Need help with costar stabilizers

tinimi · 31 Aug 2015, 13:23

Hi all.

I'm currently building my first custom keyboard. It's plate mounted (hand wiring) TKL board. I've generated template from http://builder.swillkb.com/
Today I've got plate from laser cut. And found problems with stabilizers

I've bought stabilizers from WASD keyboards. First of all, looks like my stab holes are too long - stabs fixed not very well. I would need glue to fix them properly.
But another problem is space-bar. On backspace everything is fine. But on space-bar curved stablizer wire part hits middle of space-bar! I don't understand why. Cut-outs for backspace and space are the same. They must be different? Looks like they must be a bit above current position.

Could you help me, how to set up them correctly?

My drawing (dxf) is in attachment.

Muirium · 31 Aug 2015, 14:02

Show us a screenshot. Next to nobody here can read those files.

My guess is: confusion over Cherry and Costar stabs. But just a guess without evidence.

Khers · 31 Aug 2015, 14:15

Looks like a Costar stab hole to me, unfortunately that is where my knowledge on these matters begins and ends.

chzel · 31 Aug 2015, 14:32

Probably upside down stabilizer?
On mobile, so just a guess!

tinimi · 31 Aug 2015, 14:42

All sizes in mm.
This is image of part of keyboard, with stab holes:

: switch.png (5.03 KiB) Viewed 3685 times

Dimensions of holes: (another keys removed from image)

: switch2.png (6.62 KiB) Viewed 3685 times

Looks like stab cutout must be 14.0(or less!) in height (instead of 14.2).
And aligned to the switch cutout. Without 0.5499 gap at top and 0.751 at bottom.

Muirium · 31 Aug 2015, 14:58

Hmm. Sure looks Costar. Perhaps they're use the same dimensions Matteo used on his early builds. Nah, forget that. Matteo's cutouts needed filing on one edge to make them bigger. Yours are plain too big instead.

Not a great problem to have to fix.

tinimi · 31 Aug 2015, 15:13

Muirium wrote: ↑Hmm. Sure looks Costar. Perhaps they're use the same dimensions Matteo used on his early builds. Nah, forget that. Matteo's cutouts needed filing on one edge to make them bigger. Yours are plain too big instead.

Not a great problem to have to fix.

I can fix them. But what to do with space bar? It hits stab wire.

chzel · 31 Aug 2015, 15:22

It really shouldn't. Can you post a pic of it installed?

tinimi · 01 Sep 2015, 21:50

Here it is:

: 2015-08-31 22.12.16.jpg (300.51 KiB) Viewed 3593 times

I've done another straight wire (without curve in the center) and it works fine.
But i've found that plate insert must be moved upwards by ~0.2mm. Because currently stabilizer insert (in keycap) rubs stabilizer insert in plate. On both space bar, and 2u keys. And their movements are not very good.
And also cutout is 14.2 in height, while insert is only 13.6. So I would need to glue it to fix properly.
As written in swill's topic on GH - it is a bit bigger for thick plates - 1.6+. But my plate is 1.5.
Next time will try Cherry stabs. Costar had very low gap between keycap insert and plate insert, and must be positioned very precisely to achieve smoothly movements.

chzel · 01 Sep 2015, 22:27

Where did you get your stabs from?
Are they the same spec as genuine Costars (from a Filco or equivalent)?
I'll try to measure the stabs from my filco tomorrow.

Edit: I'm getting 13.8mm measuring the "base" of the stabilizer and the same when measuring the cutout on the plate.
On a Filco TKL.

tinimi · 02 Sep 2015, 09:32

Stabs from WASD. 13.6mm. But swills tool generate cut out 14.2mm.