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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Here's one for techno-archeologists [righto.com]:

In this article I describe repairing an IBM 029 keypunch that wouldn't punch numbers. Keypunches were a vital component of punch card computing, recording data as holes in an 80-column card. Although keypunches have a long history [wikipedia.org], dating back to the use of punch cards in the 1890s, the IBM 029 keypunch is slightly more modern, introduced in 1964. The repair turned out to be simple, but in the process I learned about the complex mechanical process keypunches used to encode characters.

A couple weeks ago, I was using the 029 keypunch in the Computer History Museum's 1401 demo room [computerhistory.org] and I found that numbers weren't punching correctly. The keyboard has a "Numeric" key that you press to punch a number or special character. (Unlike modern keyboards with a row of numbers at the top, numbers on the 029 keyboard share keys with letters.) When I tried to type a number, I got the corresponding letter; the keypunch was ignoring the "Numeric" key. The same happened with special characters that required "Numeric".

Frank King [ibm-1401.info], an expert on repairing vintage IBM computers, showed me how to fix the keyboard. The first step was to remove the keyboard from the desk. This was surprisingly easy—you just rotate the keyboard clockwise and lift it up.

Remember, kids, do not "fold, spindle, or mutilate. [thefreedictionary.com]"

Original Submission