Fat fingers and a hammy fist

[ime1729]

I think I managed to pull off an awkwardly difficult feat:

I managed to break both of my Unicomp buckling spring keyboards, each within two years of 10-12 hours/day use.

Both had the spacebar and several keys around it intermittently stop working.

I bottom out my keyboard about 95 percent of the time, and I type really loud on my laptop.

Considering that buckling spring keyboards have the reputation of being indestructible (and I just destroyed two of them, albeit newer models), what should be the expected lifetime of a wasd cherry green board that I just got?

[zpcomstock17]

A year?

[OfTheWild]

Sounds like you should either use $5 keyboards, get 150g springs, or learn to type softer.

[happylacquer]

I think I managed to pull off an awkwardly difficult feat:

I managed to break both of my Unicomp buckling spring keyboards, each within two years of 10-12 hours/day use.

Both had the spacebar and several keys around it intermittently stop working.

I bottom out my keyboard about 95 percent of the time, and I type really loud on my laptop.

Considering that buckling spring keyboards have the reputation of being indestructible (and I just destroyed two of them, albeit newer models), what should be the expected lifetime of a wasd cherry green board that I just got?

I have a friend with the same problem as you. Breaking not one Unicomp but two I have to give you real credit for though.

He uses an Apple Extended Keyboard II he replaced the springs in to make them 150g. Sounds like what you need. If you are bottoming out a buckling spring consistently and reliably, what you need to add is the most resistance you can. You can get a AEK for cheap, wire up a Arduino, throw TMK firmware in it, and then move that converter between boards. so even if you break a 150g switch you can replace it, put the heavy spring back in

[fanpeople]

haha my old boss was like that you could hear him hunt and pecking away at the keyboard from the other side of the building even when he had the door closed. i thought it was funny no one else really cared at the humour

[dantan]

I think I managed to pull off an awkwardly difficult feat:

I managed to break both of my Unicomp buckling spring keyboards, each within two years of 10-12 hours/day use.

Both had the spacebar and several keys around it intermittently stop working.

I bottom out my keyboard about 95 percent of the time, and I type really loud on my laptop.

Considering that buckling spring keyboards have the reputation of being indestructible (and I just destroyed two of them, albeit newer models), what should be the expected lifetime of a wasd cherry green board that I just got?

Isn't this proof that buckling spring keyboards are overrated? This is not the first time I have heard of people breaking their buckling spring keyboards.

[happylacquer]

I think I managed to pull off an awkwardly difficult feat:

I managed to break both of my Unicomp buckling spring keyboards, each within two years of 10-12 hours/day use.

Both had the spacebar and several keys around it intermittently stop working.

I bottom out my keyboard about 95 percent of the time, and I type really loud on my laptop.

Considering that buckling spring keyboards have the reputation of being indestructible (and I just destroyed two of them, albeit newer models), what should be the expected lifetime of a wasd cherry green board that I just got?

Isn't this proof that buckling spring keyboards are overrated? This is not the first time I have heard of people breaking their buckling spring keyboards.

You can't get super blacks anymore so what else are you gonna do if you love that high resistance key press feel or just hit keys really hard? I don't bottom out on light or heavy switches and buckling springs aren't a completely infallible design, not gonna fanboy about stuff that isn't true.

But I mean is it really fair to be like, this one guy broke some Unicomps, so buckling springs are overrated, when you have Gaterons snapping off at the stems, ALPS requiring spring replacement which I wasn't willing to do... MX don't really break, but if you don't like how any MX really feels (I'm in that club), not much else you can do unless you want to find someone with a stash of super blacks? (would LOVE this for my advantage but i'm not gonna bet on it)

I would say the best option left if someone doesn't wanna redo the springs in a ALPS board, and unicomp isn't sturdy enough, get an AT Model M or Model M, clean it up, get new caps for it or whatever.  I've never unboxed a new model m. I don't remember if it was possible for springs to get dislodged during shipping. Could just be unicomp being lazy, but in my experience a lot of people who type hard and love their old IBM boards never heard of one of them dying from this kind of thing. Unicomps dying, they have a 18 month warranty, but after that you're on your own...

Could very well be that even IBM BS could be destroyed from typing too hard and i've just never heard of it. Man I was Super Blacks were still on the market, or that I got a stash while they were around.

One last thought.... really old Apple II's used to have thick rubber pads under the keys to silence them but they also served to add a whole lot more resistance to the already crazy heavy springs. Maybe you can put a rubber pad under the switches to prevent them from wearing out to all the shock.

[tp4tissue]

Cherry is more your speed..


because no matter how hard you hit the cherry switch, very little of the force is imparted to the contacts, as they're almost tangent to the downforce..


You could hit the cherry switch as hard as you like,  short of super-sonic..  you won't damage the contacts..

[fohat.digs]

old Apple II's used to have thick rubber pads under the keys to silence them

Most vintage Alps have foam rubber "landing pads" near each end of the space bar where it touches down. That might help considerably.

If the "failure" is a matter of breaking a group of rivets in that area, a "screw-reinforcement" (similar to a bolt-mod but only in a limited area) might be a quick and sturdy solution. Half a dozen M2x6mm screws with washers might just fix it up, unless the pivot plates (aka flipper feet) have jumped out of their slots and you can't scoot them back into position. At that point, a full bolt-mod would be needed.

[losing_ctrl]

I think I managed to pull off an awkwardly difficult feat:

I managed to break both of my Unicomp buckling spring keyboards, each within two years of 10-12 hours/day use.

Both had the spacebar and several keys around it intermittently stop working.

I bottom out my keyboard about 95 percent of the time, and I type really loud on my laptop.

Considering that buckling spring keyboards have the reputation of being indestructible (and I just destroyed two of them, albeit newer models), what should be the expected lifetime of a wasd cherry green board that I just got?

When you've had some time with your new WASD MX Green board, please let us know your impressions - just in general and in the context of being a fan of buckling springs. I like both MX Green and buckling springs and like to hear other people's experiences with them.

[Entropia]

Maybe you need something like this:

http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/stainless-steel-ip65-panel-mount-industrial-trackball-over-panel-keyboard.asp

[ime1729]

Update:

I drove out to Fremont CA to pick up my keyboard, and after 5 minutes of using it, the left shift key broke (and that's really the only shift key that I use)... so therefore it's DOA.

Other impressions:
- This is the first time that I'm able to get russian keycaps. They look great.
- I don't remember having a blue left control key, but whatever. I thought that it was supposed to be maroon.
- I still bottom out 95%. This is after doing a 20s deadlift hold at the gym (135 lbs overhand grip; yes I'm weak)
- The keys are WAYYY too light and quiet. The tiny little ping sounds cool, but I like the old school CHA THUNK of a buckling spring. Nothing too bad.
- It's a more modern look.

This means I have to go to Fremont. Yet again.

At least driving my electric car is relatively free, compared to whatever gas would cost in my BMW =P

No pictures, since I already packed up the board to return back to the shop tomorrow.

[keytohopiness]

Try typing without the hammer.

[xtrafrood]

You might benefit from a Model F