need info on cleaning A2000 Keyboard

[hamtronix]

I searched here and google and could find no useful info on cleaning an Amiga 2000 keyboard. Any help?

[TjLaZer]

Maybe because there is nothing special about it?  I use Simple Green and an old rag.  For the keys I use a butter knife wrapped in a damp rag saturated with the cleaner and I run it down between the row of keys until they are clean to your liking.

[hamtronix]

Thanks I mean disassembly and cleaning not the external, the internal... but any info is good info.

[gdanko]

Dismantle it, pop the keys, and use soapy water. It's time consuming (~1-2 hours) but your keyboard comes out looking like new.

[hamtronix]

That would be sweet. I got a couple of the common keys that I really have to press hard and they really want to have to be used so I am hoping it will help with that...

[Jope]

I find that the rubber contacts are easily rejuvenated by wiping each rubber a couple of times with a sheet of copier paper (taken out of your printer or use some of your junk mail :-). Press down on a key, wipe, press down on the next key, repeat..

Mind the edges of the paper, you don't want to slice the rubbers.

A few wipes per rubber and they should go from shiny back to matt black. Then use normal pcb cleaner for the circuit board (big box) / contact membrane (wedge case).

Don't overdo it, just wipe enough that they are no longer shiny.

[orange]

um, I put PC keyboard into dishwasher (like someone else on net)
and it looks like new now! dunno if it still works, though, I'm still waiting it to dry..

[hamtronix]

unfortunately i live without a dishwasher other than my own weather beaten hands... but i have heard that before. i would be nervous about putting any of the equipment (Amiga) thaqt I care about in such a situation though.

[amigakid]

Just unscrew the case, pop the keys, spray out with canned air and use alcohol to clean with.  

[sdyates]

I put my Wintel keyboards in the dishwasher: I leave the usb part outside to keep water out.

I wait five days before I use them again, making sure all water has evaporated.

I am not sure of the construction of Amiga Keyboards. But, it is not as though they have batteries in the...

[Jope]

Nothing wrong with a dishwasher, it's great for cleaning circuit boards. Use a hair dryer to dry it afterwards, or a 50 degrees celsius oven.. Don't put plastic parts in the oven, only wet circuit boards (!).

Remove all batteries and socketed chips first. Afterwards, make sure there's no water left sucked beneath chips, etc before powering it up again.

Only thing, don't put your case parts / circuit boards in with dirty dishes. There'll be bits of food stuck to them, etc.. :-)

Oh, and I doubt the dishwasher trick will rejuvenate those elastomer rubbers beneath the key stems. If they have been polished from use, they will need some abrasion before they make good contact again.

It's a good idea to dry these out quickly. Especially if you wash a keyboard with a plastic contact membrane. The water that is left between the membranes will eat the tracks if you just let it stay there.

Dismantle the kbd after washing (or even better, don't even put the membrane in the washer) and use that hair dryer.