Selectriq

IBM Selectric Typewriter Keyboard Conversion Powered by QMK

This is my 1960's IBM Selectric typewriter that has been converted to a modern day PC keyboard. The typewriter was purchased from eBay with a good case, but mangled internals. The internals were mostly stripped out and a KBDFans KBD67v2 PCB in a tray mount case was mounted to the original frame with some custom brackets. The PCB was modified to use the backlight LED control to fire small 5v solenoids to simulate a typewriter sound. Once of the solenoids strikes a project box that holds some of the electronics on any key press, and the other strikes the original bell when the enter key is pressed. The source code for this project can be found on my Github. A video of the keyboard in action can be found on my YouTube.

IBM Selectric Case

KBDFans KBD67v2 PCB

Gateron Yellow KS-3 Milky Top

Durock V2 Stabs

MT3 WoB keycaps

Adafruit 5v Solenoids

The case arrived in beautiful shape. I'm not sure how the insides got so bad.

Gutted

Tapping in to the LED control pins of the MCU to drive the solenoids

PCB and plate assembled and ready to be fit to the case

Keycaps on for fitment testing

Mounting to the original frame

The solenoids that drive the clack and ding

Keyboard fitted before top case cut

Completed and working.

testing my solenoid wiring and code