1053 Return button working, installation complete; did some cosmetic work on the 1130

WRAPPING UP INSTALL OF TYPEWRITER

I was able to adjust the cables in the typewriter so that with the front panel on, the Return button activates a carrier return operation. I got everything together and installed the 1053 in its official spot on the system ready for the checkout. 

FAILED GLUE ON LAMINATE ON TABLETOP

The 1130 tabletop is covered with white laminate, glued to a metal inner structure. Unfortunately, the glue has failed in a few spots and bits of laminate are peeling up or cracking. I mixed up some epoxy and bonded those bits back into place.

THE TOP OF THE 1053 SHOULD HAVE AN ACRYLIC COVER BUT IT WAS MISSING

The typewriter was designed with a clear acrylic cover which reduces noise and keeps the typewriter mechanism cleaner. It is a complex shape and has internal tabs that are held by springy hooks. 

Cover on my 1130's 1053

Since the part was missing on the IBM 1130 I am restoring, I am thinking about how I might put something in its place. It won't look like the original IBM part but I think I could take a rectangle of plexiglass and glue on a couple of bottom brackets with notches to hook into the cover. 

NEW VERSION OF 1130 SIMULATOR UNDER DEVELOPMENT; I AM HELPING TEST IT

I was contacted by a university professor who is creating a more accurate and feature rich version of the simulator we are familiar with from the owners of the IBM1130.org web site. It looks great already and hopefully it won't be long before he makes it available more widely. 

One of the issues with the current simulator is that its emulation of the peripherals is not very faithful to the real boxes, thus they won't pass the diagnostics that would be run on the 1130 to test them. This one was coded to mirror how the real hardware works.