![]() Keycaps are measured in a relative scale where the alphanumeric keys form the basic unit of measurement. This concept of offering an additional bunch of keycaps in the form of extension kits allows everyone – from those who seek arrow keys on their 60 percent keyboards to Dvorak afficionados and 40 percenters – to use the same keycap set on all keyboard variants. Live across the pond? You may want to purchase the ISO kit. Modern base kits increasingly include support for the increasingly popular 65 percent keyboards as well.Īdditional kits add coverage for full-size keyboards by including a separate numpad kit. Most base kits support common keyboard form factors, such as the 60 percent and TKL in the standard ANSI (American) layout. The spacebar registers properly and reliably even when I press at the extreme left and right of the key.The solution involves dividing each keycap set into a collection of individual kits that build upon the base kit. I picked up two 7/16” SAE washers from my neighborhood hardware store for less than a dollar, dropped them over the C and < keys and they work perfectly with nothing but the washer's weight and rigidity keeping the washer edge from tilting up – and this keeps the spacebar stabilizer tight against the barrel frame. I would need a piece of metal with a hole in it the hole must be close to the diameter of the barrels and the outer edge must extend over the stabilizer bar. So my next idea was to use the geometry of the keyboard to hold the clips on - cantilevered off of a barrel. This second issue would also affect stamped or welded on clips too. ![]() The stud sticks up through the barrel frame slightly and would block the stabilizer from sliding easily into a clip as the spacebar is mounted. Second, the barrels on an XT have a alignment stud different from the alignment notch on the barrels of an AT or 122. First, mounting the clips to the barrel frame would require glue again. My first idea was to 3D print a copy of the retention clips used for the spacebar on the 122 key Model F, but there are two reasons why this is not ideal. It worked, but the metal was not as thick as I would have liked (too bendy) and the connection to the barrel frame was a weak point on a keyboard famous for being almost indestructible. For that, I bent a piece of metal and glued this to the barrel frame. I did a mod a few years back that replaced an AT’s spacebar for two Alt keys and a model M spacebar. I’ll use Unicomp space bars of course, but how to hold the bar against the barrel frame is the question. ![]() I’ve been asked a few times (and wondered myself) about how I will do spacebar stabilization. ![]() If the reviews go well, look for kits in a month or so. The controllers are fully programmable, so the users can move caps around (like swap Caps Lock with right Ctrl). ANSI or ISO Enter and left shift are supported and user selectable. I liked that so much that i put a 1.75 Ctrl to the left of left arrow - this really sets the arrow cluster apart and easy to find without looking. We are limited to the key cap shapes that Unicomp has - that 1.75 right shift will be stepped like a caps lock - but that is a good thing in that it creates a tactile buffer between the shift and up arrow. :DĪs it so happens, I was planning a similar layout for my next project. Actually, if you ever want to consider doing a kit using the 83 XT hammers and barrels but with a completely custom case, I would love to see this layout:īy the way, a late congrats on reaching a working prototype, this has been a long time coming.
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