16 Jul
2009
16 Jul
'09
6:21 p.m.
I just cleaned an LK201 keyboard. It was actually
quite clean with only a
How far did you dsmantle it? The casing comes off quite easily (1/4"
hex-head screws under the plastic feet, then slide the keyboard itself
out of the lower part). Yo can separate the encoder PCB from the keyboard
itself, but for cleaning I don't think it's worth doing (it is for
faultfinding/reapir).
On the other hand, the PF4 key no longer seems to be sticking.
I have taken a completely dead one apart (carefully cut away the heat
stakes) to see how it was made, and to see if repairs were possible. I
never managed to get it to stay together again. Had I been able to buy
some new key hosings (presumanly with long plastic peges that are formed
over into the heat stakes), I could have done something (possibly by
gutting threads on said pags and using nuts to fix it together -- that
way it would be trivial to repair in the future), but DEC supplied no
spares (and this was when the LK201 was a current product).
You can remove the keycaps (see below), but
don't try to take the keyboard
assembly apart. It's heat-staked, and I've never managed to get one to go
back together and stay together!
I have heard that to be the situation with the LK201. Thank you for the
reminder. The stains could be sufficiently removed from the
hard-to-get-at sides
to be eliminated from
being seen, although probably not totally removed.
My worry with things like this is that if the stain appears around the
holes where the keys come out, presumably something has been spilt onto
the keyboard, and there still some gunge inside. In which case I'd want
to take it apart to see where it had gone.
As I found, the PF4 key is no longer sticking, but
maybe someone else
can use the suggestion.
As always, thank you very much for your excellent help, advice and
suggestions.
Thank you :-)
If you can ever use any help with software for RT-11 systems, please ask.
Alas I don't have an RT11 license...
-tony