a lot over the time in the hobby mosten so through luck / chance.
Models include: Canon AP 800 (Cream ) , Sharp ZX-330 (Green), Sharp XQ-380 with veeeery mushy SKEW , a TA SE 505 with lovely dye subs but funky wiki/Cherry_MX-M8_Adapter Switches.
From IBM I've got a 6787 and a Model 95 on the way.
Recently friends of my grandparents offered "some old typewriter" in their attic and voila , it was a AP 150.
I had way too many before , but now it is getting out of hand
With more time on my hands now with my exams being over, I wanted to get some of them sorted out.
Starting with cleaning keycaps and desoldering some switches. ( SKEW plates fit SKCL / SKCM no problem )
So here is some of my progress from today in images.

zx 330 , xq 380, ap 150 , top to bottom

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the 3 greens stolen from the ap 150

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leafy greens on the zx 330

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naked SKEW and ZX 330

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green closeup

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Update:

Plates fits Matias and Alps SKCM Cream Dampened without Problems.

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A bit rusty though...

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All of the plastic parts removed

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The desoldered SKEW Switches.... one of the worst switches i´ve ever tried .... no worries, they will be replaced

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Plans are to use a custom pcb ( or handwire , if I cant manage to teach myself how to design one. )
I would like to incorporate qmk compatibility , possible use of the led´s that come with the board and also those 3 postition switches ( if not with those switches , maybe other linear potentiometers)

[guidemetothelight]

My first steps will be cleaning the caps & then desoldering all of switches from both sharps.
I dont want to use their pcb´s and I will probably be designing a case.
Both use the same frame , and almost the same plate so I should be good.

[TNT]

Is that a lonely Alps latching switch on the xq 380?

I really commend your efforts! After the first of my enthusiasm faded away I decided to just scrap the two Canon units I had for switches and caps. I kept the Marquardts tho, but they're still waiting to get a case. Have you ever tried hacking up the old machine's housings to build a case out of?

[guidemetothelight]

Is that a lonely Alps latching switch on the xq 380?

Nope , a single Cream that I put there to test plate compatibility.

I really commend your efforts! After the first of my enthusiasm faded away I decided to just scrap the two Canon units I had for switches and caps. I kept the Marquardts tho, but they're still waiting to get a case. Have you ever tried hacking up the old machine's housings to build a case out of?

Havent really done anything yet. The Canons will get scrapped for switches / keycaps but the sharps I will try to convert.
I dont like reusing the old cases , since they are scuffed / dirty and I wouldnt be skilled enough to turn them into flawless , factory looking cases.
My Printer can do that

[guidemetothelight]

...build a case out of?

iam still contemplating what I want to exactly to with the case. I think I will make use of the holes on the sides of the plate and some kind of top mount with some rubber bushing in between or something like that. For the case I want to try printing in translucent petg, with some kind of smokey colour. I still need to design a Case and PCB though. Only once done a Case and never a PCB.

[TNT]

Is that F-cluster still WIP, or some kind of solution for incorporating those sliders on the left?

No experience with the Layout Editor, unfortunately. Couldn't you just place a vertikal 2u key, leave a gap and call it a day?

[guidemetothelight]

Is that F-cluster still WIP ?

Now it is I simply put it on the wrong side of the board. The XQ-380 has one more row of extra keys, but on the right not the left. On the ZX-330 there is only one row , the other one does NOT have cutouts in the plate for switches , but one more plastic cover.

Couldn't you just place a vertikal 2u key, leave a gap and call it a day?

Probably yes. I still wonder how to get the programm to understand that the switch needs to be rotated 90 degree in order for the weird enter key to work ...

[MathematicalJ]

I really like these typewriter modules, too, though I wish interesting keycap profiles were more common on them. The only one I've acquired, though, is a nice little IBM Wheelwriter. It has been waiting for me to fabricate an enclosure and slap on a conversion module.

[guidemetothelight]

I really like these typewriter modules, too, though I wish interesting keycap profiles were more common on them. The only one I've acquired, though, is a nice little IBM Wheelwriter.

I dont know where you are located but if you are looking for typewriter models with interesting switches / caps you can use this for guidance:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... edit#gid=0

[guidemetothelight]

Since I regained my itch to work on the ZXQ project, I mapped the layout in KLE & will try to testprint the file in the following days to see if it matches the current plate. If so, the next step would be pcb design. Since I have never done that, I wanted to ask for you guys input on that to see of you have got ressources where you can learn keyboard oriented pcb design.
What tools / programms do you use ? What tricks do you have ?

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The ZX 330 has green alps, but only one column of function keys on the right.
The XQ 380 uses the same plate but comes with SKEW switches. But, it comes with those additional F keys.
I wanna be able to use both models for the conversion, so the optional switches need to be accommodated for.

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I put the kle layout in swillkb´s plate builder and it looks to be correct. I wont need a custom plate for the project though, since I want to reuse the one from the typewriter itself, as it already has all of the correct stab position´s cut out and ready to use. Also the two holes on each side make a perfect spot for top mounting the plate into the case (that I still need to design) with some rubber bushings or grommets.

[Muirium]

Nice project.

Alps integrated domes aren’t the worst of the worst, well, if you happen to find them in great condition. I have the Zenith Supersport keyboard module pictured in the wiki and printing it a case remains a project on the list. I don’t plan to swap creams into it, even though I too have a bag of them. But I respect your reasons.

I’m guessing the levers on the left are 2 or 3 position switches, which will have 3 or 4 pins: one of which moves between the others, following the lever. You could consider them 2 or 3 extra “keys”, as far as the controller goes.

I’ve no immediate idea what to actually use them for, however. You don’t happen to KVM to a bunch of hosts do you?


Edit: Actually, I rummaged it out earlier. If it were plate mount, I dare say I would have just changed my mind. Back into the project drawer you go, little guy.

[guidemetothelight]

Alps integrated domes aren’t the worst of the worst, well, if you happen to find them in great condition. I have the Zenith Supersport keyboard module pictured in the wiki and printing it a case remains a project on the list. I don’t plan to swap creams into it, even though I too have a bag of them. But I respect your reasons.

Then sadly, all of the Integrated domes I´ve tried must have been pretty crappy. I actually had a broken Supersport as well, but i sold it for parts to someone and only kept the caps for a custom project iam planning The XQ 380, a Canon AP 150, Dell AT102 and the Supersport, all felt horribly. Super mushy, bindy and scratchy at the same time.

I’m guessing the levers on the left are 2 or 3 position switches, which will have 3 or 4 pins: one of which moves between the others, following the lever. You could consider them 2 or 3 extra “keys”, as far as the controller goes.

I’ve no immediate idea what to actually use them for, however. You don’t happen to KVM to a bunch of hosts do you?

Thats a great idea with the 3 position switches. I was firstly planning on not using them and trying to find small linear potentiometers but tbh, I would have no idea what to do with them, except maybe screen brightness and sound level ?
But thats a problem for future nick to worry about

[Muirium]

Then sadly, all of the Integrated domes I´ve tried must have been pretty crappy.

I updated my post yesterday evening, as I happened upon the Zenith in my drawer of Project Doom while searching for something else. Those domes weren't as good as I remembered them. So you may well be right, alas. They're not bindy, but they're no better than a lot of vintage laptop feels, either.

The caps are damn pretty, though. Maybe I'll get up to something similar and build a real Alps keyboard for them, under your bad influence.

[guidemetothelight]

The caps are damn pretty, though. Maybe I'll get up to something similar and build a real Alps keyboard for them, under your bad influence.

They are ! I just love Zenith for their Keyboards. Z-150, ZKB-2 & their Laptop Boards with those lovely keycaps.
I myself didnt come up with this, rather I got inspired by this lovely chap and the utterly beautiful creations he brings into the keyboard space. (yeah yeah, fanboy more)

[Muirium]

The case and plate are already available, going by the video's description. Mmm!

[guidemetothelight]

The case and plate are already available, going by the video's description. Mmm!

They are ! What I like about Karolus is, that he doesnt gatekeep how he does his builds.
All parts are laid out in the description and when you write him on Discord , he is eager to help out with all alps related questions (at least he was in my case )