geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: hanshan on Fri, 26 September 2014, 21:59:10
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A very modest contribution to the buckling spring world - basically an alternative (and I think more effective) to the venerable chopstick-of-death spring seating technique - this provides a jig to center the spring over the pin on the rocker plate, prevent buckling and apply sufficient force to seat the spring firmly and level.
Materials - 1 1/4" aluminum pop-rivet, 1/2" barrel length (1" length in pix is wrong.)
tools: Power drill, 5/64" hi-speed metal drill bit; vise, vice-grip or similar.
unloosen the rivet barrel and place the pin securely in the vise (head side down). Slip the barrel over the shaft so that you can insert the drill into the open end and in contact the end of the pin. The 5/64" bit should be an almost perfect fit. Run the drill with moderate pressure - the barrel will act as a guide to allow you to accurately countersink the end of the pin. That's it.
To use the jig, slide the barrel onto the shaft, flange side up. Slip the spring onto the shaft and place the end on the rocker pin. The spring will fit closely but will slide freely on the shaft. The concave end will center the device and hold it in place while seating the spring. Exert pressure on the spring using the rivet barrel (the flange allows an easy application of pressure) - it is long enough to compress the spring while the shaft prevents any significant buckling or deformation.
Works well for me, anyway. I hope this is of some use to someone - it would be nice to make some kind of contribution to this board. I recently bought an "internet" find - only to find a half dozen 'silent' keys - some of which simply needed reseating while others had suffered at the hands of the unwashed. As soon as I get a few replacements and a cord (no, it didn't come with one) I look forward to doing more than just making hopeful clicks...
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paging dorkvader
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wow that sounds great!
Can you provide a picture? I'm not 100% sure on what parts you're using.
How many springs do you need, I can pull a few from my "parts unit" for you no problem.
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Dig the idea. Sounds like something i would come up with if I had to do this.
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Here's a pic of a pop rivet :
(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7uO1zVP0bT-AE9jSYOPCrLIxOH9NwrRUK0KBh8giqWCOuuHfNrg)
You can see the pin and its head, the barrel and its flange.
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Not sure how to attach photos -- Photobucket?
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_1.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_1.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_2.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_2.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_3.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_3.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_4.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_4.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_5.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_5.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_6.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_6.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_7.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_7.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_8.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_8.jpg.html)
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa354/gmilton11/Keyboardsj/sj_9.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/gmilton11/media/Keyboardsj/sj_9.jpg.html)
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so iphone/photobucket produces usual mis-sized photos - at least they're visible - anyway the "thumbtack" pix show the concavity is sufficient to stabilize the shaft over the point (I subsequently made a slight improvement by redrilling after the first pass with a smaller 1/16" to deepen the countersink - the original countersink centers this smaller bit) the last pix shows the spring can be fully compressed without buckling.
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oh, I get it now. Thanks very much for the photos. I will keep this in mind next time I'm restoring an M or f and need to reseat some springs.
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Now that I've seen pictures it makes total sense.
This is good stuff. Seems a bit more complex than the chopstick method, but certainly a whole lot safer. I'll probably send people to this thread if they need to reseat springs.
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Thanks - these things take <10min to make w/ parts and tools on hand - be happy to knock one off for anyone without access to same and who might find a use.
& @ DorkVader - again thanks for the offer of springs - I placed a small order with Unicomp (had to add in a ps/2 cable with which I am without to make up the $10 min, so I should have what I need when they eventually get here - figure it doesnt hurt to send some trade their way (I really want that LDC/usb cable that fellow sells on the net, but ODC that I am, have to have at least one coiled cable in my possession.)