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Moving Keyboard repair/refurbish

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:03 am
by Scouter3d
Hi,

During the CSL Cart development i recognized, that the keys on my Moving Keyboard reacted very badly and i had to "hammer" the keys to get a reaction...

I dismantled the keyboard and found, that the small graphite pads on the underside of the rubberkeys had nearly lost their conductivity, (a very common thing on this kind of contacs...) after a quick paintjob with conductive silver paint, the keyboard now workes again like a charm!

With this "pimped up" keyboard typing is a real pleasure ;0)

PS: There are different methods on the net regarding this problem (it also happens to TV-remotes, synthesizer keyboards...) some use special repair sets, some use a soft pencil, some use wire-glue or even metal foil stickers...

Greetings TOM:0)

Re: Moving Keyboard repair/refurbish

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:38 am
by MADrigal
My friend Gavino, who's my "personal repair service", has often fixed CreatiVision joysticks.

He's used silver paint too, but

1. he told me that it's very expensive
2. he told me that after opening the tin, the paint you don't use will get unusable in a couple of days.
3. the repair doesn't last very long.

In fact he's recently discovered that a joystick of mine, which he had repaired last year, is now oxidated again.

Is he missing something?

Re: Moving Keyboard repair/refurbish

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:06 am
by Scouter3d
Hi,

The silver paint is about €11.- or so and the special "thinner" is €4.-

here a link: http://www.conrad.at/ce/de/product/5300 ... earch&rb=1

There is very little paint in in the glas flask, but then you hardly need any (most of the time i try to remove all of the paint from the little brush and use it nearly "dry")

If the silver paint drys up, one small drop of the "thinner" and it is useable again! (i have/use mine for a couple of years now...)

You are right, i can not say anything abou how long this "fix" will help and the professional Rubber keyboard repair set or the wire glue might be the better solution, as they form a more flexible surface... where the silverpaint might "crumble"

Wire glue: http://www.conrad.at/ce/de/product/5883 ... archDetail

(My personal favourite would be hammerd goldfoil (like on old pictureframes) glued on the contacts with "wire glue", but never tried it up to now...)

TOM:0)

Re: Moving Keyboard repair/refurbish

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:05 am
by MADrigal
that's great information - thanks! i have forwarded that to Gavino, too.

wire-glue? is that a glue in which you include a naked wire, and you apply that to an oxidated trace?

so is the glue conductive?

Re: Moving Keyboard repair/refurbish

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:07 pm
by Scouter3d
Hi,

Yes, wire glue is a conductive glue (i think it contains graphit) and you can use it instead of soldering... or on plastic foils, where soldering is not possible ;0)

If you google it, you see demonstrations, where they have built small circuits by simply glueing parts together on a piece of paper or even on glass...

And yes, you can glue a small wire onto a broken trace with it (if you want to be on the safe side) or simply repaint the broken trace with it...

TOM:0)

Re: Moving Keyboard repair/refurbish

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:55 pm
by MADrigal
That's great! I have spent so much money on the repair of those f***ing keyboards! :?