Just spent 4 hours on a simple spacebar stabilizer swap

Picked up a clean IBM Model M from a thrift store last week, spacebar felt mushy so I figured I'd swap the stabilizer insert. Took me 2 hours just to get the barrel plate open without cracking the plastic, then another hour trying to fish out the broken clip with tweezers. Finally found out the new insert was ever so slightly wider and wouldn't snap in, had to sand it down with a nail file for 30 minutes. Has anyone else run into aftermarket parts that just don't fit right?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_henderson629d agoMost Upvoted

...and honestly, the real problem is that these Model M cases weren't built to be taken apart in the first place. They used ultrasonic welding on the rivets back in the 80s and 90s, so every time you crack one open you're fighting against how it was originally put together. People talk about "patience" but the plastic gets brittle after 30 years no matter how careful you are. I'd rather just clean the stock stabilizer with some isopropyl and lube it than gamble on aftermarket stuff that might be slightly off spec.

wadea531mo ago

Gotta push back a little here. I've swapped a dozen Model M inserts and never had that much trouble. The barrel plastic is pretty forgiving if you work slowly with a flathead screwdriver. Feels like the real issue is using a nail file to sand an insert instead of just trimming it with an exacto knife or finding a proper replacement. Aftermarket parts are hit or miss, that's why I always buy from known sources like Unicomp or ClickyKeyboards. The broken clip thing is annoying but that happens when you try to pry it out from the wrong angle. Next time just push the old insert out from the back with a paperclip instead of tweezers.