Ryan: I'm retired now. But back in my days as an industrial designer I would have pried-off the space bar from a M102 and make an RTV mold of the key (that's room temperature vulcanized rubber) Then I would have used auto body filler to cast as many of the keys as needed. There are many tutorials on how to do this online. As a student in the early 80's I worked in the model shop of the old DEC (Digital Electronics Corp) and that's how it was done for a model of a special sized key, as this would be. Two part molds with a cavity and core as this would be are possible with this method. I try to avoid 3D printing because of the toxic fumes and chemical waste in the process. RTV molds are a silicone rubber (so it's somewhat unreactive) so in that process the fumes are mostly from the casting compound used in the mold.
This method saves having to create a 3d model of said key yourself. Gain access to a 3d printer (unless you already have one, or access to one) etc... and the other direct overhead costs. As for the RTV mold itself it can be cast in a simple cardboard box you make yourself. So the costs are minimal. There are also non-toxic casting compounds used by dentists, (of all people) that are ideal though somewhat costly as a material for the mold. I prefer the method used by dentists to cast tooth related stuff, it's good for small parts. If you insist on a 3D print you could pry-off the space bar from the m102. Then measure and create a 3d model of the key. From there export an STL file and send it to a vendor, there are many to choose from. Let the vendor deal with the cost and upkeep of the 3d printer, fumes and waste. The main types of 3D printing are material extrusion (FDM) used in most hobby 3d printers , vat polymerization (SLA, DLP), and powder bed fusion (SLS, SLM, DMLS). As you may observe one could make the mold in a 3d printer and use it to cast as many keys as needed in a casting material with properties of your choice. Regards DS On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM Ryan Stapleton <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello All, > > I have recently picked up a 100 that is missing a space bar and I assume > the spring based on what looks like a place for one. > > Is there a place to get spare parts? 3D print the space bar? Other ideas? > > The 100 seems to work fine and I have removed the battery (was just > starting to look and didn’t see anything on the motherboard). > > I am pretty new to the Tandy 100/102 world. Got my first a month ago > (102) and now a 100. > > I appreciate any help finding a space bar or some way to make a space bar. > > Thank you > -Ryan > >
