When IBM was manufacturing their Model F Keyboards in the 1980s, they were built to last. Fast forward 40 years later and these keyboards are STILL kicking around. Some enthusiasts go out of their way to restore these boards while others appreciated them so much that they started to manufacture their own reproductions.

Coming from the Cherry fork of the hobby, I was unaware of the culture around these cult classic boards. When I got my hands on my first 3D printer, I started printing GameBoy Cartridge Styled Keycaps. This was mostly for myself but over time I did start selling them to others.

Then I got a request from a friend to make a version of these caps for their Model F. I did not think much of it. CAD files of IBM’s keycaps are freely available online so I slapped the stem onto the cartridge model and hoped for the best.

Little did I know, IBM built their boards to last with the TIGHTEST tolerances in any commercial product I had ever seen. So my 3D printed keycap did not work when mounted to a board. This friend was so impressed with my attempt that he gifted me a 2003 M122 Battleship to enable me to test these caps on my own board until they were perfect.

Fast forward 3 YEARS and these caps are ready for prime time.