broken F122 spacebar stabiliser clips

[Chyros]

Both of the clips (keyboard-side) of the spacebar stabiliser are broken on my F122, have been since I've had it. I think I showed it in my video. I want to repair them now as it's pretty much the only weakness of this magnificant board and it deserves a restoration. Does anyone know of a way to fix these perhaps?

[Redmaus]

Washers.

Ask wcass for exactly how to do it, I forgot.

[fohat]

Washers will work but are an inelegant solution. 7/16" SAE style fender washers. They interfere with the keys slightly at the bottom of the travel but everything is still usable. Rubber and fiber washers have various odd problems of their own.

I may have a couple of spares, send me a PM. If you aren't a purist, bend some strips of sheet metal in a "Z" shape and epoxy them down like I show in my ANSI-mod guide, then you can use the much more common M spacebars. An added bonus is that you can tune the "chatter" by gently bending the hold-downs up or down.

[0100010]

I have some spares, just cover shipping.

[Chyros]

Thanks guys, I didn't realise you could take them out of the board!

[Muirium]

Indeed. But! They are a right bugger to get out. My Kishsaver has a broken one:


workshop-f7/to-save-a-kishsaver-t8052.html

And someone kindly sent me a couple of spares. But I chickened out when I tried to remove the original. Was taking too much manhandling of a completely opened and exposed Kishy. The whole assembly was flexing too much for my daring, so I put it off.

I've tried washers as well. They upset the sound and feel enough that I just rock the Kishy as it was. The broken stab doesn't affect my typing as I fortunately hit space right of centre, which is still stabilized. But the imperfection bugs me when I do deliberately poke the left side to remind myself it's there.

[fohat]

They are a right bugger to get out.

With the keyboard apart it is pretty easy. Turn the plate upside-down and you will see that the plastic is flared out on the back side with a "dimple" or valley running longitudinally. Find a small flat head screwdriver that fits comfortably in the dimple yet is smaller than the hole in the metal plate. Push the tab out forward, back-to-front (that is, as you are using the keyboard) and the flare will usually come out all or mostly intact.

If it is broken, as shown, and you are not cracking the keyboard apart, you can probably pull out the stub with needle-nosed pliers.

To re-install, use a larger screwdriver and put the blade into the "mouth" of the tab, then press it back into the oval hole with the shaft of the screwdriver parallel to the surface of the front plate. When I do this during a refurbishing, I always repaint the plate. I wait until the paint is dry to the touch, but not cured, and press the tabs into position. That way, the curing paint also helps to "glue" them in place.

[Chyros]

Success! Thanks to 0100010, the battleship is good as new, the spacebar works perfectly! Thanks again mate!

Fohat's method worked brilliantly, by the way, it was very easy like this .

[andrewjoy]

You have it sorted , but for future reference for anyone else you can just glue a strip of metal ( bent to shape ) onto the plate.

(Yes i know my plate is dirty its a work keyboard , don't get much chance to clean her up.)

IMG_20160617_091039.jpg (254.71 KiB) Viewed 1981 times

[Chyros]

Don't the dried-up glue remains interfere with the operation of the stabiliser wire though?

[andrewjoy]

Nope , works fine.
THe bit under the metal tab you dont see does not have glue on it

[fohat]

Don't the dried-up glue remains interfere with the operation of the stabiliser wire though?

It can be done a bit more neatly.

Also, the sheet metal can be bent up or down to adjust movement and chatter.

And, one of the neo-F projects has a barrel with built-in spacebar tab that will be brilliant if it ever comes to fruition.

[0100010]

Success! Thanks to 0100010, the battleship is good as new, the spacebar works perfectly! Thanks again mate!

Fohat's method worked brilliantly, by the way, it was very easy like this .

Good to hear!