Got a model-m with a "broken" key

[anitract]

Hey all.  The first of my clicky keyboards arrived today.  Found a 1391401 in great condition on ebay.  Only problem is that it has arrived today and the enter key on the keypad appears to be part-broken.  There is no bounciness/spring to the lower portion of the key.  The top half of the key responds correctly, but the lower half is just resting on the plastic below.  I can actually fully swing/pivot it from left to right.

Thoughts on what I can do to remedy?  It seems like the spring itself is maybe missing.  I'd like to take the key off but I am unsure how.  Thanks!

[ozar]

You can use a keycap puller or bent paperclip to pull the keycap off and get a better look.  If it is broken, or the spring is missing, replacement parts can often be found at clickykeyboards.com and some parts can be obtained through pckeyboards.com (Unicomp).

So as to prevent things from getting broken, or getting broken further, I like to remove the small keycaps around any large keycaps first so that I have more maneuvering room, and can better see what needs to be done to remove the larger keycap.

You can search the forums for images of keycap pullers, both of the commercial and homemade variety.

[anitract]

Thanks for the pointers.  I was actually able to contact the seller who was very helpful and is sending me a new key (and getting the key off), which as it turns out was broken (the stem on the lower portion of the key).

Being my first BS keyboard, the sound of the keys is interesting and not quite what I was expecting.  Is it normal to hear a "twang" on keystrokes?  I am assuming this is the sound of the springs vibrating.

[itlnstln]

Being my first BS keyboard, the sound of the keys is interesting and not quite what I was expecting.  Is it normal to hear a "twang" on keystrokes?  I am assuming this is the sound of the springs vibrating.

Yes, your assuption is correct.  The BS feel and sound cannot be matched or imitated.  It is one of life's truly magical experiences.  The force required to press the keys could be a little less, though.

[FKSSR]

The sound is also not what I expected.  I expected something with much more bass.  However, I really like the sound.  I also like the sound as white-alps, though they are different and seem less "organic."  Blue cherry switches are too high-pitched for me, though, and they literally drove me insane.

I'm anxious to get a Unicomp to compare the sound.  I imagine it may be a little higher-pitched than the IBM due to the different materials.

[itlnstln]

Probably the best value out there.

Definitely.  Of the quality manfacturers we usually tout here on GeekHack, Unicomp seems to be the price leader (for brand new 'boards) and leader in customer service.  $69 is a terrific value for the quality product you get.  You may not get the greatest looks in a keyboard, but you certainly get a well-crafted one.

[nerp]

Unicomp has much less twang, that's for sure. And they're very well crafted.

I think they're underappreciated just because they're sorta the old reliable. It's like the 30-year-old chairlift that whacks your knees but gets you to the top of the mountain faster than the sleek new gondola because there isn't a huge line and drawn-out loading process.