Help: Filco with super sticky spacebar. Stabilizer's too tight.

[VesperSAINT]

Hi guys! I just received a Filco with Cherry MX Browns today and it's pretty damn awesome EXCEPT one problem:

The spacebar sticks every time! At first I thought maybe the switch was the issue but when I put a 1x keycap on it it worked fine so my next guess was the stabilizer, which I think I'm right.

I took off the top case so I can get a better look and I believe it's because the spacing in between the stabilizer is too tight and the wire pushes the white stem too high or low, causing major friction between the white stem and the stabilizer. I have tried lube (small and large amounts to no avail). WHAT DO?! I'm sure I'm not the only one that's had this issue and there must be a fix somewhere but I wasn't able to find a solution specific to my case.

I'm going to be modding this Filco into ergo-clears very soon and will be installing a universal TKL plate, so hopefully that'll be a permanent solution, but for now while I'm using it stock, I'd be very thankful if anyone could provide a solution. Thank you!

Filco stabilizer is thicker and seems tighter than my QFR's stabilizer:


QFR stabilizer seems thinner and the white stem has more room to move around:

[VesperSAINT]

I have tried using different stabilizers from a Razer BWU to see if that'd fix the issue but that was even tighter Is this an issue where the space for the stabilizers is too small on the plate??? It does fit the stabilizers without an issue though.

I've considered shaving the insides of the stabilizers but haven't done that yet.

[VesperSAINT]

Okay, so I went full barbarian caveman and just stretched out the stabilizers with my thumbs when in the plate and applied more lube, and it seems to have slightly made the situation better. Maybe the heat during the shipping to my location warped the stabilizer? Not sure. However, I don't think this is the best solution if anyone else has this issue so I'll leave the thread open so anyone can leave behind their solutions.

[tp4tissue]

Check if the switch in the middle is mounted on flat, and there's no elevation at the edges or corners.

Also, Check the space-bar for flatness,   test a different spacebar and you'd know if it's the bar, or the board..

The wire doesn't seem like it's the problem but it could be..

I know a few of my wires have imperfect bends, but it doesn't matter because the spacing in the little white pegs is much bigger than the diameter of the wire.

[Grim Fandango]

I have had the issue. Used a different spacebar. Somehow the problem occured because the spacebar was warped. I know that should not cause it to "stick" usually, but I think the uneven space bar took more force to get back to resting position somehow, so it would sometimes get stuck halfway through. I never went and looked for the specifics of the situation, but you may want to check whether it is actually the stabilizer that is the culprit.

[tp4tissue]

I have had the issue. Used a different spacebar. Somehow the problem occured because the spacebar was warped. I know that should not cause it to "stick" usually, but I think the uneven space bar took more force to get back to resting position somehow, so it would sometimes get stuck halfway through. I never went and looked for the specifics of the situation, but you may want to check whether it is actually the stabilizer that is the culprit.

It is MOST likely that the space bar is warped, or the stem on it is mismolded and not straight.

[VesperSAINT]

Thanks for the response, you guys

Check if the switch in the middle is mounted on flat, and there's no elevation at the edges or corners.

Also, Check the space-bar for flatness,   test a different spacebar and you'd know if it's the bar, or the board..

The wire doesn't seem like it's the problem but it could be..

I know a few of my wires have imperfect bends, but it doesn't matter because the spacing in the little white pegs is much bigger than the diameter of the wire.

I have had the issue. Used a different spacebar. Somehow the problem occured because the spacebar was warped. I know that should not cause it to "stick" usually, but I think the uneven space bar took more force to get back to resting position somehow, so it would sometimes get stuck halfway through. I never went and looked for the specifics of the situation, but you may want to check whether it is actually the stabilizer that is the culprit.

I have had the issue. Used a different spacebar. Somehow the problem occured because the spacebar was warped. I know that should not cause it to "stick" usually, but I think the uneven space bar took more force to get back to resting position somehow, so it would sometimes get stuck halfway through. I never went and looked for the specifics of the situation, but you may want to check whether it is actually the stabilizer that is the culprit.

It is MOST likely that the space bar is warped, or the stem on it is mismolded and not straight.

So I forgot to mention that I had tried different spacebars, different stabilizers, and checked to make sure the spacebars were flat and the switch was soldered in flat/flush to the plate. It really does seem to have been an issue with the stabilizer itself. I think it may have happened during the shipping here and the heat in Florida had warped the stabilizer??? The best results so far have been me stretching the stabilizer apart to increase the space in which the white stem can move around. It may also be that the plate's hole for the stabilizer may be a lil' small as the Razer BWU stabilizers were too long in the Filco and was worse than the stock Filco stabilizers, but when I threw the Razer BWU stabilizers into my universal TKL plate, they fit perfectly and had no problems with the spacebar.

The stabilizer wire and spacebar weren't put on in this picture but I did try it out with everything in place and it worked just fine, which does mean there is something is wrong with the Filco, or at least that the hole in the Filco plate for the stabilizer is kind of tight.

[Hyde]

Mmmmm judging from the pic the stabilizer looks ok.  Try lubing the joint where the plastic meet with metal.  Like people say check to see if the spacebar is straight.  Also check to see if the stabilizer is straight.

After that I'd ask you about your keycaps.  Are those stock OEM profile keycaps?  Personally I find Cherry profile keycaps doesn't have enough clearance and will grind against the stabilizer wire and causes sticking.

Otherwise in worst case scenario you can buy new parts from WASD Keyboards.

[VesperSAINT]

Mmmmm judging from the pic the stabilizer looks ok.  Try lubing the joint where the plastic meet with metal.  Like people say check to see if the spacebar is straight.  Also check to see if the stabilizer is straight.

After that I'd ask you about your keycaps.  Are those stock OEM profile keycaps?  Personally I find Cherry profile keycaps doesn't have enough clearance and will grind against the stabilizer wire and causes sticking.

Otherwise in worst case scenario you can buy new parts from WASD Keyboards.

I already tried all those things and tried everything that every else wrote even before I posted (except checking to see if switch was flush), and the only thing that remedied the situation was by stretching out the stabilizer. The keycaps are the Filco OEM profile caps so that can't be it, spacebar is flat and the stem is fine too because I tested it on other keyboards. I did have this issue with Cherry profile keycaps with my thick PBT's on a different keyboard with the right shift key in the past though.  stabilizer wire is straight, switch is flush on plate, switch is working fine because I tested with 1x keycap, and I've lubed everything that I could possibly lube If it's not the stabilizer itself, we have a mystery problem here If the issue persists even after I'm done modding this thing with a custom universal TKL plate, I'll probably just buy new parts from WASD keyboards, but I doubt that'll happen.

Thanks for the tips!

[laffindude]

Some of those stabilizer holes on the plate is really tight, and the stabilizer mount doesn't fully seat in there. Try a little force to spread the 2 prongs apart a little more to see if that helps.

[VesperSAINT]

Some of those stabilizer holes on the plate is really tight, and the stabilizer mount doesn't fully seat in there. Try a little force to spread the 2 prongs apart a little more to see if that helps.

That's what I've been doing this entire time ) It seems to be the only thing that's been actually working. Might have to throw these stabilizers in hot water so I can permanently spread them out (assuming that'd work).

[laffindude]

Try swapping a few different stabilizer mounts in there. Some may be thin enough to fully open in the hole. You never know.

[VesperSAINT]

Try swapping a few different stabilizer mounts in there. Some may be thin enough to fully open in the hole. You never know.

You think like I do! )  I actually already did this too. I threw in a Razer BWU (donor board) stabilizer and it was longer than the Filco stabilizer so the situation was worse, and I didn't want touch my QFR as it's working perfectly. The Razer BWU stabilizers fit perfectly into my custom universal TKL plate though and every worked perfectly with the stabilizer wires and blue switch, so it has to be the Filco stabilizer cut out/hole.

Thanks for the response, you guys

So I forgot to mention that I had tried different spacebars, different stabilizers, and checked to make sure the spacebars were flat and the switch was soldered in flat/flush to the plate. It really does seem to have been an issue with the stabilizer itself. I think it may have happened during the shipping here and the heat in Florida had warped the stabilizer??? The best results so far have been me stretching the stabilizer apart to increase the space in which the white stem can move around. It may also be that the plate's hole for the stabilizer may be a lil' small as the Razer BWU stabilizers were too long in the Filco and was worse than the stock Filco stabilizers, but when I threw the Razer BWU stabilizers into my universal TKL plate, they fit perfectly and had no problems with the spacebar.

The stabilizer wire and spacebar weren't put on in this picture but I did try it out with everything in place and it worked just fine, which does mean there is something is wrong with the Filco, or at least that the hole in the Filco plate for the stabilizer is kind of tight.

Show Image

[WhiteFireDragon]

Not all stabs are made exactly the same, as you've noticed. The thing about costar stabs is that they're rather sensitive to plate thickness. If the plate is any thicker than 0.060", then they might not clip on correctly, which causes the two legs to pinch in towards each other. When this happens, those black legs rubs on the two white stems and the friction is what causes it to stick.

That TKL plate I designed has exact cutouts for costar stabs. Most people don't have any problem, but some do because of the thickness. In your case, it looks like it's the exact opposite where the custom plate works fine and your stock plate doesn't. Look at the part that clips onto the plate, and make sure that part actually snaps on. If not, you'll have to shave part of the plate to make it thinner. Alternatively, you can push the two back legs apart, while pushing up on the middle part to help it snap in place.

[VesperSAINT]

Yeah, this is definitely what I had discovered but you say it so much better than I do ) Thanks! This keyboard will end up using the custom universal TKL plate that I obtained from you when I do my ergo-clear mod soon so I'll probably just throw these stabilizers into that, which shouldn't be an issue. Until then, I'll just keep doing my barbaric-caveman spreading of the two back legs with generous amounts of lube applied... That sounded way more dirty than I intended )