Beam spring fly plate re-assembly tips?

[snufflecat]

Sigh...

Hi guys,

So I recently got my hands on two IBM Displaywriter 3279 keyboards, one of which I'm in the process of slowly restoring.
I've hit a stall when I'm trying to re-attach a loose fly plate in one of the switches. I've watched tutorials online and read the manual from IBM, trying my luck with a paper clip with some masking tape around the tip, but no matter how careful I try to be I never seem to be able to attach the plate into the slots in the switch. One side is fine, but it's always the other one that won't attach.

If anyone has any tips on how I can fix this and move on I'd be very, very thankful!

[Lalaland124]

I had the same issue when I began restoring my beamspring. Honestly after quite some time I also gave up on the official IBM technique and just took the switch apart. This does come with a risk and really only makes sense if you plan on completely disassembling the keyboard, so removing the foam etc.

[TNT]

I've had good success with two toothpicks. Shove them into the two holes above the beamspring and put the tips onto a table, all this while pressing the switch "down" with one hand + actually actuating the switch. This bends the beamspring towards the open bottom of the switch. With the other hand, take the flyplate assembly, put one end of the beamspring where it belongs and then carefully position the other part of the flyplate's sheet attachment (stretch it a bit). It's a delicate task, but after 3 switches I got used to it and got pretty good. Got no loose switches to show you with some photos, unfortunately :/

[snufflecat]

I had the same issue when I began restoring my beamspring. Honestly after quite some time I also gave up on the official IBM technique and just took the switch apart. This does come with a risk and really only makes sense if you plan on completely disassembling the keyboard, so removing the foam etc.

Alright, thanks. I've already taken the board more or less completely apart, but don't really feel like dismantling the switches. They are, seemingly, in good working order (part from the one I'm struggling with).

That said, there was strangely enough a single switch on the board that didn't have a fly plate, and I suppose I could always re-use this one if I end up breaking the other switch if I try to take it apart..

[snufflecat]

I've had good success with two toothpicks. Shove them into the two holes above the beamspring and put the tips onto a table, all this while pressing the switch "down" with one hand + actually actuating the switch. This bends the beamspring towards the open bottom of the switch. With the other hand, take the flyplate assembly, put one end of the beamspring where it belongs and then carefully position the other part of the flyplate's sheet attachment (stretch it a bit). It's a delicate task, but after 3 switches I got used to it and got pretty good. Got no loose switches to show you with some photos, unfortunately :/

Thanks! Guess I've gotta get some toothpicks then. My problem with the paperclip-method is that they are so thin, and it's metal on metal, so they end up slipping past the beam spring.

That said I've had success in the form of getting the clips on the fly plate "inside" the grip of the beam spring, but one of the either sides never seem to slip into the slots it's supposed to in order to keep the flyplate in place..

[Lalaland124]

I had the same issue when I began restoring my beamspring. Honestly after quite some time I also gave up on the official IBM technique and just took the switch apart. This does come with a risk and really only makes sense if you plan on completely disassembling the keyboard, so removing the foam etc.

Alright, thanks. I've already taken the board more or less completely apart, but don't really feel like dismantling the switches. They are, seemingly, in good working order (part from the one I'm struggling with).

That said, there was strangely enough a single switch on the board that didn't have a fly plate, and I suppose I could always re-use this one if I end up breaking the other switch if I try to take it apart..

The switch without the fly plate is the second switch for the spacebar. It's just a stabilizer switch so it doesn't need a fly plate

[inmbolmie]

I would say that the toothpicks are good advice just for one switch, once, but in the end it is more practical to disassemble the entire switch if you have the right tools, because of the risk of bending the beam using toothpicks is higher than the risk of breaking anything with a full disassembly/reassembly. Disassembly requires a lot of force though and a good set of pliers to grab the stem steadily. For that I use the kind of pliers that self-lock into the closing position with good results.

[TNT]

I'm always afraid to disassemble Beamspring switches, simply because I have the feeling that if you don't pull out the metal stem as straight as possible, you will always damage the white plastic part :/

If you're careful with either disassembling or the toothpick method, everything should be fine tho.