Bent PBT Key caps

[Spedboy]

Hey guys,
Just bought a set of thick imsto PBT keycaps for my QFR with blues. After fitting all the keycaps i have just realized that both the long shift and the enter key are warped slightly. On both keycaps the left side is around one millimeter higher than the right side. Should I be really picky and try to bend it back with a heat gun or just leave it. I also had to install the stabilizing clips for costar stabs with paper inside of the stem so it would stay. Could I have possibly bent the keycap while putting in the clips? I have heard that PBT spacebars are known to have this issue but can it be a issue in the stabilized smaller keys? Sorry for too many questions.

[tp4tissue]

take picture

[Spedboy]

     pic taken

[SpAmRaY]

Are you certain you have the keys installed properly on the stabilizers?

[terran5992]

Take a pic of the left shift

[Spedboy]

           
picture of left shift which I think  is fairly normal. 
Also both stabs on right shift and enter are on properly.

[Spedboy]

Not too sure on how to proceed. Heat gun it, and hope I get it right. Buy all new stabilizer inserts and wires and see what happens. Or to contact feng and see what he can do about it? Anyone have any possible advice?

[hazeluff]

It is quite common to see long keys get warped in that fashion. Personally I wouldn't do anything unless the key didn't fit at all on the stabilizers or caused extreme mushyness or if it gets stuck. If it bugs the hell out of you, contact who you got it from. feng's a nice and friendly guy round here btw.

[Moosecraft]

It's quite common for pbt to become a little warped on the larger keys. I wouldn't worry about it.

[tp4tissue]

if they are not causing mushi-ness then it's not worth the effort to fix.

If they are causing mushi-ness... make sure you know in "which" axis it's mis-molded, because if the problem is latitude, bending it straight wouldn't make it better.

[rowdy]

Take the keycaps off and place them on a flat surface.

That will quickly show if the actual keycaps are distorted or not.

If they are - you can heat them a little with a hair dryer and place a heavy object e.g. a book on top to flatten them out.  This technique is sometimes used with warped space bars, but there is no reason why it would not work with the other key caps.

If they are not warped, then maybe the stabiliser inserts are not inserted correctly, or one has worked a bit loose maybe.  If that happens you can use a small (~1cm square) piece of plastic sandwich bag to place over the hole under the keycap before you put the stabiliser in.  Makes for a tighter fit.

[PointyFox]

I recently got some space bars from IMSTO that were bent like smiles.  He said the ambient temperature was too high at the factory and it caused them to bend.  Maybe something similar happened to those keys.  I'm still trying to figure out how to make them straight.

[tp4tissue]

Take the keycaps off and place them on a flat surface.

That will quickly show if the actual keycaps are distorted or not.

If they are - you can heat them a little with a hair dryer and place a heavy object e.g. a book on top to flatten them out.  This technique is sometimes used with warped space bars, but there is no reason why it would not work with the other key caps.

If they are not warped, then maybe the stabiliser inserts are not inserted correctly, or one has worked a bit loose maybe.  If that happens you can use a small (~1cm square) piece of plastic sandwich bag to place over the hole under the keycap before you put the stabiliser in.  Makes for a tighter fit.

Not necessarily, sometimes, the stem is bent/ wharped, while the curtains are straight.

[terran5992]

Seems pretty alright to me . LOL

[JPG]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

[phoenix1234]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

I voted for this solution because I did the same thing with my PBT spacebar.
Kindly note that the temperature of the hot water should only 60-70 degree of Celsius.
I didn't try at 100 degree but it think it may cause bad consequences with that 100 degree.

[tp4tissue]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

I voted for this solution because I did the same thing with my PBT spacebar.
Kindly note that the temperature of the hot water should only 60-70 degree of Celsius.
I didn't try at 100 degree but it think it may cause bad consequences with that 100 degree.

hot water is no good because you have to stick your hand in this.

use blow dryer to heat the "inside"

then when it becomes slightly soft, apply mild pressure to the two sides.

THEN dunk whole hand cap included into COLD water while maintaining pressure.  hold underwater for 15 seconds.

[rowdy]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

I voted for this solution because I did the same thing with my PBT spacebar.
Kindly note that the temperature of the hot water should only 60-70 degree of Celsius.
I didn't try at 100 degree but it think it may cause bad consequences with that 100 degree.

hot water is no good because you have to stick your hand in this.

use blow dryer to heat the "inside"

then when it becomes slightly soft, apply mild pressure to the two sides.

THEN dunk whole hand cap included into COLD water while maintaining pressure.  hold underwater for 15 seconds.

And children - be VERY CAREFUL when mixing a hair dryer (which is electric) and water.

[Zeal]

And children - be VERY CAREFUL when mixing a hair dryer (which is electric) and water.

Wait, what did you say about playing with electri-ZZZ

[rowdy]

And children - be VERY CAREFUL when mixing a hair dryer (which is electric) and water.

Wait, what did you say about playing with electri-ZZZ

Basically, don't mix them.

[tp4tissue]

And children - be VERY CAREFUL when mixing a hair dryer (which is electric) and water.

Wait, what did you say about playing with electri-ZZZ

Basically, don't mix them.

ok.. i guess I should've put something in there about not dunking the electric blow dryer into the water...

They usually do a good job about teaching this to kids early

[Findecanor]

Not too sure on how to proceed. Heat gun it, and hope I get it right.

Eh... I would not use a heatgun at a keyboard or keycaps. There are great opportunities for screwing things up. (speaking from experience...)

I also had to install the stabilizing clips for costar stabs with paper inside of the stem so it would stay.

That sounds like the problem right there.

[jonathanyu]

here are few picture of how I fix a warped space bar after heated up by a hair dryer

More

More

hope it help you

[PointyFox]

here are few picture of how I fix a warped space bar after heated up by a hair dryer

More

Show Image

More

Show Image

hope it help you

I don't have that many Chinese books

[jonathanyu]

here are few picture of how I fix a warped space bar after heated up by a hair dryer

More

Show Image

More

Show Image

hope it help you

I don't have that many Chinese books

   of course you don't need to use Chinese book

[rowdy]

Use Korean books if it is a Korean keyboard.

[JPG]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

I voted for this solution because I did the same thing with my PBT spacebar.
Kindly note that the temperature of the hot water should only 60-70 degree of Celsius.
I didn't try at 100 degree but it think it may cause bad consequences with that 100 degree.

hot water is no good because you have to stick your hand in this.

use blow dryer to heat the "inside"

then when it becomes slightly soft, apply mild pressure to the two sides.

THEN dunk whole hand cap included into COLD water while maintaining pressure.  hold underwater for 15 seconds.

If you took more time reading my post as a whole and focusing less on your ergodox, you would have seen that I was recommending using 2 bowls, one to contain the keycap, the other to apply the pressure (instead of using your hands).

[phoenix1234]

here are few picture of how I fix a warped space bar after heated up by a hair dryer

More

Show Image

More

Show Image

hope it help you

I don't have that many Chinese books

   of course you don't need to use Chinese book

Indeed, he is trolling all of us joking )

[PointyFox]

here are few picture of how I fix a warped space bar after heated up by a hair dryer

More

Show Image

More

Show Image

hope it help you

I don't have that many Chinese books

   of course you don't need to use Chinese book

Indeed, he is trolling all of us )

It's different.  What I'm doing is called "joking".  What is different about it is that I expected people to immediately realize I wasn't serious and to laugh at the absurdity.  Trolling would be if I said something for the sole purpose of upsetting other people, which clearly I didn't.  Though, what you're doing now may be considered trolling, since you're accusing me of something bad, which I didn't do.

[rowdy]

Like: I only have Japanese books, so I guess I can only straighten Japanese key caps. )

[phoenix1234]

here are few picture of how I fix a warped space bar after heated up by a hair dryer

More

Show Image

More

Show Image

hope it help you

I don't have that many Chinese books

   of course you don't need to use Chinese book

Indeed, he is trolling all of us )

It's different.  What I'm doing is called "joking".  What is different about it is that I expected people to immediately realize I wasn't serious and to laugh at the absurdity.  Trolling would be if I said something for the sole purpose of upsetting other people, which clearly I didn't.  Though, what you're doing now may be considered trolling, since you're accusing me of something bad, which I didn't do.

I'm sorry for making you upset, what I really mean is joking. It is not my intention to accuse you anything.

[Melvang]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

I voted for this solution because I did the same thing with my PBT spacebar.
Kindly note that the temperature of the hot water should only 60-70 degree of Celsius.
I didn't try at 100 degree but it think it may cause bad consequences with that 100 degree.

hot water is no good because you have to stick your hand in this.

use blow dryer to heat the "inside"

then when it becomes slightly soft, apply mild pressure to the two sides.

THEN dunk whole hand cap included into COLD water while maintaining pressure.  hold underwater for 15 seconds.

And children - be VERY CAREFUL when mixing a hair dryer (which is electric) and water.

Using distilled water would actually be safe here as it is the trace minerals that cause water to conduct electricity.  I have seen video clips of college kids (electronics class experiment) where they had a running computer and dunked the entire thing into an aquarium filled with distilled water.  It actually ran like that for about a week until the water started to develop a capacitive state.  But in the beginning they showed that it was neither capacitive or conductive.

[rowdy]

Well, if the key is bent and you want to unbend it, well I did it for my space bar and it worked well. I just put some hot water in a bowl (flat bottom), put the key in it (stems up) and put another bowl (flat too and smaller) on top of it to keep it at the bottom. Let it like that a few seconds. I had to do it a few times until I decided to very gently bend them with my fingers after getting it out of the water and then it worked super well.

I voted for this solution because I did the same thing with my PBT spacebar.
Kindly note that the temperature of the hot water should only 60-70 degree of Celsius.
I didn't try at 100 degree but it think it may cause bad consequences with that 100 degree.

hot water is no good because you have to stick your hand in this.

use blow dryer to heat the "inside"

then when it becomes slightly soft, apply mild pressure to the two sides.

THEN dunk whole hand cap included into COLD water while maintaining pressure.  hold underwater for 15 seconds.

And children - be VERY CAREFUL when mixing a hair dryer (which is electric) and water.

Using distilled water would actually be safe here as it is the trace minerals that cause water to conduct electricity.  I have seen video clips of college kids (electronics class experiment) where they had a running computer and dunked the entire thing into an aquarium filled with distilled water.  It actually ran like that for about a week until the water started to develop a capacitive state.  But in the beginning they showed that it was neither capacitive or conductive.

Even so I would NOT recommend doing this at home.