What's the secret to LK201 leaf springs?

[Tony Duell]

On Sat, Sep 12, 2020 at 6:41 PM Adam Thornton via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> I got an LK201 recently that was a little damaged in transit.  A couple of the keycap assemblies and their corresponding leaf springs have come off.  I can see how the leaf springs fit on the little posts on the keycap assemblies, and I can see where those snap into the board, but what I don’t see is how to get that put together and then keep it together while I turn it over and then get it in place.
>
> Clearly there is some simple trick I am missing.  What is it?

When it was made, those posts were much longer. After fitting the leaf
springs and fitting the unit to the membrane/chassis plate, the posts
were melted and formed over to make a large 'head' that held it all
together (this is commonly called heat staking).

My guess is that the formed over part has broken off (you might find
some little white disks of plastic, about 1/8" diameter, rattling
about inside the case). Alas I have never found a way to re-fix them.
There's not enough plastic in the housing to drill it out and fit
screws/nuts. There is no way of gluing something to the ends of the
posts that would be strong enough,

-tony