Backspace key catching on something
I recently bought a CODE V3 (Brown) keyboard, and all the keys work fine except for backspace. Depending on the angle of force, the backspace key will catch on something and not go down smoothly:
- If I pull the key toward me as I press down: the key is as smooth as other similar-sized keys.
- If I push the key away from me as I press down: the key sticks. On applying more force, it will suddenly unstick and register a keypress, often noisily bottoming out.
It is bugging me because backspace is a commonly-used key, and I have a tendency to push the keys at an angle away from me, I think especially on the upper rows. The key still works, but if I'm not careful with how I press it, it's noticeably less smooth than the other keys on the keyboard.
Any ideas on what to do? I removed and replaced the keycap/stabilizer several times to no effect. I didn't see anything obviously wrong with it, but this is my first mechanical keyboard and I don't really know what to look for.
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I'm sorry to hear about this issue. Does the bare switch stick when pressed at various angles? When removing and replacing the stabilizer, make sure the wire is correctly oriented, as well as the inserts. The wire's two inward facing "arms" should bend slightly up when it is laid on a flat surface. The inserts' longer side should point towards the back of the keycap. Check that the black stabilizer clips are not cracked, broken, or partially pulled out.
The current stabilizers can be a little tricky to deal with, since they are pretty flat to accommodate the LEDs. Here's a method we've found to be successful: Holding the keycap right side up and correctly facing you, slip the wire's arms through the inserts so it hangs. Hold the wire towards you and lower the keycap onto the switch, making sure the wire lands outside the stabilizer clips. Once the keycap is seated on the switch, you can press the wire into the clips with a small screwdriver or the back of your keycap puller.
If you're still having trouble with it, please feel free to email us with more details, and photos if you have them.
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Thanks for your reply!
Just today, I was able to reproduce the same issue with a non-stabilized key, namely the backtick/tilde key. If I take care to push straight down, it goes down smoothly. But if I push at an angle that's slightly away from me, the key catches. So I don't think it's a stabilizer issue.
Taking the keycaps off backtick/tilde and 1/!, I notice a difference between the two switches. They're both the same, Cherry MX Brown, but they seem to have different tolerances for how much sideways movement they permit. Pushing forward on 1's stem results in hardly any motion, whereas a forward push on backtick's stem causes it to tilt forward a bit.
Both switches can be depressed regardless of horizontal force: it is only when the keycaps are on that they start sticking. What I think is happening is the additional tilt on backtick's switch is causing the keycap to contact something else on the way down (most likely the switch body). I tried switching the two keycaps, in case there was also a slight difference in tolerance between keycap shapes, but the key in backtick's place still sticks regardless of keycap.
Any advice? Not sure how useful photos are, but I can take a video if that would help.
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