Disassembling keyboards...
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back in the day, I found that the worst thing to get in a keyboard was Coke and cigarette ash. Sticky and conductive.
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
I was teaching at a tech college in the days when not every student had a PC. So the college offered a hall full of fifty machines, available to all students. Frequently, the students had their lunch break by the PCs, or enjoyed all sorts of snacks. There was a discussion among the IT maintenance guys which were worse: Coke, or yoghurt. Yoghurt spills ended up as being voted the most hated matter in the keyboards. The situation was so bad that we ended up pulling 'safe sex devices' over all the keyboards. Well, they were not plain safe sex devices, but models made for that specific use. I'll say that it might be difficult to tell the difference. They did prevent spreading of contamination, but were nevertheless hated by the students. (Again: Hard to tell the difference :-)) The students did get the message. So after some time we could remove the latex devices, and the students had learned to honor the 'No food, snacks or drinks in the PC hall'.
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Coke was spilt on my desk a few weeks ago, and even though (as far as I could tell at the time) none had been spilt on top of my keyboard, the bottom part was soaking in it. Slowly but surely, after I've cleaned everything up as best I could (without taking apart the keyboard) the tab key started feeling sticky, and now for the past 2 days the tilde/backtick key (right above it) is now getting depressed at the same time I hit tab, adding that character to whatever field I was trying to leave. Long story short, the keyboard's been taken apart and cleaned, those keys now work great, but the spacebar now either has to be hit right in the middle to register at all, or pressed *hard*. I can take the spacebar out and put it back without disassembling the rest of the keyboard, but so far all my attempts to pop it out/back in have failed to improve it or the way it's supposed to bounce back into position (the membrane underneath it is positioned correctly). I found another box (that I had forgotten about) that contains an identical keyboard, and after plugging it in, I realize, has the same problem - and now that I've tried it, I remember going through the same thing with that one...and getting *this* one as a replacement, with the intent to eventually take it apart again and do a better job of putting it back together. And honestly it's not the first pair of keyboards I've taken apart, and have run into problems after that, specifically, with the spacebar. It's not exactly rocket science, yet apparently I lack the "finesse", perhaps, to reassemble these correctly. And no, there are no leftover parts. I hate buying replacement keyboards just for the sake of a spacebar that won't go back correctly.
I once had a mechanical keyboard which just felt right. I kept that keyboard at work for over ten years. Every six months or so I brought it home, disassembled it including the keytops, cleaned it, and reassembled it. It finally developed an intermittent electrical problem in the board. I have a feeling there was a broken trace caused by the repeated disassembly. I gave up and grabbed a keyboard out of our lab. Here at home I've used el cheapo keyboards for a long time. When the pandemic started and I was working from home full time, the keyboards started annoying me. I finally gave up and bought a Logitech K840 mechanical keyboard. It wasn't expensive - $65 at Best Buy. It's a full-width, standard layout, numeric keypad keyboard. Good tactile feedback without a whole lot of noise. Cleaning is easy as well, as the keys sit on top of a metal plate so I can just spray air through it. Excellent value for the money, considering I've seen mechanical keyboards for $300 or more.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
I once had a mechanical keyboard which just felt right. I kept that keyboard at work for over ten years. Every six months or so I brought it home, disassembled it including the keytops, cleaned it, and reassembled it. It finally developed an intermittent electrical problem in the board. I have a feeling there was a broken trace caused by the repeated disassembly. I gave up and grabbed a keyboard out of our lab. Here at home I've used el cheapo keyboards for a long time. When the pandemic started and I was working from home full time, the keyboards started annoying me. I finally gave up and bought a Logitech K840 mechanical keyboard. It wasn't expensive - $65 at Best Buy. It's a full-width, standard layout, numeric keypad keyboard. Good tactile feedback without a whole lot of noise. Cleaning is easy as well, as the keys sit on top of a metal plate so I can just spray air through it. Excellent value for the money, considering I've seen mechanical keyboards for $300 or more.
Software Zen:
delete this;Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
considering I've seen mechanical keyboards for $300 or more.
$300 or more...?? Check this one out! :laugh: Amazon.com: The Sojourner Keyboard: Computers & Accessories $999 + 15 shipping[^] Of course that's cheap next to the seafarer... Amazon.com: The Seafarer Keyboard: Computers & Accessories[^]
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Slacker007 wrote:
which brings me to - does one "eat" soup?
One is eating soup if the soup is in a bowl and a spoon is employed to convey it to the mouth. One is drinking soup if the soup is in a cup (or mug), and the cup is raised to the mouth.
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.
I should have known there was some technical documentation somewhere on this subject. :laugh:
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I should have known there was some technical documentation somewhere on this subject. :laugh:
Slacker007 wrote:
I should have known there was some technical documentation somewhere some nitpicky people in the internet on this subject.
FTFY[^] :rolleyes: Nothing against you Daniel :-D :-D
M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
considering I've seen mechanical keyboards for $300 or more.
$300 or more...?? Check this one out! :laugh: Amazon.com: The Sojourner Keyboard: Computers & Accessories $999 + 15 shipping[^] Of course that's cheap next to the seafarer... Amazon.com: The Seafarer Keyboard: Computers & Accessories[^]
I should have qualified my statement: $300 or more for a practical keyboard. Those are toys, and not intended for heavy use (IMO).
Software Zen:
delete this; -
Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
considering I've seen mechanical keyboards for $300 or more.
$300 or more...?? Check this one out! :laugh: Amazon.com: The Sojourner Keyboard: Computers & Accessories $999 + 15 shipping[^] Of course that's cheap next to the seafarer... Amazon.com: The Seafarer Keyboard: Computers & Accessories[^]
The comments on both of those are (almost) worth the asking price. :laugh:
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst "I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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I should have qualified my statement: $300 or more for a practical keyboard. Those are toys, and not intended for heavy use (IMO).
Software Zen:
delete this; -
Coke was spilt on my desk a few weeks ago, and even though (as far as I could tell at the time) none had been spilt on top of my keyboard, the bottom part was soaking in it. Slowly but surely, after I've cleaned everything up as best I could (without taking apart the keyboard) the tab key started feeling sticky, and now for the past 2 days the tilde/backtick key (right above it) is now getting depressed at the same time I hit tab, adding that character to whatever field I was trying to leave. Long story short, the keyboard's been taken apart and cleaned, those keys now work great, but the spacebar now either has to be hit right in the middle to register at all, or pressed *hard*. I can take the spacebar out and put it back without disassembling the rest of the keyboard, but so far all my attempts to pop it out/back in have failed to improve it or the way it's supposed to bounce back into position (the membrane underneath it is positioned correctly). I found another box (that I had forgotten about) that contains an identical keyboard, and after plugging it in, I realize, has the same problem - and now that I've tried it, I remember going through the same thing with that one...and getting *this* one as a replacement, with the intent to eventually take it apart again and do a better job of putting it back together. And honestly it's not the first pair of keyboards I've taken apart, and have run into problems after that, specifically, with the spacebar. It's not exactly rocket science, yet apparently I lack the "finesse", perhaps, to reassemble these correctly. And no, there are no leftover parts. I hate buying replacement keyboards just for the sake of a spacebar that won't go back correctly.
The answer is simple. Stop eating and drinking while you work. I eat at my desk, but move the keyboard out of the way. I know this does not solve your current problem, but for future reference... :)
My train of thought is constantly getting derailed. there must be something wrong with my tracks!
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similar issue happened to my gaming keyboard. soup, not coke. "C" key, not spacebar. I guess I am a sloppy eater. which brings me to - does one "eat" soup? :)
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Slacker007 wrote:
which brings me to - does one "eat" soup?
While we're on the off-topic, how about this one - Is cereal soup?
excellent question. What exactly differentiates cereal from soup? they both have solid food matter in a liquid (soup can just be liquid). They both are primarily served in a bowl with a spoon. soup can be served hot or cold, and I suppose cereal can too.
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Coke was spilt on my desk a few weeks ago, and even though (as far as I could tell at the time) none had been spilt on top of my keyboard, the bottom part was soaking in it. Slowly but surely, after I've cleaned everything up as best I could (without taking apart the keyboard) the tab key started feeling sticky, and now for the past 2 days the tilde/backtick key (right above it) is now getting depressed at the same time I hit tab, adding that character to whatever field I was trying to leave. Long story short, the keyboard's been taken apart and cleaned, those keys now work great, but the spacebar now either has to be hit right in the middle to register at all, or pressed *hard*. I can take the spacebar out and put it back without disassembling the rest of the keyboard, but so far all my attempts to pop it out/back in have failed to improve it or the way it's supposed to bounce back into position (the membrane underneath it is positioned correctly). I found another box (that I had forgotten about) that contains an identical keyboard, and after plugging it in, I realize, has the same problem - and now that I've tried it, I remember going through the same thing with that one...and getting *this* one as a replacement, with the intent to eventually take it apart again and do a better job of putting it back together. And honestly it's not the first pair of keyboards I've taken apart, and have run into problems after that, specifically, with the spacebar. It's not exactly rocket science, yet apparently I lack the "finesse", perhaps, to reassemble these correctly. And no, there are no leftover parts. I hate buying replacement keyboards just for the sake of a spacebar that won't go back correctly.
Try a neural implant! They're all the rage, lately.
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The answer is simple. Stop eating and drinking while you work. I eat at my desk, but move the keyboard out of the way. I know this does not solve your current problem, but for future reference... :)
My train of thought is constantly getting derailed. there must be something wrong with my tracks!
You *know* that's not gonna happen. I already tend not to eat around my desk, although there have been exceptions. But never in my life has food ever been a problem around a keyboard. I'll take a sip and stretch a can of Coke or other soft drink over an entire afternoon rather than finishing it off during lunch break, so "no drinks around the desk" becomes kind of impractical unless I stop drinking altogether.
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Slacker007 wrote:
does one "eat" soup?
If it's one of mine: yes! :laugh: Bacon and potato chowder, with fresh bread and butter. Hits the spot for a winter lunch - but it's way too thick to pour into a glass!
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
Damn straight, good soup has chewy bits ( well, tomato doesn't ( I grew up in S. Jersey - ever see a flat bed of bushel baskets of tomatoes going down the road? )) Split pea & ham, chicken veg., cock-a-leekie, even egg drop and sweet sour have bits. ( Note _I_ didn't censor "male fowl" that's auto-mangled.)
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Damn straight, good soup has chewy bits ( well, tomato doesn't ( I grew up in S. Jersey - ever see a flat bed of bushel baskets of tomatoes going down the road? )) Split pea & ham, chicken veg., cock-a-leekie, even egg drop and sweet sour have bits. ( Note _I_ didn't censor "male fowl" that's auto-mangled.)
I make mine as Tomato and Chorizo, so it does have chewy bits! :-D
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Coke was spilt on my desk a few weeks ago, and even though (as far as I could tell at the time) none had been spilt on top of my keyboard, the bottom part was soaking in it. Slowly but surely, after I've cleaned everything up as best I could (without taking apart the keyboard) the tab key started feeling sticky, and now for the past 2 days the tilde/backtick key (right above it) is now getting depressed at the same time I hit tab, adding that character to whatever field I was trying to leave. Long story short, the keyboard's been taken apart and cleaned, those keys now work great, but the spacebar now either has to be hit right in the middle to register at all, or pressed *hard*. I can take the spacebar out and put it back without disassembling the rest of the keyboard, but so far all my attempts to pop it out/back in have failed to improve it or the way it's supposed to bounce back into position (the membrane underneath it is positioned correctly). I found another box (that I had forgotten about) that contains an identical keyboard, and after plugging it in, I realize, has the same problem - and now that I've tried it, I remember going through the same thing with that one...and getting *this* one as a replacement, with the intent to eventually take it apart again and do a better job of putting it back together. And honestly it's not the first pair of keyboards I've taken apart, and have run into problems after that, specifically, with the spacebar. It's not exactly rocket science, yet apparently I lack the "finesse", perhaps, to reassemble these correctly. And no, there are no leftover parts. I hate buying replacement keyboards just for the sake of a spacebar that won't go back correctly.
As far as actually cleaning stuff like coke and coffee off electronics, I have two words for you: "Brake Cleaner" (read "universal solvent"). Generally with space bars, I tend to find the problem has less to do with the mechanical key press stuff than with the little metal balancing bracket thing that's also attached to the key, and somehow has to hook into the keyboard's base as well - many times, one of the anchor points for that isn't fully engaged, and that in turn throws off the whole thing...
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Coke was spilt on my desk a few weeks ago, and even though (as far as I could tell at the time) none had been spilt on top of my keyboard, the bottom part was soaking in it. Slowly but surely, after I've cleaned everything up as best I could (without taking apart the keyboard) the tab key started feeling sticky, and now for the past 2 days the tilde/backtick key (right above it) is now getting depressed at the same time I hit tab, adding that character to whatever field I was trying to leave. Long story short, the keyboard's been taken apart and cleaned, those keys now work great, but the spacebar now either has to be hit right in the middle to register at all, or pressed *hard*. I can take the spacebar out and put it back without disassembling the rest of the keyboard, but so far all my attempts to pop it out/back in have failed to improve it or the way it's supposed to bounce back into position (the membrane underneath it is positioned correctly). I found another box (that I had forgotten about) that contains an identical keyboard, and after plugging it in, I realize, has the same problem - and now that I've tried it, I remember going through the same thing with that one...and getting *this* one as a replacement, with the intent to eventually take it apart again and do a better job of putting it back together. And honestly it's not the first pair of keyboards I've taken apart, and have run into problems after that, specifically, with the spacebar. It's not exactly rocket science, yet apparently I lack the "finesse", perhaps, to reassemble these correctly. And no, there are no leftover parts. I hate buying replacement keyboards just for the sake of a spacebar that won't go back correctly.
Here's an out-of-the-box solution... buy a new one... a good quality wireless keyboard/mouse combo is less than $100. I know that's not nearly as fun as fixing it yourself and learning new things about DFM, but there are more challenging things to apply your curiosity to.
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Here's an out-of-the-box solution... buy a new one... a good quality wireless keyboard/mouse combo is less than $100. I know that's not nearly as fun as fixing it yourself and learning new things about DFM, but there are more challenging things to apply your curiosity to.
The problem with just buying a new one is that keyboard manufacturers all apparently can't help themselves from fiddling with the layout and adding various keys, and as a result no two keyboard models ever feel alike. Mine's no longer being manufactured, and I'm rather underwhelmed by what's currently being offered. Same with mice: I had been using Microsoft's original Intellipoint for many, many years, and when my last one died, I spent literally years switching between various models every few months, and it's not until Microsoft reintroduced a "classic" version of that model that I could stop doing that. I learned my lesson and stocked up. I have spares sitting in a closet that, I hope, outlast me. The same will happen with this keyboard. When I find a good replacement I like (and is still being manufactured), I'll be getting spares.
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Coke was spilt on my desk a few weeks ago, and even though (as far as I could tell at the time) none had been spilt on top of my keyboard, the bottom part was soaking in it. Slowly but surely, after I've cleaned everything up as best I could (without taking apart the keyboard) the tab key started feeling sticky, and now for the past 2 days the tilde/backtick key (right above it) is now getting depressed at the same time I hit tab, adding that character to whatever field I was trying to leave. Long story short, the keyboard's been taken apart and cleaned, those keys now work great, but the spacebar now either has to be hit right in the middle to register at all, or pressed *hard*. I can take the spacebar out and put it back without disassembling the rest of the keyboard, but so far all my attempts to pop it out/back in have failed to improve it or the way it's supposed to bounce back into position (the membrane underneath it is positioned correctly). I found another box (that I had forgotten about) that contains an identical keyboard, and after plugging it in, I realize, has the same problem - and now that I've tried it, I remember going through the same thing with that one...and getting *this* one as a replacement, with the intent to eventually take it apart again and do a better job of putting it back together. And honestly it's not the first pair of keyboards I've taken apart, and have run into problems after that, specifically, with the spacebar. It's not exactly rocket science, yet apparently I lack the "finesse", perhaps, to reassemble these correctly. And no, there are no leftover parts. I hate buying replacement keyboards just for the sake of a spacebar that won't go back correctly.
First, I am not rich enough to split my coke with anyone. I snort ALL of it myself. Second of all, who drinks Tab anymore? Ok, my dyslexia aside, the little levers on your spacebar are counter-intuitive, they may go the opposite of the way you think, or flop over when you put it in. Either a thin piece of cardstock (or two) is needed, or do it upside down if you are that coordinated. Oh, and do the coke AFTER fixing the space bar.
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First, I am not rich enough to split my coke with anyone. I snort ALL of it myself. Second of all, who drinks Tab anymore? Ok, my dyslexia aside, the little levers on your spacebar are counter-intuitive, they may go the opposite of the way you think, or flop over when you put it in. Either a thin piece of cardstock (or two) is needed, or do it upside down if you are that coordinated. Oh, and do the coke AFTER fixing the space bar.
