Author Topic: A key cap stem just broke clean off on my Filco (Read 14076 times)

Wihl · « **on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 11:30:22 »

So I came home and started writing an email. In the middle of it I try to press ctrl-c but nothing happens and the ctrl key feels really odd. So I lift the keyboard up and the key falls off. I look at it and the stem has broken clean off o.o If it was the stem on the key cap that broke off i could just get a replacement key but the fact that it's the part on the actual keyboard complicates things...

I don't even understand how it happened

I have never dropped the keyboard or anything. The ctrl key has always been a tiny bit wobbly so I suspect that there has alwys been a crack or similar in it...

I got the keyboard just a few months ago so I sent an email to the keyboard company asking if I could get a replacement but I'd be surprised if I do.. the warranty sticker rubbed off earlier and I doubt they'll believe that it just fell off like it did :F

I'm a bit scared of trying to glue the key back on since a) I'll never be able to change the key cap and b) the glue might go into the "housing" and mess up the entire key.

I'll try and get a couple of pictures up later

Appreciate any advice.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #1 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 11:34:56 »

Yea def post pics of the broken stem, (both in the key and the base of the switch) and the warranty sticker.

I think you should be able to RMA it but the pics will help to advise you further.

Clickey · « **Reply #2 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 11:37:36 »

Not sure exactly what you are saying happened, could you post a pic? If you mean the cherry stem is broken, you can order a new cherry switch of the same color and solder it in place of the old one. Thats a pretty annoying problem though. If you want, you can mail it to me and I will fix it for free but it probably wouldnt be worth the shipping costs.

Wihl · « **Reply #3 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 11:58:25 »

Quote from: Clickey;432307

Not sure exactly what you are saying happened, could you post a pic? If you mean the cherry stem is broken, you can order a new cherry switch of the same color and solder it in place of the old one. Thats a pretty annoying problem though. If you want, you can mail it to me and I will fix it for free but it probably wouldnt be worth the shipping costs.

Thanks, I may take you up on that if I cant get a replacement.

Yes, it's the cherry stem that's broken. The stem that slots into the key cap is completely broken off. http://i.imgur.com/Cprs8.png That + shaped cherry stem is gone and stuck inside the key cap.

Wihl · « **Reply #4 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 12:00:24 »

Quote from: keyboardlover;432302

Yea def post pics of the broken stem, (both in the key and the base of the switch) and the warranty sticker.

I think you should be able to RMA it but the pics will help to advise you further.

The sticker is simply gone, I turned the keyboard over one day and it wasn't there., probably rubbed off from being taken out/in of my backpack (i used to take it to work with me). Trying to find the cable to my camera so I can transfer the pictures.

Wihl · « **Reply #5 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 12:10:07 »

Quote from: ripster;432319

The backback part might have been part of the reason the key is cracked....

Post a pic and I'll send you a spare key I got from Redpill's ping foam mod.

The pic is to make sure it's not the McGurk effect.

It's not the key cap that is cracked, it is this + shaped stem thas is broken off http://i.imgur.com/wLaUz.jpg (not my picture).

Wihl · « **Reply #6 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 12:48:42 »

http://i.imgur.com/XdgUd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VtEtC.jpg

Bunch of crap on the lens and bad lighting but should be good enough.

Wihl · « **Reply #7 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 12:53:00 »

Has this happened to anyone else? I've never even read about something like this being possible...

keyboardlover · « **Reply #8 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 13:24:33 »

Damn. Only time I've seen that issue posted before was on a Rappoo which isn't even a Cherry Corp switch (clone).

Wihl · « **Reply #9 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 13:27:36 »

I would need to solder that wouldn't I? I appreciate the offer but I'm not sure I could manage it on my own. I haven't soldered anything like this in years :S I'll wait to hear back from the keyboard company and then I'll contact you

spolia optima · « **Reply #10 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 13:28:07 »

CTRL? So it's right there on the corner?
My guess is that somebody dropped it. Since you didn't drop it, maybe it was somebody at the factory...
I would demand a replacement from wherever you bought it. They can send you a new 'board, and RMA the broken one. If they don't send you a replacement, I'd complain up a storm.

Clickey · « **Reply #11 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 13:39:27 »

My guess is that the corner key just had some torque on it (from the weight of other objects in the bag or from pushing the keyboard control key first in/out of bag) during its rides in the backpack and eventually broke. It could just be that 1/1000000 defective cherry stem but I think it much more likely a pressure on key thing.

Wihl · « **Reply #12 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 14:05:36 »

Quote from: Clickey;432380

My guess is that the corner key just had some torque on it (from the weight of other objects in the bag or from pushing the keyboard control key first in/out of bag) during its rides in the backpack and eventually broke. It could just be that 1/1000000 defective cherry stem but I think it much more likely a pressure on key thing.

It's possible I suppose but it still seems strange that something like that could happen just from being in the backpack. I'm pretty careful with it since I keep my dslr camera bag in it too (there are two compartments in the backpack with hard plastic inbetween. I never put the camera bag and the keyboard in the same compartment, they wouldn't fit anyway). The ctrl key was always a bit more wobbly than the other keys... Maybe it was cracked out of the box, daily use and carrying around was the final straw that caused it to break.

In any case, I hope I can get this fixed somehow.

Lanx · « **Reply #13 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 14:14:45 »

it's the outer edge key of a keyboard that's placed in a backpack, of course it's user error... something happened, if it was the "F" key... sure that leaves more to the imagination, but not the outermost key.

you have another ctrl key on the keyboard, so i'm guessing you're already using that, there really is no or limited options, it's to:
live with it,
superglue the stem on and hope it doesn't break off, i recommend gorilla glue
re-learn how to solder again
RMA really isn't any company's fault but your own... i mean if it came shipped like that, sure but not after use, especially when it's been put in a backpack.

Wihl · « **Reply #14 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 14:40:44 »

Quote from: Lanx;432399

it's the outer edge key of a keyboard that's placed in a backpack, of course it's user error... something happened, if it was the "F" key... sure that leaves more to the imagination, but not the outermost key.

you have another ctrl key on the keyboard, so i'm guessing you're already using that, there really is no or limited options, it's to:
live with it,
superglue the stem on and hope it doesn't break off, i recommend gorilla glue
re-learn how to solder again
RMA really isn't any company's fault but your own... i mean if it came shipped like that, sure but not after use, especially when it's been put in a backpack.

I'll see what the keyboard company says, if they say no to sending out a replacement I'll have to try and fix it on my own of course. As for it breaking off because of being in the backpack, it's possible but honestly I don't see how there could have been enough force on it to cause anything to break. I also haven't brought it to work in the last few weeks because I have my noppoo choc mini with reds there now (prefer red for typing a lot). If I picked it up out of the backpack and the key was broken I wouldn't dream of trying to return it.

woody · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 14:56:38 »

tl;dr

OP, have you by chance tried removing the keycap and thus broke the stem?

Wihl · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 14:58:39 »

Quote from: woody;432423

tl;dr

OP, have you by chance tried removing the keycap and thus broke the stem?

tl;dr

Clickey · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 15:08:03 »

Well if nothing works out, like I said, I can fix it for you free. Just send me a pm.

Tony · « **Reply #18 on:** Sun, 16 October 2011, 21:08:08 »

Hmm, the shipping cost back and forth would be half price of the keyboard....

Lanx · « **Reply #19 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 03:42:05 »

Quote from: Wihl;432427

tl;dr

try gorilla glue, honestly it's strong, it was able to repair the crack in my fridge shelf and hold like 30lbs of of meat for a whole year before the seam lost potency, i was able to glue my chair handle back on and "operate it" and this is connected to a pneumatic chair, so you know that requires a lot of force to operate. 5bucks at harbor freight, i've even seen it at walmart. (i can't rec any other glue cuz i haven't tried others).

elef · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 04:49:36 »

You could heat up a small needle and stick it in there before you glue the broken part back on. The needle would help strengthen the bond. Perhaps break a sewing needle in half and sharpen it with a file to get a short piece with sharp points at both ends.
It seems pretty obvious that the stem broke in your backpack. As you put the keyboard in there, the CTRL key snagged on something (a book that was already in there, or even an internal pocket in the bag etc.) and the weight of the whole thing was resting and bouncing on the key as you walked around with the backpack. Next time you'll know better and use some sort of a case or sleeve to stop keys getting caught on things. A neoprene laptop sleeve should do the trick.

spolia optima · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 12:30:50 »

what elef said
also, use 2-part plastic epoxy, not gorilla glue

turbocharged · « **Reply #22 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 14:02:58 »

Quote from: Wihl;432364

Has this happened to anyone else? I've never even read about something like this being possible...

This has happened to me...however it was on a used keyboard (TG3 BL82). I'm sure the keyboard lived a rough life since it was from a police car. It had 3 broken switches when I got it and the only thing keeping the keys on the board was the blood spatter guard.

The problem fixing it wasn't replacing the switch...it was getting the remnants of the old switch out of the old key caps (special two-piece TG3 keys for backlighting). It took a tiny drill bit, hand turning, and then a tiny screw to extract.

turbocharged · « **Reply #23 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 14:25:02 »

Quote from: ripster;432896

I'm pretty sure The Keyboard Company doesn't provide a warranty for bullets or bashing suspects heads into the onboard computer. Probably somewhere in the warranty fine print.

What? You mean to tell me that keyboards don't double as riot shields?

Clickey · « **Reply #24 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 14:33:40 »

Quote from: turbocharged;432918

What? You mean to tell me that keyboards don't double as riot shields?

I know a few of my boards could. Steel cases ftw.

Wihl · « **Reply #25 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 15:20:19 »

The Keyboard Company said the warranty doesn't cover it since the warranty sticker is gone. Much sadface. The glue was really bad on the sticker, it was pushed halfway off the "hole" it's supposed to cover when I got it out of the box. Starting to think they messed up pretty bad with this keyboard during production. Child workers so clumsy. Oh well. They say they can repair it but they'll have to charge me for it. Sent them a reply asking how much it would cost... Really annoyed about all of this =/

It's so strange that it would just break like that. I never kept it in the bag together with anything else, always had it in the "laptop sleeve" that's built into it. I only took it to work for a couple of weeks and it's been atleast a month since I last took it to work. Just hoping the repair isn't too expensive, very low on money at the moment. If it's too expensive I'll just have to go McGyver on it.

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Author Topic: A key cap stem just broke clean off on my Filco (Read 14076 times)

woody