15 Jul
2009
15 Jul
'09
12:46 p.m.
I just cleaned an LK201 keyboard. It was actually quite clean with only a
few stains and a bit of dust. I used a baby wipe since it seemed to be the
most useful in terms of being able to eliminate the dust as well as the very
minor stains.
Has anyone any other method or suggestions?
One problem is that there is one sticky key - PF4 in this case. It is not a
problem if I use a quick sharp hit of 4 to 5 times the normal force. When
just a gentle to firm force is used, it often sticks and sometimes even goes
into multiple repeats. Hitting it firmly again frees up the key and it
releases.
The problem might have been caused during the cleaning if some of the
baby wipe is stuck within the key release mechanism - I tend to remember
that the PF4 key was not sticking when I tested it before cleaning.
Any suggestions?
Jerome Fine
15 Jul
15 Jul
1:18 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).
Yo 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 togeterh and stat together!
few stains and a bit of dust. I used a baby wipe
since it seemed to be the
most useful in terms of being able to eliminate the dust as well as the very
minor stains.
Has anyone any other method or suggestions?
Deleds on what you want to clean. If you remove the casing and keycaps,
you can clean them with foam cleaner, or propan-2-ol, or...
One problem is that there is one sticky key - PF4 in this case. It is not a
problem if I use a quick sharp hit of 4 to 5 times the normal force. When
just a gentle to firm force is used, it often sticks and sometimes even goes
into multiple repeats. Hitting it firmly again frees up the key and it
releases.
The problem might have been caused during the cleaning if some of the
baby wipe is stuck within the key release mechanism - I tend to remember
that the PF4 key was not sticking when I tested it before cleaning.
Any suggestions?
Remove the keycap. To do this, remove the top part of the casing (see
above), then you can see how the keycaps are fastened by moulded plastic
hooks (2 per key) that clip into the while plastic housings. Normally you
can slightly twist a keycap in the appropriate direction to free the
hooks and it'll come off.
At thls point you can clean the cross-sahped plunger on the keycap and
the hole it fits into on the housing.
Sometimes you need to _carefully_ bend up the spring leaf under the key,
inside the housing. You have to use stiff wire 'tools' through the holes
in the key hosuing to do this.
-tony
4:35 p.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
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).
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.
few stains and
a bit of dust. I used a baby wipe since it seemed to be the
most useful in terms of being able to eliminate the dust as well as the very
minor stains.
Depends on what you want to clean. If you remove the casing and keycaps,
you can clean them with foam cleaner, or propan-2-ol, or...
One problem is
that there is one sticky key - PF4 in this case. It is not a
problem if I use a quick sharp hit of 4 to 5 times the normal force. When
just a gentle to firm force is used, it often sticks and sometimes even goes
into multiple repeats. Hitting it firmly again frees up the key and it
releases.
The problem might have been caused during the cleaning if some of the
baby wipe is stuck within the key release mechanism - I tend to remember
that the PF4 key was not sticking when I tested it before cleaning.
Remove the keycap. To do this, remove the top part of the casing (see
above), then you can see how the keycaps are fastened by moulded plastic
hooks (2 per key) that clip into the while plastic housings. Normally you
can slightly twist a keycap in the appropriate direction to free the
hooks and it'll come off.
At thls point you can clean the cross-sahped plunger on the keycap and
the hole it fits into on the housing.
Sometimes you need to _carefully_ bend up the spring leaf under the key,
inside the housing. You have to use stiff wire 'tools' through the holes
in the key hosuing to do this.
16 Jul
16 Jul
11:21 a.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
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