Atari 1040ST (possibly others) - Spacebar Balancer Holder Replacements

[telmnstr]

Hello!

 

  I was recently working on restoring a 1040ST for a music and gaming festival I am involved with. The spacebar has a balancing rod under it that keeps the space bar even regardless of where it's hit. These are common. There are these two plastic parts that insert into the spacebar keycap that capture the metal rod. One of them was broken from age, the other one was broken by me removing the spacebar to clean under it.

 

  I managed to model out the part and was able to print satisfactory replacements using a pretty run of the mill sub $250 3d printer (Ender 3.)

 

 I posted the STL file on Thingiverse in-case others run into this issue. Good chance this keyboard part is used by many of the ST series.

 

 Here is the link to the Thingiverse download: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3887995

 

 I also attached the same file to this post.

 

 Enjoy.

Atari_1040ST_SpaceBar_Balancer_Thing.stl

Edited October 2, 2019 by telmnstr
Spelling correction in subject

[snarkdluG]

Just dismantled a keyboard for cleaning. The 'RETURN' key have similar plastic inserts. Planning on doing a STL file of those as well? So we get everything in one thread. 

 

'ENTER' and '0' on the numerical keypad also have insert for plastic bit in the key and metal rod slots on the keyboard main part as well. But I can't remember if I ever seen these keys fitted with these parts. I just checked four keyboards and none of them had it. Only on 'RETURN' and 'SPACEBAR'.

Edited October 3, 2019 by snarkdluG

[telmnstr]

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 6:31 AM, snarkdluG said:

Just dismantled a keyboard for cleaning. The 'RETURN' key have similar plastic inserts. Planning on doing a STL file of those as well? So we get everything in one thread. 

 

'ENTER' and '0' on the numerical keypad also have insert for plastic bit in the key and metal rod slots on the keyboard main part as well. But I can't remember if I ever seen these keys fitted with these parts. I just checked four keyboards and none of them had it. Only on 'RETURN' and 'SPACEBAR'.

 

Are they actually shaped different on the return key or is it the same? Would the one from the Spacebar fit?

[snarkdluG]

Well, the insert from the spacebar do fit... but... they are indeed a bit different. The plastic are kind of 'shopped' of so to speak. So it would be easier when you assemble the metal rod to the main big board and slide the 'RETURN' key into the rod. Since you can't bend it like you have to do with the spacebar rod.

 

 

 

'

 

Top: 'RETURN' key

Middle: Inserts for 'RETURN' key.

Bottom: Inserts for 'SPACE' bar key.