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

[POTV]

I believe someone asked about a cover earlier in this thread. I have found two solutions for my full size and SSK IBM's.

They are both actually sold as monitor risers but the IBM's fit very well under them. Height for both: 8 cm.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

Lavolta Elevated Monitor Riser

afull.JPG (679.66 KiB) Viewed 4856 times

https://feinkraft.de/monitorerhoehung-a ... umber=&c=6

Feinkraft Monitorerhöhung

afull.JPG (679.66 KiB) Viewed 4856 times

The big is made of plastic, and the small is made of wood.

[lot_lizard]

So we are about to kick off this group buy. We have a couple of things to wrap up on testing, but we will iron that out over the course of the group buy (if not, we have the fall back plan of using the current PCB and legacy F controller). I still need to take a full inventory of switches to know exactly how many we have to offer. But that is about the only thing holding us back.

My question is how do we want to run this? You fill out a simple spreadsheet with some constraints to prevent mistakes that calculates total cost, send that spreadsheet to me and I invoice you? Something more advanced that we host for a few weeks (adds another minimal cost)... you tell me.

Actually thinking out loud as I type. We'll vote. Check back shortly for a poll

[HAL]

OK, voted!!! So now lets start the group

[lot_lizard]

OK, voted!!! So now lets start the group

hahaha... hear ya. I want a bow on this.


Based on polling, I'll start the spreadsheet. We are going to use PayPal as the collector. If that is an issue for anyone, let me know. Unfortunately there is a 3.75% tax, but that is the nature of anything at this point. I verified again earlier today that there will be no blocks (fyi... had to do some ridiculous credit check for that to happen if anyone ever does something similar to this in the future).

I'll reach out to my metal friends that are producing the plates to see if we can get some color swatches for the power coating

[ohaimark]

Just be careful not to explicitly charge a fee to cover the PayPal fee. While they don't crucify you for that in small transactions, a larger group transaction might upset the PayPal mafia.

Charging fees to cover their fee is against their TOS.

"You agree that you will not impose a surcharge or any other fee for accepting PayPal as a payment method. You may charge a handling fee in connection with the sale of goods or services as long as the handling fee does not operate as a surcharge and is not higher than the handling fee you charge for non-PayPal transactions."

[lot_lizard]

Just be careful not to explicitly charge a fee to cover the PayPal fee. While they don't crucify you for that in small transactions, a larger group transaction might upset the PayPal mafia.

Great feedback. I will call the fee on the invoice something less conspicuous than my original plan... "PayFoe fee"

[fohat]

Just be careful not to explicitly charge a fee to cover the PayPal fee.

I will call the fee on the invoice something less conspicuous

No! Just don't ask and don't tell.

Build it into the price and forget about it.

[ohaimark]

You can use Google Forms to take orders and link the results to a Google Spreadsheet if you feel inclined. That will semi-automate the process.

[Techno Trousers]

Woohoo! So glad to see the group buy kicking off. On the spreadsheet, be sure to add a notes space--I have a couple of things to remind you about regarding my order.

POTV, thanks for the information about your cover--I was the one who asked about that. What I was really interested in was more of a clear, hard plastic, custom molded cover that I could put on and take off easily. Kind of like the ones that come with certain keyboards like Filco. I didn't get much feedback on that, so it's probably not in the cards, at least at this time.

[Wingpad]

This is super exciting. Glad to hear that this is happening

[Ir0n]

Yay! :>

Edit: Voted

[seebart]

So we are about to kick off this group buy.

Voted.

[POTV]

I would like to know all the available options before filling out a spreadsheet - and I would need to pay somebody for putting the pieces together...

[Techno Trousers]

I would need to pay somebody for putting the pieces together...

Unlike virtually every other mechanical keyboard kit, there will be no soldering needed with these. If you can work a screwdriver, you can put this together. That said, you may still want to have someone else do it. I'm pretty sure lizard will be offering that as an option.

[Ir0n]

I would need to pay somebody for putting the pieces together...

Unlike virtually every other mechanical keyboard kit, there will be no soldering needed with these. If you can work a screwdriver, you can put this together. That said, you may still want to have someone else do it. I'm pretty sure lizard will be offering that as an option.

Yeah all you got to do is put barrels and flippers in holes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)...

[andrewjoy]

I would need to pay somebody for putting the pieces together...

Unlike virtually every other mechanical keyboard kit, there will be no soldering needed with these. If you can work a screwdriver, you can put this together. That said, you may still want to have someone else do it. I'm pretty sure lizard will be offering that as an option.

Yeah all you got to do is put barrels and flippers in holes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)...

Thats more of a pain in the arse than soldering

i have however taken a model F apart at least 20 times now so i am getting good

[Ir0n]

Yeah all you got to do is put barrels and flippers in holes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)...

Thats more of a pain in the arse than soldering

i have however taken a model F apart at least 20 times now so i am getting good

I don't think it will be as bad with these..I had to use fishing string and luck to get my space bar back on my AT rofl

[lot_lizard]

So the one elephant in the room will be shipping. The goal of this project is everything "at cost", which includes shipping. Having said that, we really have two choices.

• A - Take a best guess (slightly inflated) flat shipping cost with an additional $5 overseas tax to freight 1-2 pallets to our Euro proxy. Any surplus we have in the end could be either refunded, we could present some donation, or we use as surplus funds for future projects (keeping in mind this will be a small number)
• B - You pay for everything we need to get this stuff produced up front, and then we come back later with individual invoices for shipping that are accurate (2 invoices total to have it at your door)

One is obviously less messy to deal with than the other. If we like option A, I would like to know what the AVERAGE shipping rate would be from Germany to the outskirts of the EU for a box that measures 62cm x 24cm x 10cm with a weight of 2.75kg. I can account for these costs for anything domestic (US) already, but am ignorant about inter-country shipping within the EU (tariffs, etc). Appreciate the help

[ohaimark]

Only one tip for EU shipping from me. Use Transglobalexpress for anything heading to or from the UK.

[Hypersphere]

Voted. Would be okay with either option.

[andrewjoy]

Yeah all you got to do is put barrels and flippers in holes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)...

Thats more of a pain in the arse than soldering

i have however taken a model F apart at least 20 times now so i am getting good

I don't think it will be as bad with these..I had to use fishing string and luck to get my space bar back on my AT rofl

yeh the AT can fuck off stupid space bar, i like them long but the system it uses is just stupid.

Give me a 122F space bar any day ( better than model M one as the thinner metal is not as heavy)

[lot_lizard]

Give me a 122F space bar any day ( better than model M one as the thinner metal is not as heavy)

Speaking of this... I never made a post, but I changed the space bar stabilizer yet again for Phase 1. It is now a direct replacement for the model F (snap in style). I will make it in two variations to account for the M and F stabilizer bar size differences. Nothing I tried was making me happy, so went back and just made it fit the F cutout. Upside is we can use it to fix the existing F's with broken clips very easily.


EDIT: The material I tried printing in with success there was nylon (black)

[fohat]

It is now a direct replacement for the model F (snap in style).

I will make it in two variations to account for the M and F stabilizer bar size differences.

That is interesting. I was concerned that the earlier schemes, although exquisite, would be too tricky to achieve in real life.

How are they flanged on the bottom to hold themselves in place?

Also, how to accommodate the different locations for each type? Pairs of nearby slots?

[lot_lizard]

That is interesting. I was concerned that the earlier schemes, although exquisite, would be too tricky to achieve in real life.

How are they flanged on the bottom to hold themselves in place?

Also, how to accommodate the different locations for each type? Pairs of nearby slots?

I actually liked our previous attempts better, but when I backed up and realized we weren't actually achieving anything beyond this project (and this phase of that project)... I punted. The deliverable is identical to the previous model F with a slight improvement, they are not melted rivets. The original design used heat (even though you can move them if needed, it wasn't by original design). This is meant to be moved it required.


The vertical and horizontals are slightly different (only god knows why!!!). The visible portion in each is as you would expect. The lower (pop-in in) portion are SLIGHTLY modified from the original, but I think are a design that will account for "moving" in the future much better than the predecessor. Printed nylon works really well as a flexible/durable plastic

[Techno Trousers]

So these same plastic stabilizers can be used in other areas on the plate? Or are they space bar only?

[fohat]

So these same plastic stabilizers can be used in other areas on the plate? Or are they space bar only?

Space bar stabilizer tabs are larger and deeper than the others.

M wires are thicker than F wires (by quite a lot) and to the eyeball it seems like F space bar wires are the same gauge as M modifier wires. M space bar wires are considerably thicker, and F modifier wires are quite thin.

I always thought that the M space bar wires were longer and went farther back toward the barrels than Fs, but I may be imagining things.

[Techno Trousers]

Thanks, Fohat. I hadn't seen any posts lately about support for other wire stabilized keys, so I was curious about plans for supporting those (or not).

[wcass]

I know a thing or two about the difference between model M and model F space bar stabilizers.

[BinaryHalibut]

Speaking of stabs, are the spacebar stab slots in the same spot (relative to spacebar) as on a model M/F122?

Asking because I'm currently using a wheelwriter bottom row (code key + spacebar instead of alt + spacebar + alt) on my F122 and have had to make some funky clips to get the spacebar to work, since the stab is actually to the left of where the spacebar stab wire starts.

(Photos of it, exposure is completely off but eh)

Spoiler:

[fohat]

Asking because I'm currently using a wheelwriter bottom row

and have had to make some funky clips to get the spacebar to work,

I don't have the keyboards and measuring instruments readily available to definitively answer the question, but my impression is that the Model M wire moves slightly farther up (toward the barrels) when fully depressed than the F wire does. I doubt that it is more than 1mm-2mm, but that would be enough to mess up the action.

As to your question, the ever-resourceful wcass made yet another brilliant discovery that 7/16" SAE washers will fit over the barrels and act as stabilizers by virtue of their weight alone.