Hi i have a iie enhanced
it has a wonky spacebar, primarily because it is missing the long metal wire that is supposed to clip under the key and retain it in place.
does anyone please have one they can part with?
or a suggested alternative? is there another computer keyboard I could find and butcher for spare?
or failing that a keyboard they'd like to sell on? I'm in uk but happy to pay and pay for postage for small part if someone has one!
thanks in advance 
iain
You might be able to get this done with a lot of skill and patience if you used a soldering iron, a paperclip, and needle nose pliers.
I know it sounds crazy but it's worth a shot!
it might come to that if plan A doesnt work out - to find an actual bar
Further pic attached as requested!
edjt - cant seem to attach..
It's just an idea...
if someone has such a retainer metal bar lying around he might can give you all measurements needed to rebuild this using some spring steel wire and bending the form yourself.
There's some keys on eBay.
add up to tokabln's message:
that kind of steel spring wire ( 1 mm ) is often sold
in modelcraft shops for RC-airplane models as drive control wire.
speedyG
You can fabricate one of these.
I made one from a metal welding rod that was 1.6mm thick (IIRC).
I think that it was a stainless steel rod or the rod used to
weld stainless steel. I obtained the rod from the local hardware
store welding section ("Bunnings" here in OZ), but I'm sure that
you will have an equivalent in the UK. I'm sure if you go browsing
you will spot one.
It is stiff enough not to warp in place, but soft enough to be
bent at each end like the original. I dismantled an existing
keyboard space bar ro get the correct dimensions.
Hope that helps,
Laurie
Because I had to repair one key of my Apple II(e),
I took some measurement of the metal bar from my keyboard... so here's a small picture I did which should help to build such metal bar
Metal Bar - Apple II(e) Space key
That measurement of 12mm differs from the measurements I took. I get 14.12mm.
The other measurements are pretty much what I got although not 100%.
Will check again...
There are at least a couple different keyboards for the IIe... Maybe they have different sized wires?
No.
I have both a platinum iie and the model that came before that.
They both have the same measurement.
Drawing has been updated...
by what ever reason the side length was wrong as mentioned by insanator
Side Length measurement still differ (mine is a bit longer) but this is what is used at my German Keyboard
Thanks
Metal Bar - Apple II(e) Space key
hi, thank you for the drawing! could someone share or link to a photo how it fits? I had assumed the ends clipped into the holes on the spacebar but thats clearly wrong! I have some stiff wire/rod coming.
thank you
Well, I do not have a picture yet, but maybe the following desciption will help.
The ends of the two side legs need to go directly thru the wholes of the two plastic spacebar brackets at the left and right side. The long part of the retainer metal bar then needs to be hocked into the two plastic clamps of the keyboard baseplate located in front of and parallel to the Spacebar. Take care that the V looking spring is installed at the middle of the spacebar behind the long part of the retainer while the bigger diameter needs to show to the bottom.
Remind... I'm not a native speaker, so I hope the description is suitable and will be of help.
that is very helpful and descriptive. thank you! I'll let you know how I get on.
thanks again!
that is very helpful and descriptive. thank you! I'll let you know how I get on.
thanks again!
Hi
confession - i've only just got some suitable steel (welding rod!) and made a piece to suit the larger of these dimensions. it works a treat, in use you'd never know it had been fixed this way.
thanks!
Deleted and moved.