Sticky stabilizers

[jcoffin1981]

So I successfully replaced every switch on my v60 from cherry to gateron after spilling liquid on it.  I gave the case a good cleaning and all the switches are working.  However, what I should have done is soak the steel plate in soapy water to clean the stabilizers.  It never crossed my mind.  Now a couple of the keys are not working well because of this.  I'm trying to think of a good way to clean them without desoldering and resoldering the whole keyboard.  I'll buy a new one before I do that.

I've been thinking of trying to get in there with q-tip and 91% alcohol, or maybe sliding plastic between the plate and pcb and spraying alcohol on the stabilizer stems and bars.  Anyone have any good ideas?

[tp4tissue]

Just spray some alcohol into the stabilizers

move it up and down..  dump it out or vacuum it..

repeat until it's smooth..

eventually it should dilute whatever's in there..


don't use water, because water won't dry right away

use 99% alcohol

[jcoffin1981]

I used a q-tip and 91% alcohol and then put it under a fan.  The stickiness is about 80% improved.  I didn't know you can get 99% alcohol.  Where the heck can I find it?

[iLLucionist]

I used a q-tip and 91% alcohol and then put it under a fan.  The stickiness is about 80% improved.  I didn't know you can get 99% alcohol.  Where the heck can I find it?

I have 99% as well... from the pharmacist.

[xtrafrood]

No rusting with 99% alcohol

[jcoffin1981]

I found it on amazon.  Can't buy it in any local drugstores.  500 mL bottle of 99.9% alcohol.  It's sold as electronics cleaner.  As far as antiseptic purposes go 70% is actually the most effective.  It may seem counterintuitive, but in order to break down or denature the protein in the cell wall of protein the water is necessary.  The pure alcohol has less medicinal value which is probably why you need to go to a chemist or something.

I mean in theory wouldn't 91% be okay to use?  Yeah there is a little moisture, but it will evaporate fast, especially if put under fan.  I wonder if it would work better to break down whatever beverage residue is remaining in the stabilizers?

[iLLucionist]

I found it on amazon.  Can't buy it in any local drugstores.  500 mL bottle of 99.9% alcohol.

99.9 are you sure? I thought it was chemically impossible to make it higher than 99%. Apparently I'm very bad in basic chemistry..

[jcoffin1981]

It's labeled 99.9% pure anhydrous alcohol as electronics cleaner.  Anhydrous alcohol meaning no moisture.  I'm not sure what the remaining 1% is in 99% alcohol. 

Interesting, it says in California by law the product must be diluted by 25% with water before use.

[iLLucionist]

It's labeled 99.9% pure anhydrous alcohol as electronics cleaner.  Anhydrous alcohol meaning no moisture.  I'm not sure what the remaining 1% is in 99% alcohol. 

Interesting, it says in California by law the product must be diluted by 25% with water before use.

Lol like California state can enforce such a rule

[jcoffin1981]

Unfortunately no matter how many times I spray down all the surfaces of the L Shift stabilizers, it's just not free enough to work properly.  Is it possible the 91% alcohol will work better?  Putting it under a fan immediately and soaking up any excess with a q-tip, I can't imagine that bit of moisture causing any corrosion. 

Also, for anyone who has ever gunked up their stabilizers, maybe there is a better method?

And yet marijuana is just about legal in Cali.  The way the medical marijuana is regulated is a joke.

[KaLam1ty]

You can maybe try using DeoxIT contact cleaner. There's a couple different mixtures, but D5 should work okay.
Meant to be used mainly on actual contacts, but it's a minor lubricant and can help flush out gunk that's laying around.

I'd probably avoid the spray kind though, as it'll be a bit messy. There should be 'dropper/pipette' bottles which you can buy, instead.

[jcoffin1981]

So I used glass cleaner (no amonia).  I applied it with a Q-tip and then installed the keycap and pushed it 30 or 40 times.  Then after that flushed it with alcohol.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  After doing this 4 or 5 times it's almost perfect.  The glass cleaner has water and acetic acid so it does a little bit better job of breaking up whatever residue was gunking up the stabilizers then just the plain alcohol.

[NorrisB]

Appreciate the thread, I lifted on the stabilizer and put tissue below it and they applied 70% alcohol with a qtip.

[tp4tissue]

It's labeled 99.9% pure anhydrous alcohol as electronics cleaner.  Anhydrous alcohol meaning no moisture.  I'm not sure what the remaining 1% is in 99% alcohol. 

Interesting, it says in California by law the product must be diluted by 25% with water before use.

That's weird, why would they say that ? fumes myabe.