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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Ryun on Mon, 23 January 2012, 06:37:31

Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Ryun on Mon, 23 January 2012, 06:37:31: So I just bought a blank spacebar from WASD keyboards to replace the spacebar on my new CM Quickfire rapid (I can't stand text on the spacebar).

I followed the wiki, and everything went fairly smoothly. My only problem has been that 1 out of maybe 20-30 spacebar presses the spacebar kinda sticks when coming back up. It's not terrible, but it's enough to be bothersome (more so than text on the original spacebar anyway).

I'm thinking I just need to lubricate the stabilizers but I'm just double checking if maybe something else could be a play here? I hope I didn't break anything. :ohwell:
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Tony on Mon, 23 January 2012, 07:56:34: I think that the stabilizer is twisted a bit and not straight now.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Ryun on Mon, 23 January 2012, 08:40:50: You think? Would that be simple to fix?

I'll double check that when I get home, thanks.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: alaricljs on Mon, 23 January 2012, 08:46:06: Double check that the stabilizer inserts are fully seated into the space bar and that they are oriented correctly (they are not symmetric). Make sure you've fully seated the space bar onto the switch. Check that the stabilizer bar is fully seated into the retention clips.

That pretty much covers everything :)
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Tony on Mon, 23 January 2012, 08:56:19: I have seen some of my friends messing with space bar or Enter stabilizers and the key is stuck when pressed. From that experience I only replace normal keycaps (which have no stabilizers).

If you do this at Filco factory you can always find another brand new stabilizer to replace when it is twisted too much. Pity that we can't buy stabilizers easily.

Another solutions is that you can turn the space bar 180 degrees and put it on again. I've done that once.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Ryun on Mon, 23 January 2012, 09:00:06: Gotcha. Thank you guys for the help.

So, this wouldn't be a lubrication problem then?
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: alaricljs on Mon, 23 January 2012, 09:00:28: Quote from: Tony;496740
Pity that we can't buy stabilizers easily.

Actually you can... WASDKeyboards stocks all the necessary parts.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Ryun on Mon, 23 January 2012, 19:28:00: Well, I checked on the stabilizers and they looked fine to me. I also re-lubricated the stabilizers and still I had periodic sticking.

So, I just put the old spacebar back on (with text, ugh...) and it works perfectly. Not sure what that's about but I'd rather have text on the spacebar than intermittent sticking. Thanks for the help everyone.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: F u r u y á on Mon, 23 January 2012, 21:20:32: Oh I guess I know what it is.

Is the WASD spacebar thicker than the stock one?

I'm asking because I had to chop the inside of some Cherry thick PBT in order to perfectly fit them to my Filco. Filco apparently doesn't like thick keycaps (the keycap completely sticks at the bottom out point because of the friction between the stabilizer and the keycap). It even leaves a mark inside the keycap! Check if your spacebar has similar marks as shown in the pictures (it's pretty hard to see, you have to view it at a certain angle against the light).

Also, CM Storm and Filco designs are very similar, so this might be relevant indeed.

Stabilizer marks (sticky)
Numpad 0
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Furuyah/Keyboard/FilcoPOS/num0_marks.jpg)

Shift
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Furuyah/Keyboard/FilcoPOS/shift_marks.jpg)

Chopped (no more sticky)
Numpad 0
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Furuyah/Keyboard/FilcoPOS/num0_chopped_angled.jpg)

Shift
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Furuyah/Keyboard/FilcoPOS/shift_chopped_angled.jpg)
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: slueth on Mon, 23 January 2012, 21:59:39: ^ i think this happens to one of my shifts, iono if i want to butcher it :x
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Ryun on Tue, 24 January 2012, 11:04:24: I didn't see any markings, but I didn't have the new spacebar in that long either. I did notice that the WASD spacebar I purchased looked every-so-slightly warped in the middle compared to the original so maybe that had something to do with it?

I guess I'd have to look into it further to find out the differences but I don't care that much.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: metafour on Tue, 24 January 2012, 11:12:44: I have one of these keyboards coming in this week and I hate branding so I'd really like to know if it's just a bad key or if something else is going on.

Quote from: Ryun;497616
I didn't see any markings, but I didn't have the new spacebar in that long either. I did notice that the WASD spacebar I purchased looked every-so-slightly warped in the middle compared to the original so maybe that had something to do with it?

I guess I'd have to look into it further to find out the differences but I don't care that much.
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: F u r u y á on Tue, 24 January 2012, 11:17:03: That slight bending could achieve the same effect of the high thickness (friction with stabilizer). But well if it's not bothering you that much, you'd be better off leaving it alone :)
Title: Sticky space bar after reseat
Post by: Ryun on Thu, 09 February 2012, 20:52:46: Quote from: metafour;497622
I have one of these keyboards coming in this week and I hate branding so I'd really like to know if it's just a bad key or if something else is going on.

Hey metafour, I had contacted WASD keyboards about the warping and they were cool enough to send me a new spacebar. The new one I got fits great so it should work very well in your new CM quickfire rapid ;).