Dismantling and cleaning a A1200 keyboard

[Hodgkinson]

Has anyone here got any tips for dismantling A1200 keyboards (Removing and cleaning under keys only...)?

Since my A1200 is currently in pieces, it seems to be a good time to attempt to clean the ~3mm of crud from underneath all the keys (The A1200 is second hand...) and my preliminary attempt to remove a key resulted in a slightly-distorted spring.

I’m not sure if there’s different revisions of A1200 keyboards, but mine seems to use unusually small diameter push rods from the keys to the buttons beneath, perhaps only 2 or 3 mm square.

Any tips for avoiding mashed up key springs?

Hodgkinson.

[CLS2086]

Hi,
it seems that you have a repaired key !
take off the 20++ screws.
use a brush to clean durst and more  ;-)
use an electronic contact cleaner spray for the thin plastic film, don't use it on the black carbonate part under keys.

[Hodgkinson]

CLS2086, thanks for the quick reply.
Im not planning on totally dismantling the keyboard (Bad memories with PC keyboards of this type...), rather im thinking of pulling all the keys off and cleaning beneath and around them, then reassembling the keyboard, leaving the plastic membranes in place.

As I say, does anyone have any tips for removing keys without inadvertently mashing up springs or breaking key-support posts?

Hodgkinson.

[lopos]

Hodgkinson wrote:
CLS2086, thanks for the quick reply.
Im not planning on totally dismantling the keyboard (Bad memories with PC keyboards of this type...), rather im thinking of pulling all the keys off and cleaning beneath and around them, then reassembling the keyboard, leaving the plastic membranes in place.

As I say, does anyone have any tips for removing keys without inadvertently mashing up springs or breaking key-support posts?

Hodgkinson.

I always use a little screwdriver to undo the keys.
To clean the keys I use an Ultrasonic bath.

[Hodgkinson]

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunatly I don't have a ultrasonic bath, so it looks like im going to have to use lots of hot water and soap  :crazy:

:bump:

Anyone got any other tips?

Thanks, Hodgkinson.

[rkauer]

 If you want to clean UNDER the keys, buy a long toothbrush (the one who's like a gun cleaner, intended for ppl who uses tooth devices).

 If you want to clean the keys, gently pry they off with a small flat screwdriver, anotate the keys positions, then rub them with iso OR acetone.

 Put them in a cloth bag and toss it into a dishwasher machine is a good idea, too (don't worry, they don't melt with the hot water). ;-)

[Hodgkinson]

Dont have a dishwasher either  :-(

I'll have a go at dismantling the keyboard today...

Thanks for all the advice,

Hodgkinson.

[Hodgkinson]

Keyboard clean completed. I removed all the keys, lined up all the springs on the desk (As simply throwing them in a box tends to screw them all together...), straightened up any bent springs, washed and left all the keys to stand in "Flash" cleaning solution, rinsed them, left them to dry in the airing cupboard overnight before re-assembling the keyboard earlier today. Looks a lot better (Though the cleaning has made the yellowed edges of some of the keys show up against all the spotless white keys...).

I've taken some photos of the operation which I might post one day.

Tip for removing keys: Use two identical screwdrivers, positioned in such a way as to prise each key up by placing a force on diagonally-opposite corners of each key in order to avoid any chance of breaking the keys off. Don’t try to pull the keys off with your fingers, as when the key comes loose your fingers tend to curl underneath the key and mangle the spring beneath. Oh, and don’t loose the springs –They can fly some distance.

Thanks,
Hodgkinson.