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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: NamelessPFG on Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:20:33

Title: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: NamelessPFG on Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:20:33
I scored these yesterday! Under $4 for both!

(http://s24.postimg.org/aixfkzd2t/Model_M_score.jpg)

Yep, one of 'em just happened to be a Space Saver, and I knew I had to take that baby home on the spot! Both are fully-functional, thankfully, if a bit used and slightly messy.

However, the Space Saver has a "hair trigger" problem on the F12 key; I can barely press it and it'll go off electrically, well before the spring actually buckles. Sometimes it'll still stay triggered even under the total release state 'til I pop the keycap off and reseat it. No other key has this issue. I suspect a membrane problem underneath the hammer.

(There's also another minor issue where one of the rubber feet underneath is missing, but I don't know where I'd get replacements for those.)

Anyone got any suggestions? I don't think I have the required screwdriver for those hex bolts on hand right now, but I definitely want to fix that up if I can.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: hwood34 on Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:22:13
Not to get off topic but where in the world did you get those?
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:25:25
I have never had a problem like that, but if there is internal debris it will be hard to get out without a dis-assembly and bolt mod. A very risky last resort before that might be a blast of compressed air directly in to try to get under the foot of the spring hammer.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: Elrick on Sat, 31 May 2014, 00:25:09
I scored these yesterday! Under $4 for both!

A brilliant score for 2014  :thumb: .  I wish my SSK had cost me that much when I first bought it two years ago.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: Lu_e on Sat, 31 May 2014, 00:42:55
(http://cdn.niketalk.com/e/ea/350x700px-LL-ea4fc166_maximum-over-rustle-jimmies-shaking-13537619370.gif)
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: Zeal on Sat, 31 May 2014, 00:47:42
Dat $4 SSK. GGWP.

Edit: I see "150" stickers on both. $1.50 per keyboard?+tax?
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: NamelessPFG on Sat, 31 May 2014, 01:22:19
A brilliant score for 2014  :thumb: .  I wish my SSK had cost me that much when I first bought it two years ago.
Yeah, I've seen how much they go for on eBay lately. People are willing to pay $150-200 for tenkeyless Model Ms...

Dat $4 SSK. GGWP.

Edit: I see "150" stickers on both. $1.50 per keyboard?+tax?
Precisely. Couldn't believe it myself; most other thrift stores price their keyboards a bit higher than that!

Not to get off topic but where in the world did you get those?
They were in some local thrift store, and not one of the major chains like Goodwill, either.

Most of the time, thrift store diving yields nothing of value, but that's how I get most of my mech boards. All but my very first Model M were store scores, along with some of my other boards like the foam-and-foil BTC 5339s, this strange Wang 725 board, the Focus FK-2000 board with white XMs I sold here a while back, and the Dell AT101Ws.

None of those are nearly as valuable as that SSK, though!

I have never had a problem like that, but if there is internal debris it will be hard to get out without a dis-assembly and bolt mod. A very risky last resort before that might be a blast of compressed air directly in to try to get under the foot of the spring hammer.
I figured as much. It surprised me too, because I've never had this problem on my full-size Model Ms or the M2-in other words, every other buckling-spring board I've had.

Still, the SSK deserves a proper refurbishing, bolt mod included.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: dorkvader on Sat, 31 May 2014, 01:56:49
I'd open it up and check for broken rivets. Sometimes the hammer can become mis-seated especially in the corner keys and cause issues. This happens when it's missing some rivets from up there. Otherwise, it's likely debris or similar.

This will be fixed with the bolt mod of course.

Nice score! especially the SSK (it's older and has a detachable cable). I wonder why they put that clamp-on choke on the cable. It's already well shielded from noise and I can't imagine where it was used that it would make a difference. Still: can't hurt!

About pricing. You can also think of it this way: You can sell the SDL cable alone for ten times the price for the keyboard.

Hope this helps,
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: katushkin on Sat, 31 May 2014, 03:59:48
Waaaaaaaa?

D:

My disappointment at British charity shops cannot be put into words
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 31 May 2014, 04:26:29
Waaaaaaaa?

D:

My disappointment at British charity shops cannot be put into words

Don't feel too bad - I'm yet to see any keyboards in Australian charity shops.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: fohat.digs on Sat, 31 May 2014, 08:19:02
My disappointment at British charity shops cannot be put into words

In 3-4 years of fairly diligent searching, I have gotten 2 Ms: a broken 42H with cut-off cord and missing caps, and a 71G (it was $13 - about 5x the price of their other keyboards) that I knew was a rubber dome but bought for the keys. Then I found out that they do not interchange, either.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 31 May 2014, 10:40:48
(http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/onion-head/crying2-onion-head-emoticon.gif?1292862497)
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: Puddsy on Sat, 31 May 2014, 10:43:05
Like dorkvader said, a bolt mod should fix it. Pop the cap off and check for debris in the barrel.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: NamelessPFG on Mon, 02 June 2014, 07:13:22
The inside of the barrel looks clean, no dust or anything. Didn't see anything suspicious around the hammer, either.

Guess I'll have to disassemble this thing once I find the right driver for those hex bolt heads.
Title: Re: One of my newly-bought Model Ms has a bit of a hair trigger...
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 02 June 2014, 07:43:09
The inside of the barrel looks clean, no dust or anything. Didn't see anything suspicious around the hammer, either.

If your problem is in that area, it is probably a piece of "something" under the foot preventing it from pivoting properly.