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Paid $80 for a grease kit to restore my IBM Model F and ended up with a dead spacebar stabilizer
Some people swear by the expensive dielectric grease while others say a $5 tube of Super Lube is all you need, so did I just throw money away or is the good stuff worth it for a proper restore?
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the_robin2mo ago
$80 is a lot for grease. Super Lube has worked fine on all my Model M restores with no issues. You can return that kit and get the same results.
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the_kim2mo ago
Holding the spacebar down and feeling for even binding vs uneven resistance would tell you more than any price tag on the grease. The problem with those expensive kits is they often include a thick stabilizer grease that's meant for linear switches, not buckling springs where the wire needs to slide freely. A tiny dab of that thick stuff on the wrong spot will actually make the stabilizer stick worse than using nothing at all. People get so caught up in the cost of the product that they forget the application technique matters way more than what's in the tube.
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