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troubble with space key on AT-Keyboard

M

MaTel

Experienced Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
183
Location
Hamburg, Germany
Hello,
I have cleaned my very dirty original IBM AT-keyboard. I have removed all keys. But I have troubble with the installation of the space key. On the left and right end of the key there are two plastic-noses. They must snap in into a metal clip . Is there a trick to do that?

Sorry... my english is not very good but I hope anyone understand me :confused:
 
MaTel said:
Hello,
I have cleaned my very dirty original IBM AT-keyboard. I have removed all keys. But I have troubble with the installation of the space key. On the left and right end of the key there are two plastic-noses. They must snap in into a metal clip . Is there a trick to do that?

Sorry... my english is not very good but I hope anyone understand me :confused:
Click to expand...

Your English is just fine. Is this a Model M keyboard? If so, there's no real trick. Simply make sure that the metal clip attached to the space bar is extended and touches the keyboard base plate when you replace the space bar. It should then slide up and into the plastic retainers as you push down on the space bar to re-seat the key. I just did it twice as I was thinking about this reply.

You may have to repeat the action once or twice to get it right, but that's how it's done. Don't try to seat the clip into the plastic retainers yourself--it will do this by itself.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Your English is just fine. Is this a Model M keyboard? If so, there's no real trick. Simply make sure that the metal clip attached to the space bar is extended and touches the keyboard base plate when you replace the space bar. It should then slide up and into the plastic retainers as you push down on the space bar to re-seat the key. I just did it twice as I was thinking about this reply.

You may have to repeat the action once or twice to get it right, but that's how it's done. Don't try to seat the clip into the plastic retainers yourself--it will do this by itself.
Click to expand...

No it's unfortunately not the Model M keyboard. It's the first IBM AT keyboard for the IBM AT 5170. This board has a different construction.
The Problem has done :). I have googled in the WWW and found a solution. You have to remove the big metall plate under the keyboard.

Remember: DONT REMOVE THE SPACE BAR, IF YOU WANT TO CLEAN YOUR XT OR THE FIRST AT IBM KEYBOARD.
 
I second that! I removed the space bar from my 5150's keyboard, only to find out you have to disassemble the whole bucking spring mechanism to put it back together. It took me something like 8 hours to do... Never again!!!

5150_keyboardopen.JPG
 
MaTel said:
Hello,
I have cleaned my very dirty original IBM AT-keyboard. I have removed all keys. But I have troubble with the installation of the space key. On the left and right end of the key there are two plastic-noses. They must snap in into a metal clip . Is there a trick to do that?
Click to expand...

No, and you have unfortunately learned that the one key you should not remove is the spacebar :-( I made the same mistake with my XT 83-key keyboard.

The only way I was able to get it back together was to completely take the entire keyboard apart. It is not possible to do it while the keyboard is still put together.
 
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