(Model MF) Remodeling the Model M (aka.. the Mara)

[andrewjoy]

Oh holy shit yes!

[seebart]

Impressive lot_lizard!

[hammelgammler]

Indeed, that's awesome!

[alh84001]

[pyrelink]

Wow that looks fantastic.

[tentator]

So those cads could be perfect to mod them to a 65% model f!! If matt3o hears that..

[DMA]

Looks really cool!

[shreebles]

Amazing stuff, lot_lizard!!

So those cads could be perfect to mod them to a 65% model f!! If matt3o hears that..

Well, you'd need a new PCB... And case...

[tentator]

that's why I'm hoping that i$ will have soon a "flexible" pcb that could be easily 60%ize.. the case well.. that cad! otherwise I'm ready to grab a saw and do some happy chopping..

[lot_lizard]

I know I said dark, but a quick update.... The plates for the SSK are sanded, etched, primed, and painted. For sure will have assembled by the end of the weekend.

Real reason for responding... The CAD files. I am happy to release everything once I verify a couple of things. I need to know the key layout is "perfect" in the case, and I have yet to validate the fitting of a 4704/AT barrel lock (will do so in this build). I really don't want something out there until fully proven. But I have zero interest in making money on this, and even welcome others to run the group buy later if they are driven. I would advise letting me help with contacting the manufacturers to help speak "the speak" though. I have immense respect for Matt3o's projects here, but this is a very different animal than cherry/topre switches. WCass's XTant and Ellipses's projects would be a much closer resemblance.

As for layout changes, altering the CAD models for the plates and cases is pretty trivial at this point given how hardened we are (40, 60, 65, whatever %). As Shreebles pointed out, the real magic is the PCB changes. I plan on releasing all the files someone would need to produce to end results (dxf, stl, and instructions to give a producer). For the actual CAD, I created this with OpensCAD. I typically make things with SolidWorks, Revit, BIM, etc (think MASSIVE projects). I decided to use OpenSCAD here for a few reasons:

• I wanted to learn it
• It is a C based language (I am a software engineer by trade)
• It supports modules exceptionally well. This is the real reason for using in this context. Realize this is an eco system of CAD in its current form. The top plate is not just the top plate... It is using common variable dimensions in relation to the bottom plate, actually makes cutouts for the REAL barrel based on tolerances (so the CAD that produces the barrel is actually used with tolerance in an 2d array to produce all the barrel cutouts), etc. I realize this is not very easy to follow, but making a single variable change in one file can have significant impact on multiple components. Think C headers

Having said all of that, I am happy to share, but this is atypical CAD. If for some reason someone needs this as typical CAD objects, I would recommend you let me alter them on your behalf to another format (such as STEP). Though to be honest, it's really not necessary

[alh84001]

That was a bit tongue-in-cheek from me. Getting everything just right is of course top priority, and we wouldn't want it any other way

As for the files themselves, if you are so inclined, you could release the original source files themselves, but for the plates you could also export them to DXF or DWF for the lazy among us.

As for following the OpenSCAD concept, thanks for the nice explanation. To us working with (Obj-)C it is quite clear

[HAL]

decided to use OpenSCAD ...

I love it
I never got beyond:

Code: Select all

difference()
{
    difference()
    {
        cube([206.0,190,41.5]);
        translate([10, 10 -1]) cube([186.0,170,42.5 - 13]);
    }
    translate([-1, 26, -1]) cube([45, 136, 42.5 - 8.5]);
}

I can't wait to take a look at the files

[Techno Trousers]

Hi, everyone. I've got a first try at the inner assembly label. I wanted to use the size of the original IBM external labels (right around 4 1/2" by 2 1/8"). Because there aren't any pre-cut laser/inkjet labels that size, I designed this as a table, so that we can print them on a full sheet label and cut the individual labels from it. The barcode is in PDF417 format. I think it looks really cool, and it packs an incredible amount of text into a small space. This particular graphic encodes:

FSSK/FEXT Project from http://www.deskthority.net. Thanks to idollar, lot_lizard, xwhatsit, wcass, and everyone else who worked to make this happen. Special thanks to Richard Hunter Harris of IBM for inventing the buckling spring switch (U.S. patent 4118611, filed on 30 August, 1977), and the IBM engineers who later created the capacitive buckling spring keyboard.

InnerAssemblySample.jpg (42.17 KiB) Viewed 5688 times

Feedback?

[lot_lizard]

Hi, everyone. I've got a first try at the inner assembly label.
...
Feedback?

I really like it. I think the use of PDF417 provides some nice symmetry, and the message in the code is very nice. The location of the DT (full version is ideal) is in a nice spot. The suggestions would be the label size, format, and font.


The size... 4.5x2.125 is SO close to the mass produced 4x2 label that I would probably lean towards the generic size because it makes the process of producing these easier (rounded corners and print label templates = minimal effort later).

The format (not layout) is in reference to the date. If ISO-8601 format would have been widely adopted at the time, it would have been used (IBM adopted in the 2k's in force). For clarity, ISO layout would be 2016-08-01 in your example.

For the font, I like full words in labels versus abbreviations (but I am verbose in nature). If you are using full words (part number, date, etc), then the labels will have to be smaller than the actual value if you keep the same dimensions. I also prefer mixed case for labels (Part No vs PART NO). As for the actual font used, I like what you have, but will leave feedback there to those pickier than I

Again... Love multiple things about what you have. Just mild tweaking in my opinion. But I am by no stretch a dictator to this process. Hopefully others chime in as well.

EDIT: one thing... This label is where I$ should be able to PROUDLY display the FSSK/FEXT logo (since it is tied to the model in the "line") if he wanted to. If he did have ideas about a logo for his project, I would like him to be able to add it. Ideally, it would be either FSSK or FEXT (not both in generic fashion) pending on the assembly to match his original desires. Techno, if you could reach out to him directly to make sure he sees this label activity'? We can all have say about how it is incorporated, but want him picking the logo (he's earned it).

[pyrelink]

I really like the label as well. Font is great, and the barcode is a cool idea. I would definitely agree with Lizard, though that mixed case full words would be nice to experiment with. At the very least some bolding and a colon would be nice to seperate things out a bit. I might also recommend raising the part number to be aligned to the top of the Deskthority logo, as well as maybe reducing the amount of characters in the serial number, and aligning the Assembeled date on that same line right below the DT logo. Then we could probably have space for an FSSK/FEXT logo in the bottom left or right. When I get home I can try to make a mockup.

[lot_lizard]

The assembly date aspect of the label brings up an interesting point about a group buy that needs some discussion. The eventual group buy I was planning on doing more "a la carte" than dictating that everything was fully assembled (assembly option as well). Ultimately it could be cheaper for folks with parts on hand, and let you do as much as you wanted yourself. Also, if you wanted alternative colors, etc, we could just leave portions out of some processing, and you could customize yourself after delivery. We might get more participation that way, which ultimately drives down costs even more for everyone. This is the beautiful "downward spiral" of the non-profit group buy. I haven't committed to this yet because of the increased difficulty of juggling orders and pricing, but it is my initial thought

Having said that, back to the label... maybe it makes more sense to have "Assembled:" with an underscore to the right to have the person putting it all together sign and date?!? Makes it a little more personal I think

[Techno Trousers]

Okay, I have a DM in to idollar to ask about an FSSK/FEXT logo we might be able to use with this. Here's a new revision. I changed the font from Consolas, which is Windows-only, to Meslo LG, which is Apache licensed and should be usable everywhere. The outer dotted line is the placeholder for the label border (4" x 2" label sheet), and the inner dotted lines are just the alignment table (they aren't present in the printed output--see PDF for what a label sheet should look like).

InnerAssembly_v2Sample.jpg (68.68 KiB) Viewed 5606 times

[lot_lizard]

Huge fan of the changes

[pyrelink]

Yes, very nice, I like that a lot. The date and signature is a nice touch.

[Techno Trousers]

Awesome, I'm glad you guys like it. It's good to be able to contribute to this fantastic project! I'll do a final revision once I hear back from idollar, then I'll post the label sheet in a couple of formats, so anyone can make use of them.

[lot_lizard]

One last request... I would like you to add yourself in the list of people to thank. Also, if you could add titles and full URL links to the projects for xWhatsit, XTant, and I$'s FEXT/FSSK, and ours here to the scan code... Then it is cherry. I would need to Google, but I think PDF417 still has plenty of space. I feel those stories combined really paint the picture of underground effort

The only remaining bit would be the size and layout of the DT and i$ logos, but we will need to see his before we can say for sure. If someone wants to take on the logo for i$ (using his input), I'm sure he would appreciate.

EDIT: please add Phosphorglow as well. He was a big help for cutting the foam. I have a logo already created for Phase 2 (decent graphics designer), and plan on laser etching into the floating case backplate... but that is Phase 2 down the road

[lot_lizard]

Happy to report things are working quite nicely (typing on the board now, and have to say it is every bit as crisp as I had hoped). My fitting for the AT barrel lock was off by a few degrees in rotation. I will make that update, and post the plans tomorrow, along with several pictures.

I mentioned before the logo for phase 2. I still have a few things I will clean up in it down the road, but thought I would share before I spent too much time tweaking the details to get some feedback. Again, this will be laser etched on the backplate (either curved or flat... doesn't matter). The idea is to tie together I$'s work with my own to create something novel.

EDIT: Reduced the image size and changed the aspect ratio to support the forum thumbnails better

[alh84001]

Wow, that logo.......it's just perfect. A bit thug-life even, but you can't escape that with i$

And great to see you dogfooding it. BTW, what happens with the plastic prototypes?

[pyrelink]

Great looking logo lizard!

Question about the newest prototypes, how do the keys in the very center of the board feel? I know that when replacing the foam on one of the larger OG model F's that is pressure fit together, the keys in the center of the keyboard were always wobbly and more ping-ey. As this board is only being held together with perimeter screws, how well is the center being compressed, and how do those keys feel?

[lot_lizard]

Question about the newest prototypes, how do the keys in the very center of the board feel? I know that when replacing the foam on one of the larger OG model F's that is pressure fit together, the keys in the center of the keyboard were always wobbly and more ping-ey. As this board is only being held together with perimeter screws, how well is the center being compressed, and how do those keys feel?

I'll write that up in detail tomorrow, but that is the one part that took a little effort to tune. Unfortunately the machine shop made the radial bend of the two plates identical, which wasn't ideal. I had to bend them evenly with my press which isn't suited for this type of work. In the end the middle is squeezed first, and pressure is "evenly" added as the top plate rolls flatter. The sound is very close to the same now, but it took multiple attempts. Remember this was a thinner gauge metal top plate (slightly), so this made the process a bit easier. The SCREWS were a dream compared to those tabs on other F's though.

Reminds me typing this though... I never tested the fit of the winkeys. I'll do that in the morning. Out tonight for Merica's Burfday (our "Brexit" celebration).

EDIT:

A bit thug-life even, but you can't escape that with i$
...
BTW, what happens with the plastic prototypes?

That's funny. Maybe I$ and I should get matching tats!!! The plastic prototypes were given as a gift to the mentor I had when starting my career in research

[tentator]

the winkeys are they going to be 1u ones between ctrl and alt down there?

[lot_lizard]

the winkeys are they going to be 1u ones between ctrl and alt down there?

Exactly... I$ was clever enough to make them available from the beginning. Just needed cutouts. For those that don't know, he has both split shifts and ISO enter on the PCB as well in its current state. Dude was well prepared.

EDIT: and split backspace

[tentator]

split shift on the right as well? like hhkb or what?
but the winkeys are only 1u compatible or also like unicomp 1.5u?

[andrewjoy]

Oo if your doing split right shift can we get the option for a split backspace too ! No need for new barrel plate or change to the PCB , just need an extra flipper

and then
......

UNIX LAYOUT!

[tentator]

well if we can start with requests I'm ready with asking matt3o's 65% layout )))
and maybe added split spacebar why not?