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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: joeym on Mon, 06 January 2014, 10:38:31

Title: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: joeym on Mon, 06 January 2014, 10:38:31: Hi all,

I am the recent owner of a Realforce 87U 45g uniform which I purchased from another user. This replaces an old HHKB Lite that I have used and abused for over 10 years and x jobs. The move up to topre is lovely, I'm in love, etc.

My one main issue is with the spacebar. For one thing it feels pretty weird (super light). I did a little investigation and found that it is missing the spring that is supposed to sit on top of the switch.* Does anyone know where I can find a new one?

The other issue is its loud, weird, pingy noise. I have hacked a crap fix by wrapping some 2 cent (euro) coins in electrical tape to buffer the bottoming out. I saw some pictures of newer HHKB Pros that have little rubber bumpers in between the switch and the stabilizers. Is that right? Does anyone know of mods that work well? (my dumb "mod" does mitigate the sound at the expense of the feel since the key doesn't depress all of the way. Still, much better) I think one of the mods is supposedly removing the spring which is why I probably am in the position I am now. I don't like the feel of that and it also doesn't work.

TL;DR thorp missing spacebar spring: source? loud spacebar: mods ?

* To be fair to the guy I bought it from, he had bought it from someone else and never noticed the missing spring. He nicely offered his spring from his own HHKB2 but I am not trying to trade my pain and sorrow for his.
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: Wildcard on Mon, 06 January 2014, 18:22:16: I have a source of old springs that fit the Topre switches perfectly. I'm able to cut them down a bit to make them around 45-50g.

Let me know if you need one.
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: Mr. C on Mon, 06 January 2014, 23:29:18: Wildcard, I would like to get in line behind Joeym for one of those springs. I also purchased a used 87U 45 g that is missing the space bar spring.

Joeym I can mail you some dental bands if you want to quiet that spacebar Dow using the dental band mod.
Michael
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: joeym on Tue, 07 January 2014, 05:14:31: Hej Wildcard & Mr. C,

Are we talking about the same spring? I mean the one that is pictured below
on top of the switch, not the one inside of the switch. I think the weight of this spring is only like 5 or 10g

(http://i.imgur.com/phfhD.jpg)
http://imgur.com/a/eI8Il#phfhD (http://imgur.com/a/eI8Il#phfhD)

Thanks for the heads up RE the dental bands. I'll try and source some out here (I am in Germany so sending may be too hard of a hassle, but thank you for the offer)
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: SpAmRaY on Tue, 07 January 2014, 08:48:59: Quote from: Wildcard on Mon, 06 January 2014, 18:22:16
I have a source of old springs that fit the Topre switches perfectly. I'm able to cut them down a bit to make them around 45-50g.

Let me know if you need one.

I wonder if springs like these would work?

[attach=1]
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 07 January 2014, 18:48:48: Quote from: SpAmRaY on Tue, 07 January 2014, 08:48:59
Quote from: Wildcard on Mon, 06 January 2014, 18:22:16
I have a source of old springs that fit the Topre switches perfectly. I'm able to cut them down a bit to make them around 45-50g.

Let me know if you need one.

I wonder if springs like these would work?

(Attachment Link)

And what, perchance, are those springs from?
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: SpAmRaY on Tue, 07 January 2014, 19:02:40: Quote from: rowdy on Tue, 07 January 2014, 18:48:48
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Tue, 07 January 2014, 08:48:59
Quote from: Wildcard on Mon, 06 January 2014, 18:22:16
I have a source of old springs that fit the Topre switches perfectly. I'm able to cut them down a bit to make them around 45-50g.

Let me know if you need one.

I wonder if springs like these would work?

(Attachment Link)

And what, perchance, are those springs from?

A Maxine Chyron

And in thinking I've got a BTC with them also but I didn't pop any caps on it yet.
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: Mr. C on Tue, 07 January 2014, 19:22:52: Quote from: joeym on Tue, 07 January 2014, 05:14:31
Hej Wildcard & Mr. C,

Are we talking about the same spring? I mean the one that is pictured below
on top of the switch, not the one inside of the switch. I think the weight of this spring is only like 5 or 10g

Show Image
(http://i.imgur.com/phfhD.jpg)

http://imgur.com/a/eI8Il#phfhD (http://imgur.com/a/eI8Il#phfhD)

Thanks for the heads up RE the dental bands. I'll try and source some out here (I am in Germany so sending may be too hard of a hassle, but thank you for the offer)

Yes, that is the spring I was referring to, about 5g I think. Mine is missing. I've had all the keycaps off so I know it has not just been moved.
Thanks
Michael
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: Wildcard on Thu, 09 January 2014, 01:33:50: Here are the springs I have

On the bottom picture the left is the replacement, right is OEM. You can cut it down to get the same force as the OEM spring.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/09/asy4azeq.jpg)
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: Wildcard on Thu, 09 January 2014, 07:28:28: Quote from: rowdy on Tue, 07 January 2014, 18:48:48
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Tue, 07 January 2014, 08:48:59
Quote from: Wildcard on Mon, 06 January 2014, 18:22:16
I have a source of old springs that fit the Topre switches perfectly. I'm able to cut them down a bit to make them around 45-50g.

Let me know if you need one.

I wonder if springs like these would work?

(Attachment Link)

And what, perchance, are those springs from?

I think they were from a TI-99/4a or some variant, but it's been several years and one of the key cap sets is cream colored so it might not be. At one point I was convinced I could grind down the inside of the cap to make it fit a regular MX stem, but I've since abandoned the idea.
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: joeym on Thu, 09 January 2014, 08:22:50: That spring looks like just the thing. How much would you want for one and would you be willing to send it out Germany way?
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: Wildcard on Thu, 09 January 2014, 08:42:29: Quote from: joeym on Thu, 09 January 2014, 08:22:50
That spring looks like just the thing. How much would you want for one and would you be willing to send it out Germany way?

Just PM'd you.
Title: Re: Realforce 87U, its spacebar, and the spring therein
Post by: brianjking on Fri, 24 February 2017, 22:58:47: Quote from: Wildcard on Thu, 09 January 2014, 08:42:29
Quote from: joeym on Thu, 09 January 2014, 08:22:50
That spring looks like just the thing. How much would you want for one and would you be willing to send it out Germany way?

Just PM'd you.

Wildcard,

Any chance you still happen to have these spacebar springs? What would it cost to ship one to Chicago, IL, USA? 60640 (postal code).

Thanks!