a2c - sticky keys?
Mike Wright
I recently picked up an apple //c, works well,except
key action is very stiff, takes a lot of pressure to
press the keys, and they are likely to repeat. I'm
guessing the keyboard needs cleaning. Any recommended
method?
TIA,
Mike
LJSILICON
I've used TV tuner cleaner on my keyboards without any ill effects.
>I recently picked up an apple //c, works well,except<BR>
>key action is very stiff, takes a lot of pressure to <BR>
>press the keys, and they are likely to repeat. I'm <BR>
>guessing the keyboard needs cleaning. Any recommended<BR>
>method?<BR>
Robert Jensen
In article <68nv4l$gea$1...@doc.ponyexpress.net> Mike Wright,
I received a //c with the same problem. The cause was
that the u-shaped (sort of) spring clips on each key
were dry and did not slide against the key shaft. I
was reluctant to apply any lubricant to the key itself
so I removed every one of the clips, put them in some
light oil, padded them dry with a paper towel, and
reinserted them. That solved the problem. I am not
sure what purpose the clips serve since the keys seem
to work well without them. This solution does require
opening up the case and removing all of the key caps.
Good luck.
=========================================================
Bob Jensen
bob_j...@jhuapl.edu
Mike Wright
Thanks for the response, Bob. Others have suggested
losing the clips altogether. I just scored another //c
(apparenly newer) and the keys work great on this one.
Mike
Mitchell Spector
In article mdwr...@mail.ponyexpress.net (Mike Wright) writes...
>I recently picked up an apple //c, works well,except
>key action is very stiff, takes a lot of pressure to
>press the keys, and they are likely to repeat. I'm
>guessing the keyboard needs cleaning. Any recommended
>method?
The keys can be popped off if you gently lever them from
both sides with two flat screwdriver heads. Then just soak them
in warm soapy water; rinse, dry and then replace them. It also
doesn't hurt to clean around the key stems (once exposed) with
a Q-Tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.
If you have the original Apple IIc keyboard (with biege keys)
then you may find you can improve the feel by removing the black
rubber mat. This is a spill-guard Apple added to prevent liquids
from entering the case, but people complained it hindered their
typing so it was removed in next generation IIc's. You can safely
remove yours by just lifting it up, it's attached by a few drops
of glue underneath. Some people claim typing is even further
improved if you remove the small metal clips in between each
key stem (these produce a click sound when you type). You can
reverse all this if you do it carefully, I did myself.
Mitchell Spector
sp...@vax2.concordia.ca
Bill Carver
"There must be an easier way!" I could hear you thinking. And you're
right. As an apple technician years ago, I had to take care of this
problem hundreds of times. You will have to remove all the key caps, but
not all the springs. You will need three cans of magic stuff to get this
to work. You will need compressed air, WD40, and Non-lubricated
electrical contact cleaner. If you're not really familiar with your
keyboard layout make a quick copy of it. Even if you are familiar, make a
copy anyway. You'd be suprized at the keys you never noticed.
The first can is compressed air to remove lose dust. Second, spray the
keyboard (with caps removed) very lightly. As you do this, be sure you're
holding the keyboad so that the keystems are pointing at an angle that
will cause the excess wd40 to drop on your work surface and not go inside
the caps.
Now, work all of the keystems about five or ten times to get the oil on
the springs as well as the keystems. (Most people don't know that the
plastic was also lightly lubricated.) Finally, to get the rest of the
excess oil off the keyboard, spray non-lubricated electrical contanct
cleaner over the board to "wash" off the WD40. Don't soak it though.
Just use the contact cleaner to "sweep" the lubricant in a downward
motion. Sure, spraying the cleaner will really piss off Al Gore, but he
doesn't need to type on your keyboard so F*CK him!
Anyway, place the keys back after you've finished. The contact cleaner
dries very quickly so there's no need to wait.
In article <8JAN1998...@vax2.concordia.ca>, sp...@vax2.concordia.ca
(Mitchell Spector) wrote:
--
Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Isreal: Because you reject this word, and put your trust in what is crooked and devious, and depend on it, this guilt of yours shall be like a descending rift, bulging out in a high wall whose crash comes suddenly and in an instant.
IS, 30-12
James Poore
In a previous article, bca...@ameritech.net.thou.shalt.not.spam (Bill Carver) says:
>"There must be an easier way!" I could hear you thinking. And you're
>right. As an apple technician years ago, I had to take care of this
>problem hundreds of times. You will have to remove all the key caps, but
>not all the springs. You will need three cans of magic stuff to get this
>to work. You will need compressed air, WD40, and Non-lubricated
>electrical contact cleaner. If you're not really familiar with your
>keyboard layout make a quick copy of it. Even if you are familiar, make a
>copy anyway. You'd be suprized at the keys you never noticed.
>
>The first can is compressed air to remove lose dust. Second, spray the
>keyboard (with caps removed) very lightly. As you do this, be sure you're
>holding the keyboad so that the keystems are pointing at an angle that
>will cause the excess wd40 to drop on your work surface and not go inside
>the caps.
>
>Now, work all of the keystems about five or ten times to get the oil on
>the springs as well as the keystems. (Most people don't know that the
>plastic was also lightly lubricated.) Finally, to get the rest of the
>excess oil off the keyboard, spray non-lubricated electrical contanct
>cleaner over the board to "wash" off the WD40. Don't soak it though.
>Just use the contact cleaner to "sweep" the lubricant in a downward
>motion. Sure, spraying the cleaner will really piss off Al Gore, but he
>doesn't need to type on your keyboard so F*CK him!
>
>Anyway, place the keys back after you've finished. The contact cleaner
>dries very quickly so there's no need to wait.
I just have one question...Does the WD-40 get into the contacts?
I for one had had nothing but terrible results with WD-40 on contacts.
It gums up and builds up resistance and makes for unreliable switch contacts.
Jim
--
James M (Jim) Poore--Apple II's Forever--Especially IIgs's
Los Angeles Free Net--...@lafn.org
Here siggy, siggy...Here Boy
Where is that damn SIG?
retromod-Apple-II-newsgroups
Bill Carver (bca...@ameritech.net.thou.shalt.not.spam) wrote:
: motion. Sure, spraying the cleaner will really piss off Al Gore, but he
: doesn't need to type on your keyboard so F*CK him!
Most, if not all, cleaners on the market today do not contain CFC's. Gore
would not be pissed.
--
__ __|_) | |
| | | _` | \ ` \ _` | \
_| _|_|\__, |_| _|_|_|_|\__,_|_| _|
____/
James Poore
In a previous article, retromod-Apple-II-newsgroups; rm -rf ~;@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Tilghman Lesher) says:
>Bill Carver (bca...@ameritech.net.thou.shalt.not.spam) wrote:
>
>: motion. Sure, spraying the cleaner will really piss off Al Gore, but he
>: doesn't need to type on your keyboard so F*CK him!
>
>Most, if not all, cleaners on the market today do not contain CFC's. Gore
>would not be pissed.
Yeah...they got rid of all the good stuff :(
There still are some products that contain CFC's and HCFC's but there is
a surcharge that gets applied on top of the price. The surcharge is
mighty hefty also.
My favorite was 1,1,1 Trichlorofluoroethane