DIY IBM Selectric type balls give 60s typewriters new life (and Comic Sans)

News Summary

  • It took years for someone to find a way to make the Selectric golf ball 3D-printable, but now someone claims they have.A tinkerer named Sam Ettinger recently shared his Selectric type ball 3D-printing project on Hackaday and Github and shared the files on Printables, as reported by Hackaday.
  • And to IBM Selectric loyalists, neither beam spring keyboards nor buckling spring designs nor a modern mechanical keyboard can replicate the distinct feel driven by that legendary type ball.
  • Even better, people could use Ettinger's work to create more options for DIY balls, from additional typefaces to more languages and perhaps even better designs.
  • Those dedicated to the legend may now have a new way to keep their machines alive—or at least handy work to build upon.We look forward to seeing someone print out and test Ettinger's models to confirm if they do IBM's machines justice.
  • You can find the type balls online, (including options claiming to be used and never used) and at stores carrying old electronic components.
  • Earlier this month, Ettinger shared a video on Mastodon of the prior version in action, admitting that some letters weren't usable.The new models are reportedly 0.2 mm shorter to address this and adjust the letter rotation, since it was "90 degrees off."
Enlarge/ A type ball from a 1961 IBM Selectric typewriter. 5 with There are some feelings you just cant recreate. And to IBM Selectric loyalists, neither beam spring keyboardsnor buckling spri [+3987 chars]