Author Topic: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?  (Read 33840 times)

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Offline phibonnachee

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How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 02:18:18 »
How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
Very recently, the E key on my mechanical keyboard has become unresponsive. I think the switch may be faulty, how would I go about fixing this?

Exact keyboard is here http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201044

I heard it is also possible to replace mechanical switches themselves or take useless switches (scroll lock) and move them.  Is there a tutorial on how to replace mechanical switches?

Offline tp4tissue

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 03:59:12 »
Fixing this requires SOLDERING, no ways around this.

You don't need a tutorial, open up the keyboard, and everything is honestly straight forward and noob proof.

If you are level 10 super noob, then maybe just call up warranty

Go order a new switch now from wasdkeyboards, it's under keyboard parts.

You can temporarily switch the scroll lock for the E key, while you're waiting for your replacement switch to come in the mail.


Make sure you have soldering braid/wick, AND of course a soldering iron + solder.

If you require someone else to do this. Either ask your dad, your mom, brother, or the asian kids down the block.  ;D

Open up the keyboard, first, inspect whether or not the problem is due to a poor solder joint. If that's the case, then simply touching it up is enough.

If this is not the problem, then you'd remove the scroll'lock switch and replace the broken E switch, Just temporarily leave the scroll lock switch blank. When the replacement switch comes in the mail, put that switch into the scroll lock place.

The keyboard should still be fully usable with a blank scroll lock slot when you're waiting for your replacement switch.


Offline rowdy

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 05:02:16 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

And condolences that your first post is seeking help for a sick keyboard :(

Like tp4tissue said, desoldering the existing switch and soldering a new switch will most likely be the action required to restore functionality.  If you are not comfortable taking a soldering iron to your keyboard, and it is out of warranty, you should be able to find an electronics repair shop somewhere that could fix it for considerably less than the price of a new keyboard.  Possibly bonus points if you can supply a replacement switch (but do ask them first).
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline tp4tissue

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 06:42:08 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

And condolences that your first post is seeking help for a sick keyboard :(

Like tp4tissue said, desoldering the existing switch and soldering a new switch will most likely be the action required to restore functionality.  If you are not comfortable taking a soldering iron to your keyboard, and it is out of warranty, you should be able to find an electronics repair shop somewhere that could fix it for considerably less than the price of a new keyboard.  Possibly bonus points if you can supply a replacement switch (but do ask them first).

Where are there electronic repair shops? I've never seen one in my life.

Offline Rafen

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 07:06:04 »
How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
Very recently, the E key on my mechanical keyboard has become unresponsive. I think the switch may be faulty, how would I go about fixing this?

Exact keyboard is here http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201044

I heard it is also possible to replace mechanical switches themselves or take useless switches (scroll lock) and move them.  Is there a tutorial on how to replace mechanical switches?

I had to replace a switch a while back because I pulled the stem out of the housing. The process seems a lot harder than it really is. It took me about 30 minutes and it was my first time soldering. so don't sweat it. Just do everything that tp4tissue said to do and you will be fine.

Offline tp4tissue

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 08:20:36 »
Soldering Wick, DO NOT do it without Soldering wick. or soldering braid, same thing.

Offline rowdy

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 17:19:03 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

And condolences that your first post is seeking help for a sick keyboard :(

Like tp4tissue said, desoldering the existing switch and soldering a new switch will most likely be the action required to restore functionality.  If you are not comfortable taking a soldering iron to your keyboard, and it is out of warranty, you should be able to find an electronics repair shop somewhere that could fix it for considerably less than the price of a new keyboard.  Possibly bonus points if you can supply a replacement switch (but do ask them first).

Where are there electronic repair shops? I've never seen one in my life.

A lot of computer shops have a repair facility out back, especially the smaller shops that either try to fix problems themselves or just try to provide that extra bit of customer support.

Or at a swap meet there is a console modification desk - the guys look friendly enough I am sure they would not mind swapping a switch, especially if you bright the switch with you and all they had to do was a little soldering.

In Australia, heh.

YMMV.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline dorkvader

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Re: How do I fix my mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 04 September 2012, 18:05:13 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

And condolences that your first post is seeking help for a sick keyboard :(

Like tp4tissue said, desoldering the existing switch and soldering a new switch will most likely be the action required to restore functionality.  If you are not comfortable taking a soldering iron to your keyboard, and it is out of warranty, you should be able to find an electronics repair shop somewhere that could fix it for considerably less than the price of a new keyboard.  Possibly bonus points if you can supply a replacement switch (but do ask them first).

Where are there electronic repair shops? I've never seen one in my life.

A lot of computer shops have a repair facility out back, especially the smaller shops that either try to fix problems themselves or just try to provide that extra bit of customer support.

Or at a swap meet there is a console modification desk - the guys look friendly enough I am sure they would not mind swapping a switch, especially if you bright the switch with you and all they had to do was a little soldering.

In Australia, heh.

YMMV.
Lots of hackers/makers in AUS. I blame Dave Jones. There isn't a hackerspace within three hours of my location (Also no-one into keyboards, audio, DIY,anything!). I doubt there are any repair shops either. I think there's one electronics seller, where he got his hands on a huge amount of ancient inventory, and is selling it a bit at a time. I really need to talk to that guy, and see if he'll sell me stuff by weight :p

So in the USA, your mileage may vary.