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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: slueth on Thu, 17 February 2011, 04:54:42

Title: Metal thingabobber
Post by: slueth on Thu, 17 February 2011, 04:54:42

What does that metal clip part do?  I took mine off my mini choco.  Doesn't seem to do anything.  Maybe it evens the force on the caps since there is only one switch supporting it?  Iono.. Took it out because it was clattering.  The space button sounds sexy though so I kept it as it is.
(http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5143/dsc04508n.jpg)

Title: Metal thingabobber
Post by: bugfix on Thu, 17 February 2011, 05:36:02

It's a stabilizer.

Title: Metal thingabobber
Post by: Findecanor on Thu, 17 February 2011, 06:50:34

It's so that if you press the key off-centre, the force will be distributed through the bar to the other side of the key. Without a stabilizer, there may be too much friction if you press the key too far from the centre. On some keyboards, the key won't even press. Cherry switches are relatively smooth, though.

Title: Metal thingabobber
Post by: keyb_gr on Thu, 17 February 2011, 15:42:29

We should have something about them in the "All about keys" wiki (I think...), including options for lubrication and quieting.

Usually people will complain about the effects of badly-working or non-existing stabilizers. Yes, occasionally they'll rattle depending on construction, but removing one because of that is getting out a shotgun to kill that fly, a.k.a. a super redneck "fix".

Good luck getting the thing back together btw, should be documented somewhere but isn't that easy for Filco-style stabilizers.

Title: Metal thingabobber
Post by: Findecanor on Thu, 17 February 2011, 16:54:44

I saved you another click:
Cherry MX Key Pulling and Swapping Guide (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:12649).

Title: Metal thingabobber
Post by: slueth on Fri, 18 February 2011, 01:02:39

Oh it super simple to take out and put in.  I was pretty sure that was the function of the metal clip but I really don't think it is needed.