[Moved from Simple Q&A because this may no longer be simple.]
My backspace is sticking and sometimes hitting the | key below it. This is my first keyboard build, using the
F12 86-key hotswap PCB for the Frog TKL.
I didn't lube the stabilizers (Everglide v2), but I did recheck all (including the backspace) and confirmed that the wire is inserted into the second hole on both sides, the wire is clipped in on the 'hinge' in the housing on both sides, the screw pins are in the small PCB holes, and the wire seems straight after testing on a flat surface. I also tried different switches so it probably isn't switch-related.
I installed the backspace, |, Enter, and R-Shift keys without the plate or any other keys/switches installed so I could press those keys and look at them from the side to see what's happening.
The backspace stems are clearly only returning halfway up the housing, whereas for the other (unlubed) stabilized keys (enter and shift) in that column the stem returns all the way to the top of the housing after a keypress. I'm not sure what could be causing this, but could it be fixed with lube? Is it likely a bent wire? Or a bad stabilizer?
My other thought would be to swap the 2U stab from the Enter key to the backspace key to isolate whether the issue is with the stab or key. Is that worth trying?