deskthority

It seems that the spacebar is often the most maligned key on the keyboard (especially when it is misaligned!). I thought it might be useful to have a thread in which we can share specs, gripes, praise, and "how to" mods pertaining to spacebars.

To begin, lately I have been acquiring IBM keyboards for restoration. I prefer short and quiet spacebars -- two attributes that do not necessarily coexist. My most recent acquisition is an IBM Displaywriter beam spring keyboard. I was surprised that this "Great White" with its rather enormous case houses a spacebar smaller than any other in my present collection, with the exception of the Tex Beetle. Here are some approximate measurements of the length of the spacebar along the top edge for various keyboards:

Tex Beetle: 3.1"
IBM DW: 3.9"
HHKB Pro 2: 4.2"
CM QFS: 4.5"
IBM Model M: 5.0"
IBM F-122: 5.0"
IBM XT: 7.0"
IBM AT: 7.0"

Among these spacebars, the quietest is the HHKB. I should say "least objectionable noise to me", because I do not have objective sound-level measurements. The prize for the most objectionable noise (to me) from any of my spacebars goes to the F-122; I attribute this, at least in part, to the thin stabilizer wire. The size and design of the spacebar and stabilizer in the Model M is the same as that of the F-122, but the stabilizer wire on the M is thicker than the one on the F-122. Because of this, I would like to modify the F-122 so that it could accommodate a Model M spacebar with its thicker stabilizer wire.

I'd add a column to your table with the measurements in "units" — where 1u = the width of a standard alpha key on that particular keyboard — so we can compare more easily. These are always in increments of 0.25u and can be measured directly by eye. Even for those of use who speake Ye Custoumerry Unites and Runes, it's much easier to compare space bars in terms of keyboard units than millimeters or whatever. Also: tables work better inside a