Even having grown up using Commodore 64s, Apple II and IBM PC, I have no fondness for mechanical keyboards. I’m very happy with a set of short-sleeved chiclet-style laptop keys under my fingers, but I’m even drawn to the cult of mechanical keyboards for this stunning compact recreation of a classic IBM Model F keyboard.
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Although modern mechanical keyboards are inspired by the myriad keyboards and input devices used in the 1970s and 1980s (for electric typewriters and early personal computers), there are two specific models that stand out as the engine of the current obsession with keyboards. strong enough to wake the dead: the IBM Model F, and its tracking, the Model M. Both used a patented pavilion spring mechanism inside, combined with other moving components, including a small hammer. to produce a different feel and sound when the keys were pressed. Some loved it, while others are happy that the noise-canceling headphones are now affordable and effective.
A member of the Deskthority forums known as “Durken” recently shared a custom build that looks like a perfect recreation of an IBM Model F keyboard, but has scaled to 40% of its original size, losing the keyboard. numeric and even the wide space bar in the process of. To make it look and feel as close as possible to the original, Durken used keys with genuine spring switches and even referred to the Model F PCB to design its own more compact alternative. Like IBM, it has a slight curve when installed inside a 3D-printed enclosure, which Durken also polished, polished and painted a lot to give it a perfect 80s beige finish.
Model D typing test
As if the spring buckle switches weren’t strong enough, Durken added an additional level of optional haptic feedback with the addition of a solenoid inside that lights up every time a key is pressed, causing the keyboard sounds more like working on a mechanical typewriter. To keep the solenoid’s function secret, it is activated covertly by pressing the IBM logo, which is usually nothing more than an aluminum sticker, but here it functions as an additional mechanical button.