Hello!
I am restoring an IBM 6580 DisplayWriter.
I have done the main unit and the monitor. I just need to do the floppy drives and keyboard now.
The keyboard is one of the challenges. I almost have everything I need, and am halfway through the restore process.
One thing I am missing is the ‘8’ keycap from the number row. Does anyone have one from a parts board perhaps?
I’d definitely recommend also posting on DT as they have a larger population of vintage peoples than we do. That’s a tough spot you’re in though -_-
What are your restoration plans for this board?
Going to be tough to get a matching black-on-white one, but if you need any 8 key, you can also keep an eye out for Selectric typewriters, they have beamspring-compatible caps. I think most frequently they are darker base colors, though.
One other option might be to find a Selectric or two, replace the 8 cap with one of the blank white caps from the left cluster, then replace one or more of the misc clusters on the board with Selectric caps. Then the colors will be somewhat uniform. All-Selectric alphas with Displaywriter mods might be an interesting look. Anything will throw off the all-white look of the Displaywriters though.
Good luck!
